| Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Toys for Bob[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Director(s) | Dan Neil |
| Producer(s) |
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| Designer(s) | Toby Schadt |
| Programmer(s) | Brent Gumns Hostrawser |
| Artist(s) |
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| Writer(s) | Mandy Benanav |
| Composer(s) | Walter Mair |
| Series | Crash Bandicoot |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a 2020 platform game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision. It was originally released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with releases for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows following in 2021. The eighth main installment in the Crash Bandicoot series, the game's story follows Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco as they recover the all-powerful Quantum Masks in a bid to prevent Doctor Neo Cortex and Doctor Nefarious Tropy from taking over the multiverse. They are indirectly aided by their former enemy Dingodile and an adventuring alternate-dimension counterpart of Crash's old girlfriend Tawna.
The game retains the series' core platforming gameplay, and adds new elements through the use of the Quantum Masks, who can alter levels and provide means to traverse or overcome obstacles. It also includes additional game modes for replaying levels, and the ability to control five characters, three of whom – Cortex, Dingodile, and Tawna – have their own unique gameplay and levels. The development team intended for the game to be a continuation from the original trilogy in both narrative and gameplay, and created the Quantum Masks and additional playable characters after studying the series' mechanics and determining fresh elements to add to the gameplay.
The game was met with a positive critical reception, with praise going to the preservation and refinement of the series' classic formula as well as the implementation of the new gameplay mechanics. The controls, amount of content and replay value, visuals, music, voice-acting, and story were also commended. The physics, level design, and difficulty drew mixed reactions, and the rail-grinding sections were criticized. Commercially, the game had the highest first-month earnings for a contemporary Crash Bandicoot title, topped sales charts in some territories, and was nominated for four awards.
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