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Crash Bandicoot 4 New Playable Characters, N. Verted Mode, and More

By Joe Filsinger

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is the first new Crash entry in over ten years.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is the first new Crash entry in over ten years. / Courtesy of Toys for Bob

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time promises to return to the franchise's gameplay roots while also introducing a number of new elements.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. This is the first totally new Crash Bandicoot game in over ten years. Crash 4 sees the return of developer Toys for Bob who developed Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a remaster of the original Crash trilogy, which was well-received by gamers and critics. As such, Toys for Bob is building upon the success of N. Sane Trilogy by keeping Crash 4 faithful to the gameplay and artistic style of the original trilogy while also adding a bunch of new features.

During Sony's State of Play event on Thursday, a new Crash 4 trailer revealed a plethora of new features Crash fans can look forward to.

Crash Bandicoot 4 New Playable Characters

Dr. Neo Cortex will be playable during certain moments in the story.
Dr. Neo Cortex will be playable during certain moments in the story. / Courtesy of Toys for Bob

Toys for Bob has announced that Coco, like in the N. Sane Trilogy, will be playable throughout the entirety of Crash 4. Players can choose to play as Coco at any point instead of Crash. Along with this, Toys for Bob is also introducing other franchise notables as playable characters throughout the story. Longtime series villain Dr. Neo Cortex is playable, and uses his blaster to transform enemies. Dingodile, equipped with a vacuum-type gun, is also playable. These villains have specific levels for which they'll be playable.

Crash Bandicoot 4 Character Skins

This flashy skin is one of many that are revealed in the Crash 4 State of Play trailer.
This flashy skin is one of many that are revealed in the Crash 4 State of Play trailer. / Courtesy of Toys for Bob

Crash 4 will have a ton of different skins for players to choose from. Pirate Crash and N. Gin Coco are just a few that were revealed in the trailer. These skins will be entirely cosmetic and won't provide any abilities. Toys for Bob has stated that there will be no microtransactions in Crash 4, so these skins will be earned through gameplay.

Crash Bandicoot 4 New Masks and Gameplay Mechanics

Aku Aku now has to share the spotlight with other masks that provide various abilities.
Aku Aku now has to share the spotlight with other masks that provide various abilities. / Courtesy of Toys for Bob

Crash 4 is introducing a number of new masks. Fans of the series are familiar with Aku Aku that grants Crash invincibility. The new masks have different abilities, like slowing down time, flipping Crash's center of gravity, and more. Crash 4 will also feature other new gameplay mechanics like rope-swinging, rail-grinding, and wall-running.

Crash Bandicoot 4 N. Verted Mode

N. Verted Mode is a visually stunning take on the traditional mirror mode.
N. Verted Mode is a visually stunning take on the traditional mirror mode. / Courtesy of Toys for Bob

Platformer fans are familiar with mirror modes which typically have players experience levels from a flipped perspective. Crash 4's N. Verted Mode is like a traditional mirror mode but expanded upon. Toys for Bob has teamed up with Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled developer Beenox to create the aesthetics for this mode. The perspective will still be flipped, but the environments will also have other outrageous details added. Some levels in N. Verted Mode will look like an old-timey cartoon, and some are black-and-white and require Crash to spray paint over them.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time releases Oct. 2 for PS4 and Xbox One.