Notice: This post contains personal editorial opinions by the author and his feelings towards the series, people and more. He is well aware of how many people will be questioning the motive behind this post’s creation due to the internet’s direct nature about discussions and stances towards a franchise like Crash Bandicoot.
2017 was the year of the bandicoot’s return and many 3D Platformers returning. The case with the bandicoot, however, is that talking about the remakes has become a case of frustration rather than excitement, because of the accuracy, nitpicks, controls, faithfulness, worrisome decisions when developing the game.
Don’t get me wrong, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is one hell of a great return to form for the bandicoot especially after years of demand and thirst for his comeback, but it’s kinda rough around the edges, in quite a few ways, one of which is the hitbox and jumping in general. It’s 2018 and N. Sane Trilogy has not received a single bug fix since the Day 1 Patch, which had the addition of Leaderboards and online components (aside from Trailer patches for Spyro).
Regardless of their decision to patch the remakes or not, I’d like to say that even if you feel that way, I remain hopeful and optimistic and I’d like to make my voice heard in the hopes that we can bring about a change.
I find it really disappointing that discussion about NST tends to revolve more around the hitbox and jumping rather than the overall artstyle/graphics. It has been since and still is the hottest and most controversial topic that brings tension and anger into my inner soul whenever discussion pulls up for the bandicoot, people dismissing and outright trashing on the remakes because of this very little thing, usually being the subject matter when brought up. And it is really quite upsetting to see people dismissing and outright trashing the remakes due to such an easy to fix flaw.
Vicarious Visions, listen.
You’re not doing anyone any favours when you outright dismiss this issue in your blog post, we’re in the age of large game sizes, costly game development projects and deadlines, patching should not be an issue ever to fix these very little things.
It is outright inexcusable to think people will rest on their heels away from this issue, especially me, someone who’s passionate and hopeful about the franchise and its potential. This will not look good in the long-term when people talk about the remakes, just have a good look at what happened with Oddworld New N’ Tasty, people are still trashing that game for its visuals and other changes, being uncommitted after the release like this is never a good sign or a good look on anyone’s resume for the people responsible of N. Sane.
I have been having a difficult experience trying to finish some of the levels in the first and second game due to the shared physics based around Crash Bandicoot Warped and the rounded pill-shaped hitbox.
Also, preserving the Leaderboard records is not an excuse since Crash Bandicoot is a Single Player game and I can safely say that the community wouldn’t bat an eye at the leaderboards being reset if it meant the game received some of those fixes.
So I’ll say it again. All I request is that you give us the patch that actually fixes the hitbox, jumping and perhaps the controls in some levels for the love of god.
I am tired, I’m so tired of this, it has made my Crash Bandicoot experience un-enjoyable because people still find this problematic, you don’t believe me? Have a good look at this recent ResetERA thread or the r/CrashBandicoot thread as well.
So, I will repeat myself to make this very clear. Vicarious Visions, please spend some time working on this problem if possible and give us a patch that will improve the player experience with these fixes or I will be more aggressive in the future about your production and recommendation.
This has never bugged me like it does some people and believe me, they aren’t going to patch the game because like me, VV see it as fine the way it is. Look, I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t make things harder sometimes but myself and many others got used to it fairly quickly and if we ever wanted to play it like the originals, we’d get out the originals and play them. NST has its own kind of flavour and not everyone likes it. That’s fine but it might just be one of those things where the fact has to be accepted, it’s staying that way.
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I’ve never understood this argument. Yes, the hitboxes are different, but in other areas, especially in Crash 1, the controls have been objectively improved.
I’ve replayed both the OG Crash 1 and N-Sane’s version in the past month, and can firmly say as someone who has played these games my entire life that N-Sane’s controls are handily better in almost ever regard. Replay levels like Slippery Climb and Native Fortress in Crash 1. Crash controls heavily, sluggishly and carries too much momentum both spinning forward and in the air. I don’t get how this is even a debate.
Yes, the hitbox can be problematic in some very specific stages that require precision platforming, but in N-Sane as a whole, Crash controls so much more tightly, and less sluggishly, giving you WAY more control in the air compared to the original.
So I refuse to accept the BS, scapegoat argument that “N-Sane controls worse”. No, in some areas in some stages, the different hitbox can cause problems, but the actual HANDLING of Crash has improved. Once you adapt, it is a non issue.
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