Players who loved the original Crash Bandicoot’s brutal difficulty are in luck, as the latest instalment is set to add equally challenging new stages.
New gameplay debuted during Gamescom Opening Night Live and revealed a new mode known as Flashback Tapes. Obtaining these collectibles will unlock puzzle rooms which Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time producer Lou Studdert described as “devious.”
Each one of these rooms are said to take place before the original game, which sees nefarious villain Dr. Neo Cortex experimenting on Crash and his sister Coco. While the levels themselves have been described as challenging, the method for unlocking them is even tougher.
To gain a Flashback Tape, players will be tasked to track them down in levels, but the catch is they must be obtained in the stage without dying. The idea works similar to previous entries challenging Death Routes, which challenged players to reach specific platforms without dying, before taking them to an even harder level variant to complete.
You can catch the full snippet from the Gamescom presentation below:
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is set to be packed full of different modes the developer previously revealed. One of them is called the N.Verted Mode, which introduces new and unique ways to tackle platforming gauntlets, from splattering paint to see your path forward or traversing through a neon wasteland.
The game will also have Crash acquiring multiple masks that will imbue him with unique new abilities, such as slowing down time or switching between two dimensions.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be released on October 2 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.