Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (in Japan: クラッシュ・バンディクー4 とんでもマルチバース, Crash Bandicoot 4: Unexpected Multiverse) is the eight mainline title in the Crash Bandicoot series.

The game was first properly teased on the 18th of June 2020, where several video game news reporters were sent jigsaw puzzles that revealed a new, mysterious mask character.

The next day, the 19th of June, the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee filed a rating for the game, revealing its title, placeholder box art, and a short plot synopsis. Said box art also revealed the game's developer, Toys for Bob, as well as the game being slated for release on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Four new masks can be seen on the artwork.

On June 21st, a live-action teaser featuring the 100% ending of Warped and the title of the game was unveiled through the official Crash Bandicoot social media channels. The announcement trailer came out on June 22nd, 4pm BST.

During Summer Games Fest, an official trailer was shown, showcasing new worlds and four new Quantum Masks, known as the Phase Mask Lani-Loli, the Dark Matter Mask 'Akano, the Time Mask Kupuna-Wa, and the Gravity Mask Ika-Ika. Using Lani-Loli, the player will be able to change phases of certain elements, while using 'Akano, the player can hover and glide over the platforms or even break and knock back things that the normal spin can't, while using Kupuna-Wa, the player will be able to slow time to a crawl, and while using Ika-Ika, the player can reverse gravity to manuever on ceilings and wall run.

Story
"Neo Cortex and N. Tropy are back at it again and launching an all-out assault on not just this universe, but the entire multiverse! Crash and Coco are here to save the day by reuniting the four quantum masks and bending the rules of reality."

- Official PlayStation Store description. In the game's story. After the events of Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Uka Uka rips a hole in the fabric of time and space to free Dr. Cortex and N. Tropy from the time prison and he gets exhausted. Dr. Cortex checks that Uka Uka is dead, but N. Tropy tells to Cortex that Uka Uka "served his purpose". They leave the evil mask and them get out of the time prison. Aku Aku fells a strange power coming from N. Sanity Peak and the event of reality-shattering proportions will can happen, Aku Aku wakes Crash and them go to N. Sanity Peak.

Crash are in N. Sanity Peak to investigate what is the power who has awoken, him pass through a few natives until he find the first Quantum Mask Lani-Loli and he awakes, a hole opens below Crash and he falls. A guardian awakes too, Crash and Lani-Loli have to run away from this monster and them comes in a cliff, the hand of the guardian try to take Crash and Lani-Loli. But then, Crash has an idea to jump off the cliff to escape the guradian's hand and Crash drops to the floor with Lani-Loli in his face.

Aku Aku is surprised to see Lani-Loli. Lani-Loli greets Aku Aku, he looks at the quantum rift and he gets scared, Coco realizes that this quantum rift is a door between dimensions. Lani-Loli tells them that this quantum rift was supposed to be closed and now that this rift is open, Dr. Cortex and N. Tropy will take over all the dimensions and timelines.

And then. The camera focus on Cortex scratching his butt and awakening from a nap. N. Tropy tells to Cortex that quantum rift that Uka Uka open was gave a loophole to them conquer all the dimensions and timelines, N. Gin and N. Brio appears behind of Cortex and them tells your strategies to stop Crash and Coco. Cortex doesn't care about that and he orders to N. Gin and N. Brio to stop them, they fight against each other and N. Tropy orders once again to N. Gin and N. Brio to stop Crash and Coco.

Crash, Coco and Lani-Loli arrive in The Hazardous Wastes in the year 2084, Lani-Loli tells to them that Akano is in these dimension, but then N. Gin appears in the front of them. Lani-Loli confirms that N. Gin was the putz that he was mentioned, Coco tells to Lani-Loli that N. Gin always lost for them over the 22 years that they had a history. N. Gin tells them that he will not lose this time and Crash and Coco must go to his show to his Weapon of Mass Percussion and then he escapes the scene.

After Crash and Coco arrived at N. Gin's show on his Weapon of Mass Percusion, he starts the battle off by playing the notes on the W.O.M.P. Crash or Coco have to spin on the enemies that N. Gin spawns to defeat him and N. Gin will bedefeated again, Crash and Coco laugh at him to humiliate his defeat and after his machine explodes, Akano drops on N. Gin's head and the trio go to Salty Wharf.

Crash and Coco arrive in the Salty Wharf in the year 1717, but then some rat pirates tie Crash and Coco in a net and they ask for help. An unknown bandicoot girl see that Crash and Coco are stuck and she goes to help, after passing through a few pirates, the unknown bandicoot girl rescues Crash and Coco, Coco thanks the unknown bandicoot girl for it but then Coco looks at these unknown bandicoot girl and her realizes that these unknown bandicoot girl is an alternate Tawna and then she is happy to see them again, Coco asks to these Tawna that they died in her universe to she lost touch with them. Tawna denies this and she asks what they are collecting, Coco answers the Quantum Masks and the alternate Tawna tells to them to save the world themselves. Coco asks that her are not come with them, Tawna answers that her fly solo. Them got sad with this but Tawna promises that her will help them whenever they need and her get out of there.

Crash and Coco are in the Salty Wharf, Crash or Coco have to defeat a krakken called Louise. After Crash or Coco defeat this monster, they find the second Quantum Mask Akano and he awakes to his hundreds of centuries nap, Akano threaten Crash and Coco of death, but Lani-Loli appears in front of he telling to him that these bandicoots coming to help and then Akano guides Crash, Coco and Lani-Loli to follow him to Tranquiltiy Falls.

Crash, Coco and Lani-Loli arrive in the Tranquility Falls in the year 1402, after the quantum rift spit Crash to out, him crashes into a gongo and make a tremendous noise. Coco asks to Lani-Loli where's the next mask, Lani-Loli doesn't know where is the another mask, he turn around and see N. Brio's face and N. Brio tells to them that the clever bandicoot that go to his battlefield will win a "reward" and him get out of there.

After Crash and Coco arrived in the N. Brio battlefield, him starts the battle throwing his beakers to hit Crash or Coco and then him throw his beakers to free his blobs. Just like in the first Crash Bandicoot, Crash or Coco have to jump or slide in this blobs to hit N. Brio and him drink his potion and he transforms into a hulking monstrousity and then Crash or Coco must use Akano to spin N. Brio out the platform and after his defeat, N. Brio transforms into a pterodactyl to scatter the N. Verted Gems and the Bumpa Berries, but then his cloaca drops an egg and him gets embarrased with that and Coco gets shocked with that. Crash gets the egg and them get out of there.

Crash and Coco arrive in the Mosquito Marsh a few days ago. Them appreciate the celebration of the day of the dead with several parade floats, cannons and ghosts. Then, Dingodile is introduced for the first time as playable character and watching his own propaganda of his diner and when he sees that some pirates are going to explode his diner. Him gets his vaccum gun and go to his diner to get rid of these doofus pirates, after Dingodile got rid of those pirates that explode his diner. A quantum rift opens below him and he go stop in the various timelines.

Crash and Coco are in the Mosquito Marsh, them have to pass through a few enemies and jet board section until them finds the third Quantum Mask Kupuna-Wa. She awakes from her hundreds of years nap and her kisses Crash and her tells to them that she can predict the future see through the time and space. Her tells to Crash and Coco about the danger of his futures, but Lani-Loli interrupts her dialogue and they travel to The 11th Dimension.

And then. Crash, Coco and Lani-Loli arrive in The 11th Dimension in the year 1954. When they travel to this dimension, an Cortex's message comes to warn them to find him up the mountain. Lani-Loli asks how many times Crash and Coco have beaten Cortex and Coco answers three, Lani-Loli is surprised to Coco's answer.

Crash and Coco are in The 11th Dimension. Them have to pass through a few Lab Assistants and then they find Cortex in the two snowboards, them have to chase Cortex riding into the Polar until he reach his blimp.

After Crash and Coco arrived in the Cortex's blimp. Cortex tells to them that this time everything will be according with his plan, just like the N. Gin's boss battle, him stars the battle shooting green and purple discs and he sents robots. Crash or Coco must use Kupuna-Wa to slow the time to spin the Cortex's robots to defeat him. After Cortex is defeated once again, he laments that this cycle of endless fighting between he and bandicoots will be forever and N. Tropy appears in front of them to tell to Cortex that he couldn't handle to kill Crash and Coco, Cortex quit from him and N. Tropy alliance, but N. Tropy tells to Cortex that he doesn't need Cortex anymore because him found a new partner and a new plan. Cortex realizes that N. Tropy betrays him telling to him that the Rift Generator is too much powerful to just conquer all dimensions and timelines, N. Tropy's plan is reset the main timeline and become a god, ensuring that Cortex, Quantum Masks and Crash, Coco and Tawna will not exist and Cortex makes an alliance with Crash and Coco to defeat N. Tropy.

And then. Crash, Coco, Lani-Loli and Cortex arrive in the Eggipus Dimension in the 88 million years B.C.B. Them are in the quest the next mask, they pass through for a several challenges and enemies and them finds the fourth and final Quantum Mask Ika-Ika. Lani-Loli awakes him and he flips them up to the ceiling, Ika-Ika is happy to see Lani-Loli again, but Coco interrupts this moment and he flips them to down and they go to Bermugula's Orbit to defeat N. Tropy.

Crash, Coco and Cortex travel to the Bermugula's Orbit to defeat N. Tropy, the quantum rift opens up Dingodile and them falls on him. When they falls on Dingodile, them thinks that Dingodile is still an villian. Tawna appears behind of him and tells to them that Dingodile is with her and he isn't a bad guy anymore, Coco tells that Cortex also "changed". A monitor N. Tropy, Nitros Oxide and the female N. Tropy, N. Tropy flirt to his female counterpart telling that her manages affairs with such poise and they flirt with themselves, Crash and Coco comes to Nitros Oxide's ship and they will go defeat N. Tropies using the Nitros Oxide's Hovercraft, but then Tawna ties them with her's grappling hook. She don't want to lose them anymore and her use the Oxide's Hovercraft to go defeat N. Tropies. But she lost for the N. Tropies, the female N. Tropy grabs her's neck with the tuning fork and Crash, Coco, Dingodile and Cortex comes to help her to defeat N. Tropies and then N. Tropies hit his tuning forks to the ground and them going to another dimension.

Crash and Coco are teletransported for another dimension with the N. Tropies tuning forks. Akano awake them and Crash or Coco grinding in the line of the time and space, them pass through for several places and dimensions that them was go and then Crash or Coco must uses all of the Quantum Maks to defeat N. Tropies. N. Tropies crash right into the Rift Generator and them are defeated, Crash dance in front of N. Tropies, Coco and Tawna do a high five, Cortex makes fun with N. Tropy and he tell that him doesn't need their alliance anymore and Dingodile do an oxtail and sent the N. Tropies to another dimension. The Quantum Masks reunite to close all the quantum rifts that the Rift Generator was opening, Kupuna-Wa and the other Quantum Masks decide to celebrate the victory by going to Neon City and Cortex thought of taking advantage of this.

And then. Them are teletransported to the Neon City, Crash, Coco and Aku Aku gets surprised with the beauty of the futuristic city and decide to explore. Dingodile and Tawna also go to explore, eat the delicious food of this city and help Crash and Coco to chase Cortex and Cortex is the last one to reach them, after he arrived at the others. Him looks at Kupuna-Wa and realizes that he could go back in 1996 to undo his greatest failure, him gets Kupuna-Wa and he go to his airship, two crates falls in the direction of Crash and Coco, but then Tawna and Dingodile kicked those crates out and them help Crash and Coco to follow Cortex through the falling cargo of his blimp, after Crash and Coco reached Cortex, he uses Kupuna-Wa to travel to 1996. The wind pushes Crash and Coco off from the blimp's roop and them grabs on the airship's door.

Crash and Coco arrive in the Cortex Island in the year 1996, them followed Cortex and then him appears in front of them telling that the bandicoots are so clingy in his life. The past Cortex's message comes to ask who is using his frequency and he looks for his future self calling him impostor, future Cortex confirms that he come from the future to warn his past self that turn Crash into the general of his mutants animals army will fail. But the past Cortex don't believe in this warning and him orders N. Brio to alert the guards, Cortex try to stop his past self and him thoughs that his future self is still an impostor and then him send the Lab Assistants to get his future self. But Cortex shoots on the Assistants and on his past self.

Crash and Coco are in the Cortex Island. Them pass through several challenges, enemies and puzzles to arrive at Cortex to defeat him for the second time and them arrived at Cortex's battlefield, the past Cortex is in a cage and Cortex tells to them that was a very stubborn scientist. And him tells to them that he need stop his past self to create them and the battle starts using the Shoot-o-Matics, Crash or Coco have to jump on the Shoot-o-Matics to then Cortex send his lab assistants and Crash or Coco spin or side in them to hit Cortex to then he use all the Quantum Masks and shoot lasers from his machine. Cortex is defeat for the second time, a few crates flops in his head and he passes out, Crash frees the past Cortex off the cage and him goes to his lab to expose the past Crash the brainwash, but then is revealed that Crash was created by a time paradox that him press the eject button and break Cortex Vortex power source. Coco realizes that because this he was rejected from the Cortex Vortex and then Cortex awakes, Akano drops on his back and the Quantum Masks decide send him to the end of the universe as punishment. Cortex, now stranded in a desolate land with absolutely nothing, is a little bit sad for being alone but then is happy for getting peace and quiet. Dingodile reopens Dingo's Diner, while on N. Sanity Island, Crash, Coco and Tawna are playing video games.

If the player attains 100% completion and the 106% completion in the gallery of the game can be seen and heard an narrator telling the happenings of the characters then is revealed that this narrator is Crash speaking english fluent with the Australian accent and is show Cortex relaxing in the desert and then a evil laugh can be heard throught the universe then is revealed that this evil laugh come from Uka Uka and he will help Cortex to get out of there.

Playable

 * Crash Bandicoot
 * Coco Bandicoot
 * Tawna
 * Dingodile
 * Doctor Neo Cortex

Bosses

 * Doctor N. Gin
 * Louise
 * Doctor Nitrus Brio
 * Doctor Nefarious Tropy
 * Doctor Nefarious Tropy (female)
 * Doctor Neo Cortex

Others

 * Aku Aku
 * Uka Uka
 * Quantum Masks
 * Polar
 * Ripper Roo
 * Shnurgle

N. Sanity Island (Present Day)

 * Rude Awakening
 * N. Sanity Peak

The Hazardous Wastes (2084)

 * A Real Grind
 * Crash Compactor
 * Hit the Road/Truck Stopped
 * Stage Dive

Salty Wharf (1717)

 * Booty Calls/Thar He Blows!
 * Hook, Line, and Sinker
 * Jetboard Jetty

Tranquility Falls (1402)

 * Give It a Spin/Potion Commotion
 * Draggin' On
 * Off-Balance
 * Trouble Brewing

Mosquito Marsh (A Few Days Ago)

 * Off Beat
 * Home Cookin'
 * Run It Bayou/No Dillo Dallying

The 11th Dimension (1954)

 * Snow Way Out/Ship Happens
 * Stay Frosty
 * Bears Repeating/Building Bridges
 * 4th Time's a Charm

Eggipus Dimension (88 Million B.C.B)

 * Blast to the Past
 * Fossil Fueled
 * Dino Dash/Rock Blocked

Bermugula's Orbit (???)

 * Out for Launch/Shipping Error
 * Stowing Away
 * Crash Landed
 * A Hole in Space

The Sn@xx Dimension (3023)

 * Food Run
 * Rush Hour
 * The Crate Escape

Cortex Island (1996)

 * Nitro Processing
 * Toxic Tunnels
 * Cortex Castle/Seeing Double
 * The Past Unmasked

Other Levels

 * Flashback Levels

Gallery
See: Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time/Gallery

Trivia

 * The title is both a reference to the time taken since Crash: Mind Over Mutant, the last original console Crash game, was released, and to the general narrative of the game.
 * It's About Time is the second game to be known as Crash Bandicoot 4, after Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex ' s Japanese release.
 * The game was dedicated to the memory of Aku Aku's original voice actor Mel Winkler, who passed away earlier in the same year.
 * The reason why Vicarious Visions only gave development support for this game is because the team was working on the remakes of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2.
 * Maurice LaMarche and Jess Harnell do not reprise their roles as N. Brio and Crash respectively due to them working on the Animaniacs reboot.
 * This is the first game in the series where the Japanese cover doesn't use the Japanese Crash design.
 * This is the first Crash game to include foul language, especially Dingodile's use of the word "bastards". This is why the game carries a PEGI 12 rating in Europe.
 * According to the opening cinematic, Cortex and N. Tropy have attempted to escape their prison 22 times, which also happens to be the number of years that have passed since Crash Bandicoot: Warped was released.
 * This is the first Crash game since Crash Bash where Debi Derryberry doesn't voice Coco.