Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy Review [Xbox One]
Nostalgia done well.
Rating: 4/5
The key to really good repackaged game releases is for the original to be beloved enough that the remaster pulls in a nostalgic crowd. Unfortunately, there have been way too many remasters put out that simply don't deliver and it's led to fatigue, to put it charitably. Luckily, that's not always the case.
When Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy was originally released last summer, it landed well, with critical acclaim and lots of fan goodwill. The original games were already great, even if the first was a lot harder than you probably remember (this is in no way a bad thing) and thankfully Vicarious Visions decided not to mess with them too much.
Instead, their updating agenda was more about modernising and beautifying and the results are gorgeous. Their work is now available on the XBox One, a year after it hit PS4, and it's definitely been worth the wait.
There are definitely still some shortfalls, but the fact that the developer hasn't sought to tinker with them means there's still some roguish charm to the games (especially the first, which was always blighted by depth issues at times). If anything, it just adds to the sense of nostalgia.
Even after a year, this is definitely one XBox One gamers should pick up. It's a beautiful collection, irresistibly playable and crucially, it does justice to the originals in the best way. Without needlessly messing with them. That might sound simple, but it's very important.