Sony has just released on Friday, March 10, a new gameplay trailer for the forthcoming Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. The trailer briefly shows a crisp reworking of the classic Hang Eight level from the original game, among many levels that were remastered for the re-release of the whole trilogy for the PlayStation 4.
'Crash Bandicoot' Hang Eight Level
The Hang Eight level, from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, brings back a remarkable amount of similarities from the original while providing enough significant graphical improvements that prove just how commendable the level of remastering is for the game. Improved but still wholly entrenched in the familiar visual core of Crash Bandicoot games, the N. Sane Trilogy is shaping up to be a veritable collection of a beloved series.
Hang Eight is based on a handful of waterfalls, whirlpools, and rapids in a mostly linear level with jet ski-like vehicles at some points in the level where stable platforms are absent. Enemies such as the Venus Flytrap are also featured in Hang Eight, alongside an in-level 2D platform stage where the beloved marsupial hops through mushroom-like platforms growing on trees.
The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy consists of Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped, all of which were remastered to, by the looks of Hang Eight, perfection. The games were originally built by developer Naughty Dog, although it was Activision's Vicarious Visions that labored over this PlayStation 4 title. In addition to undergoing a heavy visual upgrade, the sound design and music were upped as well, featuring improved quality and fidelity.
Remastering The Three 'Crash Bandicoot' Games
The developers for the remastered trilogy borrowed the same geometry from the original games, but the gameplay, impressively, was created from ground zero. The collection ups all three games' visual quality, but they also come with new features such as a unified checkpoint and save system, and a unified menu system. Each game also offers time trials, which should provide ample challenge for the more competitive Crash Bandicoot folks.
"Using the original level geometry from Naughty Dog as a guide, we rebuilt the [Crash Bandicoot] gameplay from scratch, capturing its simplicity and precision," wrote Dan Tanguay in early December. Tanguay is the game director at Vicarious Visions.
'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy hits shelves June 30 for the PS4, although it's being suggested that the game could arrive on other platforms. The three games making up the trilogy, in addition to Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash, were all PlayStation exclusives when they were originally released, but other games in the series have made their way onto different platforms later on.
For those who can't wait for the trilogy, the original Crash Bandicoot is available to download from the PlayStation Store.
Those visiting PAX East in Boston can try Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy at Sony's booth. Thoughts about how the game actually feels when playing, and not just its visual improvements, should pop up online not too long after the event.
You can watch the whole gameplay trailer below. Thoughts about Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy? What are you most excited for about the forthcoming remastered collection? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
