Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time trailer, release date and pre-orders

Crash Bandicoot 4
(Image credit: Activision)

Crash Bandicoot 4 has us feeling like we're back in the 90's, but with much better graphics. Yes, Crash Bandicoot's back in a big way, with a main-line series title that's just been revealed. 

We've got everything you need to know about the marsupial's major return.

For starters, Crash 4 looks to be a full and complete chapter of the platform hopping character's saga. We'll get to its story in a moment, but Crash 4 shows promise from not just its trailer, but from the fact that it comes from developer Toys for Bob, which recently gave us the well received Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy remasters, as well as the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time trailer

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time announcement trailer is below, and it begins with the familiar voice of Neo Cortex, threatening doom and gloom upon Crash.  In the trailer, we see gameplay footage that reveals we'll not just play as Crash this time around, but as Cortex (his nemesis) as well. 

And since it's been so long since we had a real Crash Bandicoot game, It's About Time looks a heck of a lot better than the originals. In the trailer you can see a much wider space of play for Crash, so his world feels less like a narrow corridor than an actual living and breathing reality. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time release date

Crash 4 will land on PS4 and Xbox One on October 2, in the eve of the PS5 and Xbox Series X's holiday season release dates. We've got no word about Xbox Smart Delivery support, though we'd hope it offers this way to upgrade. 

No word on separate PS5 and Xbox Series X releases, either.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time pre-orders

Right now, you can pre-order Crash 4 (PS4) for $60 and Crash 4 (Xbox One) for $60 from Best Buy (which is claiming an Oct. 9 release date for some reason). The game is also available on Amazon.

Those who pre-order Crash 4 will get the retro "Totally Tubular" skins for Crash and Coco.

Crash 4 pre-order bonus

(Image credit: PlayStation via YouTube)

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time story

According to Polygon, Crash 4 takes place in the immediate aftermath of 1998's Crash Bandicoot: Warped, and that the baddies Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy, and Uka Uka have escaped the the planet they were sent to and are now threatening (what else?) to take over the multiverse. 

Players will have the option to jump into the fast-paced shoes of both Crash and Coco to stop Cortex and his bunch, though specific levels will have you playing as Cortex himself. 

To beat evil again, our heroes will equip four quantum masks that give them new powers that unlock new gaming techniques. Those masks are the guardians of the universe. One mask will allow for time-related powers, to slow down the process. Another, teased in the above trailer, will let Crash flip gravity so he can walk on ceilings. 

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

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