Today marks the release of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on the Xbox One and Switch, ending the PS4’s exclusivity period, but PlayStation players can still get a new piece of the action. Announced at E3, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is getting a completely original level called Future Tense. Vicarious Visions previously released Stormy Ascent, a finished version of a cut level from the original Crash Bandicoot.
Future Tense is a new level based on some elements and ideas that Naughty Dog was playing around with when they developed the original game. Vicarious Visions fleshed out the idea, adding a new daytime version of the Future world in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. The studio says it will challenge even the most hardcore players, remixing familiar Crash elements in new and fun ways that we’ve never seen before. There’s the traditional gems and relic to collect, along with a tough Death Route.
Activating the new Future Tense level is really easy. If you’ve got an old copy of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, you’ll have to hop onto the PlayStation Store and search for the Future Tense level as an add-on to download. Once downloaded and installed, it can be found on a new platform in the hub area of Crash Bandicoot 3. This platform will take you to the all-new 51st level to challenge your Crash Bandicoot skills.
All new pressings of the N. Sane Trilogy disc (and presumably new downloads, along with the Xbox One and Switch releases) come with the Future Tense and Stormy Ascent levels packaged in. Stormy Ascent is also a free download for any players that already own the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
Will you be playing Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy again now that there’s a whole new level available? Are you excited to play the new Crash Bandicoot Future Tense level?
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy info dump
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Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - EYNTK
June 30 is almost upon us, so let's indulge in a little nostalgia and recount everything you could possibly need to know about Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
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What is Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy?
It's the nostalgia-infused remaster that bundles together three of Crash’s greatest adventures in Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped. Priced at $39.99, developer Vicarious Visions describes the remaster as so:
"Your favourite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, is back! He’s enhanced, entranced & ready-to-dance with the N. Sane Trilogy game collection. Now you can experience Crash Bandicoot like never before. Spin, jump, wump and repeat as you take on the epic challenges and adventures through the three games that started it all, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandsicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Warped."
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What’s the Story?
For the uninitiated, you play as Crash, a chirpy marsupial who stumbles into a fight against Cortex in the name of Wumpa Islands.
Per PS Blog:
"Re-join your favourite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, as he spins his way onto PlayStation 4 along with his three most memorable adventures, newly recreated for the current generation.
"Including Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, the N. Sane Trilogy has been lovingly built from the ground-up with brand new visiuals and audio to deliver the series’ classic gameplay to a whole new generation.
"Playing as either Crash or his baby sister Coco, bound, spin and even motorcycle your way through three mad-cap adventures, tackling everything from talking clocks to white-water rapids, all in ab id to save the world from the forces of evil."
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How Does it Play?
Exactly as you remember — no, really. Vicarious Visions has gone to great lengths to ensure that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy perfectly preserves three of the most celebrated adventures in PlayStation history.
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Remaster Plus
Forget Crash Bash and Radical’s Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Vicarious Visions stripped away the fat to focus on the franchise's greatest hits.
"The first step in our remaster plus was to truly understand what made the Naughty Dog games special and why fans still love them to this day. The best way to understand a game is to play it, and boy, did we play the Crash games. We played them to the point that we broke controllers from mashing the jump button too much. We studied original concept art and commercials for inspiration. And we went even further back to understand the material that originally inspired Naughty Dog, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Looney Tunes.
“With all of that in mind, we started our work. Using the original level geometry from Naughty Dog as a guide, we rebuilt the Crash gameplay from scratch, capturing its simplicity and precision. As the levels began to take shape, we layered in our own lush and zany art, animation, and audio."
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Crash Bandicoot
Here's the overview of the zany platformer that started it all:
"In the break-out title that started it all, Crash must save Wumpa Island - and the world - from Dr. Neo Cortex's nefarious plans to raise an army of genetically-engineered animals."
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Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
You didn't think Cortex had been bested for good now, did you? Here's a brief reminder of what Cortex Strikes Back has in store.
"Unite with old nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex as a new calamity threatens to engulf the world once more - the only question is, can you really trust him?"
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Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Warped, meanwhile, is still the larger-than-life finale that you remember.
"Tear through time on motor bikes, aeroplanes and even your very own baby T-Rex, as the adventure ratchets up a notch in the trilogy's larger-than-life finale."
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A True '90s Throwback
Don't believe us? Here's a quick overview of how VV's N. Sane Trilogy improves on the originals:
- Unified checkpointing & save game system. This includes manual and auto-saving. (Yes, the first game now has a proper save game system!)
- Unified menu system. Here an example of the Pause menu for Crash Bandicoot
- Time Trials in all three games!
- Rebuilt levels, based on the original geometry
- Rebuilt characters, following the original designs
- Rebuilt cinematics, inspired by the originals
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Voice Cast
The official voice cast for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is as follows:
- Fred Tatasciore (Dingodile, Koala Kong, Komodo)
- Debi Derryberry (Coco, Tawna)
- Greg Eagles (Aku Aku)
- Dwight Schultz (Papu, Lab Assistant)
- Maurice LaMarche (Nitrous Brio, Lab Assistant)
- John DiMaggio (Uka, Tiny Tiger)
- Jess Harnell (Crash Bandicoot, Pinstripe Potoroo, Ripper Roo)
- Corey Burton (Doctor N. Gin, Doctor N. Tropy, Baby Cortex)
- Lex Lang (Dr. Neo Cortex)
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Meet the Villains
From Cortex to Tiny, the Crash trilogy is teeming with memorable villains, and you'll be able to have a gander at Naughty Dog's original rogues gallery right here.
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Play as Coco
Oh, and did we mention you can now play through all three games as Coco?
"For the first time ever, play through all three classic adventures as Crash Bandicoot's smart and spirited younger sister, Coco Bandicoot. Updated with a fresh new look and her own set of 'N-Sane Attacks', she's not just the smaller sibling - she's a force to be reckoned with!"
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But What About Crash's Duds?
On the PS Blog recently, Art Lead Dustin King explained what kind of clothing Crash is wearing in the remaster:
"Our version of Crash is wearing surfer shorts which we felt reads much closer to the shapes, colors, and forms in the original games, and is in line with the original concept art we started from that was provided to us by Sony. We feel it also speaks to his ‘90s era persona."
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Price Point
Not unlike Insomniac's handling of Ratchet & Clank, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be priced at $39.99 at launch, or your region equivalent.
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A Legacy Worth Cherishing
Since its inception in '96, Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot has wormed his way into the hearts and minds of PlayStation fans the world over.
Barring those botched spinoffs, the Crash legacy is one worth cherishing.
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Seal of Approval From Naughty Dog
How does Naughty Dog feel about handing over the keys to Wumpa Islands? Pretty good, actually.
According to the studio's president Evan Wells. In a statement, Wells revealed that he's now played all three games, before praising Vicarious Visions for taking "amazing care in maintaining the feel and soul of the originals but brought the visuals up to modern day standards and added a number of new features that’s made them even more fun to play than remembered."
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Coming to PS4 First
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy isn't exclusive to PS4; rather, it's coming to PlayStation consoles first. Further details on the game's multi-platform launch were not disclosed at this time.
Per PlayStation Ireland:
"It has been fantastic to see the excitement from Crash fans around the world following Activision’s confirmation that the N-Sane Trilogy will launch on 30th June 2017. To clarify our earlier post, it will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro first."
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Better on PS4 Pro
“This is enhanced for the PS4 Pro. It’s actually not true 4K. It’s 1440p still running at 30 frames a second.”
Tanguay didn’t provide specs for the base PS4 version, or say if there were additional graphics options on PS4 Pro.
Previously, Vicarious Visions and Activision said they “enhanced the graphics and upped the resolution” on PS4 Pro with this AAA remaster, and it was “built from the ground up for the PlayStation 4 with brand-new lighting, animations, environments and recreated cinematics – all in stunning “N. Hanced Fur-K” and PS4 Pro HD.” -
Nostalgia Overload
It's not just the gameplay that Vicarious Visions and Activision have honored, but the legacy of Crash himself. As one of the early PlayStation mascots, Willy the Wombat holds a tremendous amount of resonance with the PlayStation faithful — something that's not lost on Vicarious.
Plus, if it's a Crash history lesson you're after, look no further than our retrospective.
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Pre-Order Perk
Should you choose to pre-order the N. Sane Trilogy via PSN, you’ll be entitled to a handful of extras, including a Crash theme for your PlayStation 4.
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Pre-Order Theme
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Sunset Vista Pack
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Friends Pack
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Coco Pack
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Extended Gameplay
Curious to take a peek at the N. Sane Trilogy in action? This extended reel of footage from E3 2017 ought to sate your appetite.
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Trophy Lists
Each installment in the N. Sane trilogy comes packing a Platinum Trophy, along with a few surprises.
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Download Size
Weighing in at 30GB on disc, it's understood Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will clock in at around 23.4GB for those who choose to pick up the digital version.
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ESRB Rating
The ESRB has deemed the N. Sane Trilogy to be E10+, stating that:
"This is a platformer game in which players assume the role of Crash Bandicoot as he works to foil a villain’s plot. Players traverse platforms and defeat enemies and bosses in order to progress the story. Crash can jump on enemies’ heads or use a spin attack to knock enemies out. Some sequences allow players to pilot a plane and shoot at enemy blimps causing them to explode. Boss battles involve more protracted combat. One boss character wears an outfit that reveals a slightly exposed buttocks (e.g., 'plumber’s crack')."
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Pre-Loading Begins June 29
If you've secured your digital copy of the N. Sane Trilogy, you'll be pleased to note that pre-loading should begin on June 29, and it will unlock at 9pm PT on June 29/12am ET on June 30 in North America.
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Hands-On Preview
Our own Chandler Wood went hands-on with the N. Sane Trilogy at PSX last year, and walked away suitably impressed.
Said he:
"Younger gamers may find the controls to be a bit stiff at first, but anyone who originated with Crash back on the original PlayStation two decades ago will instantly feel at home here. There’s a volatile mixture that’s being worked here, and I’m just happy to see Vicarious Visions handling it with the utmost care and respect for lifetime Crash Bandicoot fans and newcomers alike."
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Our Final Review
At the time of writing, there's no sign of a set embargo, but expect PSLS' final verdict to be online either at launch or shortly thereafter.
