Recent reviews by OneStepBeyond

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the latest entry in an iconic series, which sees our titular heroes warped to another dimension, where they face off against not one, but two different versions of the evil Doctor Nefarious. As they are unable to face this threat alone, they are joined by newcomers Rivet and Kit in order to save not just one world, but all of reality itself.

Positives

+ An engaging story that builds on Ratchet's past and future in looking for the rest of his race. What I also like about it is that you don't need to have played any of the previous games to be able to appreciate it. If you have played other games in the series, you will understand the fun little easter eggs and references, but you can also be completely new, and it won't ruin your experience whatsoever. While the story can deliver emotional moments, it also maintains its excellent sense of comedy.

+ Charming and comedic characters bring the story to life. This has always been a strong point of Ratchet and Clank, and Insomniac have once again not let the fans down. Both Rivet and Kit are wonderful additions, serving as Ratchet and Clank's counterparts, and I look forward to seeing more of them in future titles. Emperor Nefarious also made for a memorable villain. Overall, the presentation of the game is outstanding.

+ Clank's puzzle segments keep the gameplay feeling fresh. While not too difficult, they can be a nice change of pace from Ratchet and Rivet's gun and destruction combat.

+ Customisation is high, as you can equip multiple armour sets in the pause menu, and even mix-and-match. Some of these armour sets will give unique bonuses to the player.

+ Many accessibility settings, including a high contrast mode and toggles for simplified traversal, camera sensitivity, flight assistance, and more to ensure that all players can enjoy the gameplay and complete the story. There are a lot of different settings to choose from in general to tweak the game how you want.

+ Photo mode allows the player to take a picture whenever they choose, and it comes with various different options, including filters, stickers, etc. You can even use it during a cutscene. As someone who loves taking screenshots, I'm not ashamed to say that I spent a lot of time using this fun feature.

+ Plenty of collectibles to obtain which will unlock special cheats in the pause menu, lore, new armour with bonuses and a powerful weapon.

+ Rift tethering brings new gameplay and builds on the already strong existing platforming elements the series is known for.

+ The replay value of the game can be found through the challenge mode once you complete the main story. You will encounter much harder enemies, but all of your previous weapons will carry over, and you will be able to upgrade weapons to their omega stats (above level five) and earn a bolt multiplier for high-reward, high-risk play.

+ There is a wide range and variety of weapons at your disposal, all of which can be upgraded numerous times. The core gameplay of shooting and dodging enemies is solid, which is something you would expect from a Ratchet & Clank game. The controls are very smooth.

+ Visually, the game looks absolutely stunning. All the locations really catch your eye, and the character models have never looked better or more expressive in the series to date.

Negatives

- I experienced a couple of crashes and some bugs. One time, it was a driver issue. I know I'm not alone in this because I've read about others getting crashes on this game. Funnily enough, once I turned off the ray tracing options completely in the graphic settings, I never crashed again. I would advise if you're having problems to look at your graphic settings and turn them down if needed. Graphically, this game can be quite demanding, depending on your PC. The bugs were little things, like a message not disappearing from my screen when it should do, but all I had to do was restart my previous checkpoint to get rid of it. Keep a backup save at all times to be safe.

- I would have liked more variety for the bosses. There were a bit too many robotic enemies for my liking, and it started becoming quite repetitive towards the end.

Conclusion

It had been many years since I last played a Ratchet & Clank game, and this title made me fall in love with the series all over again, to the point where I want to go back and play the previous games once more. You can be a new fan or an old fan; you will find something to enjoy about this adventure. The gameplay is immersive and satisfying, the environments are exquisite, the story feels like something out of a movie, and the characters are highly likeable. This is one not to be missed if you love adventure and platform games. Hopefully, we can get the classic Ratchet and Clank trilogy on Steam one day, along with all the other old games!

Croc Legend of the Gobbos - Platinum Edition is a remaster of the beloved 3D platformer which found success in the late '90s, and was developed by Argonaut Games. Now acting as the publisher, the remaster's development has been given to Titanium Studios and Big Boat Interactive.

Positives

+ Crocipedia on the main menu provides a vast array of bonus content: interviews with developers, composers, journalists, concept art, character sheets, character designs, character animations, a game design document, developer test levels, three types of soundtracks, remixes, Croc in Japan, marketing and merchandise, a Croc photobook, and even instructions on how to make your own Croc plush! There's also a TV series bible, which includes the script for the early episodes of an animated Croc TV show that never happened. I looked through all of this and found it hugely interesting. If you're a big Croc fan, you won't be disappointed.

+ Enhanced visuals. These include higher-resolution textures, rounded edges, added shadow complexity, increased polygon models for smoother characters and environments, and improved lighting. The game looks beautiful and it's definitely far more pleasing on the eye than it was back in the PS1 days.

+ HUD tweaks. The crystal counter and icons have been adjusted for better clarity and feel.

+ Modernised movement through the analogue stick. The original tank controls on the d-pad are still there if you wish to use them, but the game is definitely much smoother and easier to play with the former. I'd suggest using the tank controls if you want more of a challenge. I avoided using them because if I wanted to use the tank controls, I would simply go and play the original game.

+ Newly added 'Time Attack' mode adds a solid amount of replay value to the game. In this mode, you race against the clock (which you can choose to show or hide) in a level and aim to beat the target time. Gold is the first target and then there is platinum, which will truly test your speedrunning capabilities.

+ Significantly improved camera means far less frustration. The original camera was fixed and awkward, while the remaster's camera is now fully controllable and as such, improves the gameplay.

+ The soundtrack. Wow, what can I say. Each time I listen to the soundtrack on this game, it blows me away. The main menu theme is still as catchy and iconic as ever, and from each island you visit, the corresponding theme is absolutely perfect and sets the tone of that setting magnificently.

+ You are able to switch back to the original retro graphics whenever you want through the press of a button or through the options menu. Not only that, but you can mix and match between remastered and retro settings. Enhanced lighting, models, textures and even CRT or VGA for a retro display if you so desire.

Negatives

None!

Conclusion

I'm a '90s kid and I've always enjoyed 3D platformers. Along with the likes of Banjo, Crash, Mario and Spyro, Croc was one of those loveable and special characters I never forgot about. While the original game was a little rough around the edges, it certainly had a ton of charm about it and I look back at it with nothing but the fondest of memories. It gives me nothing but sheer joy to see Croc brought back to life, and I believe both returning and new players will feel the same way. The story is basic and simplistic, but the gameplay at its core is very fun. Titanium Studios and Big Boat Interactive have done a remarkable job in preserving the original feel of a classic, while adding their own subtle touches to bring it into the modern spotlight. This is a perfect example of how a remake should be done. Hopefully, we will see a Croc 2 remaster in the near future if this game turns out to be a success, which I'm sure it will be. YAZOO!

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition is a remaster of the Rockstar action-adventure sandbox from 2004. With the original considered a fan favourite and one of the most acclaimed games ever made, the Definitive Edition includes gameplay and graphic improvements, plus quality-of-life upgrades.

Positives

+ An added autosave feature means the player can easily go back to a recent point and this will trigger before and after completing a mission. It will also work with some of the side missions. I would still advise keeping a couple of manual saves just to be safe.

+ The checkpoint system means you will no longer have to make your way back to a mission marker if you are wasted, busted, or fail the mission in any way. You will simply be brought back to that mission's initial cutscene, or to your last checkpoint in that mission. Your inventory will be the same as it was from that point.

+ Draw distances have been increased, allowing players to see much farther across the map, with objects, buildings, and landscapes rendering at a greater distance than in the original game.

+ Enhanced lighting, shadows and reflections. The classic lighting setting in the options menu will restore the lighting from the original game if you aren't so keen on the modern version.

+ Higher-resolution textures, though some may still view the original game's art direction as superior in comparison.

+ Navigating to destinations has never been easier due to an updated minimap with a full, real-time GPS system.

+ Newly added radio and weapon wheels grant much quicker access to both.

+ Precise shooting can be achieved through a new aim assist option. The other two available are free aim and classic aim. I personally preferred using the classic aim.

+ Sprint while holding down a button, instead of needing to tap it repeatedly.

+ Three different control schemes: Modern, Modern Alt and Classic. Some players may prefer to opt for the classic controls when it comes to the shooting.

+ Water and weather effects have been updated.

Negatives

- Bugs. I didn't experience anything groundbreaking or a huge amount of them, but compared to the definitive editions of GTA III and Vice City, I definitely ran into more with the San Andreas Definitive Edition. These would include radio tracks restarting randomly when inside stores, automatically leaving the barber's when I hadn't even picked my haircut yet, being temporarily locked inside the basketball minigame, and one crazy instance of a car flying at a high speed into the distance in San Fierro after I tried to jack it. Again, there were only a few instances, but it definitely breaks the immersion when jank like this occurs.

- Some of the in-game radio tracks are missing due to what I assume are licensing issues, but you can restore these through mods. You can easily find these online.

- Zero's 'Red Baron' is quite easily the most frustrating and painful mission in the entire game, and across the OG GTA trilogy as a whole.

Conclusion

San Andreas heavily built on what made both its predecessors (Vice City and GTA III) memorable, and the final product was a game that is still beloved and legendary to this very day. There's so much content here, and if you are someone who considers themselves a completionist (like me), expect to invest a solid amount of hours to reach that 100% statistic. While I still view the original San Andreas as the best way to experience the game, the Definitive Edition's added features definitely make returning to the west coast an enjoyable experience. As if you really needed an extra reason to play San Andreas once again. Grove Street for life!

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition is a remaster of the classic 2002 action-adventure title that sees the protagonist Tommy Vercetti set loose on a city heavily based on Miami, and his rise to power during the 1980s, while aiming to take revenge on those that wronged him. It includes gameplay, graphical and quality of life upgrades.

Positives

+ Autosave enables the player to easily go back to a recent point and will trigger before and after completing a mission. Make sure you also use a couple of manual saves to be on the safe side.

+ Draw distances have been increased.

+ Enhanced shadows and reflections.

+ Higher resolution textures for character models, roads, weapons, vehicles, etc.

+ New lighting and environmental upgrades. The classic lighting option in the settings will bring back the lighting from the original game if you wish to enable it.

+ Modernised aim assist system allows for more precise shooting. Classic aim and free aim are the other two options.

+ The minimap has been updated and you can now navigate to a destination more easily by placing a marker.

+ Selection wheel for weapons allowing easier access.

+ The new checkpoint system means that you will no longer have to make your way back to a mission marker if you die, get caught by the police or fail the mission in any way. You will go back to that mission's beginning cutscene and your inventory will stay the same as it was before you started it.

+ There are three different control schemes: Modern, Modern Alt and Classic. I went with the modern settings, but some may prefer the classic controls and they do actually feel more comfortable when it comes to the shooting.

+ You are now able to sprint while holding a button and it is not needed to tap it.

+ Water and weather effects have been updated.

Negatives

- Some of the character models look messy. In particular, Tommy, Avery Carrington, Ken Rosenberg and Lance Vance. Thankfully, you can download a mod online that will fix Tommy and Ken's faces so they look more like their original versions. I don't believe there are any mods available for other characters.

- There are a number of tracks missing from the game's various radio stations. One of these is "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, which I found to be criminal, as, in my opinion, it's the best song in the entire soundtrack. To fix this, you can simply download a radio restoration mod online that will bring back the missing songs.

Conclusion

The original Vice City on the PS2 is definitely one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences, and no matter how many times I come back to this game in any shape or form, I find myself having an absolute blast. It nails the ambience and tone of the '80s so perfectly, and I only wish I could have lived through that decade myself. While this remaster isn't perfect and, admittedly, it is flawed in some areas (such as certain character models), I would still recommend it to those looking to experience Tommy's gradual rise from a wronged man to drug baron and the godfather of Vice City.

Grand Theft Auto III - The Definitive Edition is a remaster of the original title that launched in late 2001 for the PlayStation 2 by Rockstar Games. It includes both visual improvements and gameplay upgrades.

Positives

+ Automatic saving and checkpoints, as well as the ability to immediately restart a failed mission. This is one of the best new features. No longer will you have to drive back to a marker if you fail a mission, and to make it even better, you keep all your weapons after restarting.

+ Aim assist mode enables the player to lock onto a target and while locked, move the right analog stick in order to aim for headshots and other precise shots. This is the modern, recommended mode. Classic aim and free aim are the other two options.

+ Enhanced shadows and reflections.

+ Higher resolution textures for character models, weapons, vehicles, roads, etc.

+ Increased draw distances.

+ New lighting and environmental upgrades. I personally opted to keep the classic lighting off as I felt it didn't really suit the revamped look of the game, but I like that it's present as an option.

+ New selection wheels for weapons and radio stations.

+ Three different control schemes. The new modern scheme feels comfortable to use. The other options available are modern alt and classic.

+ Updated minimaps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinations.

+ Updated water and weather effects.

+ You now have the option of sprinting without having to tap a button.

Negatives

- Completing the twelve paramedic missions in one go isn't fun. If you're aiming for 100% completion, either do it at the start of the game in Portland when gangs aren't hostile yet, or on Staunton Island just after you complete the 'Grand Theft Aero' mission. Trust me. If you try doing it at any other time in the game, you will suffer and most likely lock yourself out of reaching 100%.

- I experienced only a few instances of cars phasing through ceilings. About four times. This would only happen in the tunnels that connect the three islands together. I remember this happened in the original too, so it's a shame it hasn't been fixed yet. Nothing too annoying, but it does break the immersion a bit.

Conclusion

I'm not sure why this game is getting mixed reviews, as I enjoyed my time with it. I grew up on the original Grand Theft Auto III and yes, it hasn't aged the best in some respects, but it was massively influential at the time for open world gaming and brought the Grand Theft Auto series to a whole new level and helped it get to where it is today so I believe it deserves respect. The new character models might not always be to everyone's tastes, but the game is still perfectly fine to me and that's what matters. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking to get into the Grand Theft Auto series for the first time.

The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series features all four seasons along with the standalone Michonne mini-series and the 400 Days DLC, which acts as a bridge between the end of the first season and the beginning of the second season. It also includes some quality-of-life improvements and various extra features for you to sink your teeth into.

Positives

+ The collection comprises all 23 episodes from the entire series, which offer over 50 hours of gameplay.

+ There has been a graphics overhaul, and an option to apply the "graphic black" art style, which is present in the final season, can be applied to the previous seasons. This will give the visuals a consistent, comic-book-inspired presentation.

+ Multiple bonus features can be selected from the definitive menu. These include audio commentary from creators and voice actors such as Melissa Hutchinson (Clementine) and Dave Fennoy (Lee Everett). An art gallery for concept art used, a music player to listen to all the tracks from the game's soundtrack and a character viewer, where you can select any character in a 3D model viewer, complete with animations, outfits and voice lines.

+ You can choose between a standard or minimal HUD, which will not highlight items on your screen that you can interact with.

+ An immersive storyline and multiple choices give the game even greater replay value.

+ Interesting, memorable and well-written characters. Particularly Clementine.

+ Beautiful soundtrack that will stay long in your memory even after you're finished.

+ Fantastic voice acting from all involved.

Negatives

- My only slight criticism is that I wish the characters in 400 Days had more of a prominent role in season two, rather than only simple cameos.

Conclusion

I picked this up during a sale and I'm very grateful I made that decision. There's so much content, and if you enjoy games where your choices matter, a deep story which is full of adventure, emotion and horror, you simply can't go wrong here. It has established itself as one of my favourite games ever made, and a big reason for that is Clementine being one of the best protagonists I've ever come across in any form of media. If I had to rank the seasons, I would order them as follows: S4 > S1 > S3 > S2 > Michonne > 400 Days. I loved this game so much, I would gladly experience it all over again, but choose different choices next time round. If you're the type that enjoys getting lost inside a story, you simply MUST play this. It is a masterpiece. Still. Not. Bitten.

This was my first experience of playing a simulator game, and I was surprised at just how quickly I became addicted to it. Sure, it's a little slow at first, but once you gain a few upgrades, the gameplay definitely starts picking up and the digging aspect is satisfying. There are various items and abilities you can upgrade through prison money or the toilet roll currency, and a little further into the game, you can purchase furniture for your cell, which gives different bonuses and will help your escape go much smoother. There are even a couple of fun minigames such as bench pressing to improve your max energy rate and basketball, which will boost your agility. There's also a card game and a slot machine. Once you complete the game, there is the option of 'Maximum Security', which is a more challenging version and introduces stricter time limits and a harder environment with features like boulders to break through with dynamite. I bought this during the autumn seasonal sale, but I would 100% recommend it at its default price. It's still cheap and I got nearly 19 hours out of it, but I did go for all of the achievements.

It can start feeling a little repetitive after a few hours, so keep that in mind. This is the kind of game where you might want to only do a couple of hours each time to not feel burnt out, but you might get hooked on it so much that this doesn't become an issue. There were a few times where I got stuck trying to walk back from inside my tunnel due to some dirt I couldn't dig, but if you ever feel like you won't make it back up to your cell in time, you can save and quit. Upon loading, you'll be back in your cell with the carpet already rolled up and the time remaining will be the same as it was when you saved underground, but make sure you get rid of the dirt in the corner of your cell. It's not ideal I know, but it beats having to reset due to something annoying. I'm going to check out more of PlayWay's titles in the future and other simulator games in general after this.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a platform game compilation which includes remakes of three classic 3D platformer games for the PlayStation. Spyro the Dragon (1998), Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (1999) and Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000) were originally developed by Insomniac Games, while the remakes were handled by Toys for Bob.

Positives

+ Visually, the game has been upgraded massively; it looks truly beautiful and deserves praise for its attention to detail, while still remaining faithful to the original games in both its level layout and overall surroundings.

+ Character models have been improved, although some players may still prefer the original designs. Myself, for example, I feel that the PlayStation design of The Sorceress from Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000) was better and more intimidating and menacing than its Reignited's counterpart. It all comes down to opinions.

+ Non-playable characters are expressive and have much more life to them than they did in the original trilogy, which makes them feel unique. The revamped dragons, for example, in Spyro the Dragon (1998) I adored, and there's a lot of variety between them.

+ You have the option to switch between the new soundtrack and the original, both of which were composed by Stewart Copeland of The Police. The reignited soundtrack also includes a 'dynamic' setting where the audio will change depending on what you do in-game, such as the music having a faster tempo when you charge with Spyro. I always switched between both the original and new soundtrack in any hub world, level, or boss fight I was in to see the difference, and while I wouldn't consider the reignited soundtrack to be bad, the original score is still superior in my opinion and holds a special place in my childhood heart.

+ The controls feel crisp, and you can switch between the reignited scheme or the retro scheme with very slight differences. Moving Spyro and the camera with the analog makes for a seamless experience and a major quality of life upgrade, although the d-pad can still be useful, particularly in the flying levels when you need to make sharp turns.

+ The guidebook (which was originally introduced in Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!) is included for all three games, which makes checking to see what you are missing a breeze, and you can use it to fast travel to any level or boss at a moment's notice.

+ There are two pages of skill points in each game, which will unlock concept art in the menu, that adds a bit of extra challenge and time spent in the many levels.

Negatives

- There is one strange bug in Spyro the Dragon (1998) where, in the Alpine Ridge level, you will reach a part where the mob will not open the door unless you set your FPS to 30 in the options. After you have passed this section, it's safe to increase your FPS back to its previous setting.

Conclusion

There are a lot of remakes out there, and sometimes not all of them hit the mark like they should. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy does not fall into this category, however. You're looking at a solid amount of hours (30-40) if you wish to fully complete all three games (just under 40 hours in my case), and revisiting one of my childhood favourites in a more polished and pristine form was so enjoyable. I can honestly say this remake compilation is one of the very best remakes out there and is 100% worth your money if you love platformers, or Spyro for that matter. Toys for Bob did a tremendous job overall. Are they difficult games? No, not at all. Possibly some frustrating parts here and there, but you'll still have a lot of fun playing through them.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a remastered version of the original Gears of War and an updated port of the Ultimate Edition from 2015. While very similar, it adds some improvements and brings it up to speed on current-gen platforms.

Positives

+ Enhanced presentation at 4K resolution and 120 FPS + for the campaign. There are also zero loading screens.

+ The campaign looks absolutely spectacular with an enhanced colour palette and improved lighting, and even added little details in some environments such as additional paintings, more corpses, etc.

+ All post-launch downloadable content from the Ultimate Edition is here, including a bonus chapter in the campaign, all multiplayer maps and player cosmetics.

+ Gears of War goes full cross-platform for the first time ever, enabling players to be able to squad up with PlayStation and Xbox players alike in campaign co-op and the multiplayer (assuming you have linked your Xbox account in the main menu).

+ Extras menu where you can watch cinematics, test your PC graphic settings and FPS, and read various comics which highlight the series lore after collecting COG tags in the campaign.

+ There are more options to customise the audio, controls, and graphics than there were in the Ultimate Edition.

Negatives

- I encountered the odd AI bug here and there in the campaign, such as teleporting forward after an objective had been completed. I had to restart from my previous checkpoint a couple of times as the AI on my squad wouldn't open a door, or it would simply just stand there. Nothing too groundbreaking, but I found it poor and not something you should expect from a game that is supposed to be polished and the 'definitive' edition of one of the most acclaimed games of all-time. I also had one instance where a locust bugged out and wouldn't spawn. Again, I had to restart the checkpoint. These sort of instances take you out of the game immersion-wise.

- Dom is still a terrible AI teammate on the solo campaign. You start feeling like you'd be better off without him sometimes. This really stands out in particular in the final chapter of the first act (without giving any spoilers).

- The music can bug out in the campaign, such as the battle music still playing even when a section has been cleared. When watching cinematics in the extras menu, the menu music can potentially roll over and play over the cinematic sound.

- Lack of split-screen. This didn't bother me personally, but I can understand why a lot of other players were annoyed about it. Given it was present in the Ultimate Edition from ten years ago, it doesn't make much sense why The Coalition didn't add it in.

Subjective

Some players may not like how the campaign looks compared to the original. For example, the blood has been reduced in some cases, and the horror element does not feel as strong as it once was. This didn't ruin the experience for me personally, but If you wish to see the full changes, there's a great video on YouTube that highlights the differences between the original, Ultimate Edition, and Reloaded versions.

Conclusion

Gears of War is one of my favourite games ever made. It set a new standard for third-person shooters when it first released in 2006. This is my third time playing the game after the original and the Ultimate Edition. I had a blast playing through the campaign twice (once solo and then again in co-op) despite encountering some bugs. Multiplayer is also tons of fun, but if you're a new player, it might take a while for you to adapt and ease in as there are many veterans returning. I do feel that the game could have been slightly more polished, particularly in the campaign, but I believe I got my money's worth, and I'm sure I'll sink in tons of hours as I grind towards the "Seriously..." achievement (10,000 kills) in the multiplayer. Now, I do love Gears of War 1 to death, but if The Coalition happens to read this review somehow, can we please get a Gears of War 2 and 3 remaster? It's way overdue! Hell, I'd even take Judgement. Maybe after E-Day if we're lucky before Gears of War 6 releases.

The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is described by the developers Vicarious Visions as a "remaster plus" of the original and classic PS1 platform trilogy featuring everyone's favourite eccentric and anthropomorphic marsupial Crash Bandicoot. Across the three games, you will battle against the nefarious Dr. Neo Cortex and his henchmen as you dash, jump and spin your way through multiple 3D levels on your journey to save the world from his evil schemes and world domination.

Positives

+ Level environments stay faithful to the original games yet have clearly been visually improved massively through recreation with the utmost care, which includes dynamic lighting, high-resolution textures and remade cutscenes.

+ Updated sound effects, re-recorded voice acting and a re-orchestrated soundtrack.

+ The addition of Coco, Crash's technology-loving sister, as a playable character across all three games. She has her own unique animations but identical gameplay mechanics. You are able to swap with her outside of levels, but for certain boss battles and some levels, you will be forced to play as Crash.

+ Time trials, a feature that was first introduced in Warped, have been added to the previous two games which increase the replayability. You can check the leaderboard for your three best times and see what time you need to beat in order to attain the sapphire, gold and platinum relics.

+ "Stormy Ascent", which was a cut level due to its difficulty from the original Crash Bandicoot, is included along with "Future Tense" in Warped, which is a brand-new level solely created by Vicarious Visions.

+ Unified save system and seamless switching between all three games.

Negatives

- Lack of a 'restart level' is an oversight. Maybe you missed a crate for a gem, the level crystal or couldn't access a death route because you died. It means you have to exit the level and go back in again, which can be slightly frustrating and a small waste of time.

- There is no extras section. It would have been insightful to see some interviews with the original developers, character art, the game cover art, manuals, videos, trailers and so on.

- An option to switch back to the original soundtrack could have been a neat feature which is quite a popular choice for many remasters. Having a jukebox in the main menu so you could listen to the tracks from all three games would also have been a welcomed addition.

- The online leaderboards for the relics across all three games have been shut down. This isn't anything particularly major. However, I did like comparing my runs to others back when I first played this on the PS4 so it's a shame to see them go.

Conclusion

As a major Crash fan since I was a child growing up with the original Crash Bandicoot developed by Naughty Dog, the second I saw this trilogy on a sale, I had to buy it. Even at full price, I would highly recommend it. There's so much value out of these three absolute classic platformers and Vicarious Visions have evidently poured a lot of care and heart into them. This compilation is testament to the fact that remasters/remakes can be done incredibly well in the hands of the right developers. Whether you're delving into the world of Crash for the first time or you're a seasoned veteran, this is one not to be missed. Even if you die numerous times, you'll get right back up and keep going because you don't want to let the game beat you. Newcomers might find the first game extra difficult in particular but this trilogy was one of the most enjoyable 100%'s I've ever done and I hope you enjoy it too! WOAH!