The old saying goes that there are two sides to every story, and in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time that's also true. For the first time in the series' history, We're getting the chance to play as the classic Crash villains, including the big bad Neo Cortex.
Of course, saving the day as Crash and Coco is your number one priority after Cortex and co rip several holes in the fabric of space and time. But, the option to play levels from the enemy perspective suddenly adds another dimension to the gameplay.
A big explosion, a major moving platform, or even just something that goes a little awry for Crash and Coco may well be a criminal moving behind the scenes. So why not take control and find out?
Take Dingodile for example, who gets his own narrative in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, even though he's gone into retirement and is now running a diner. Inadvertently, he causes a little chaos along the way for Crash and Coco, but also even manages to assist them sometimes. In the level 'Thar She Blows', for example, Dingodile causes a big explosion. He panics, jumping through the conveniently nearby time rift, but actually, it clears the way for Crash. In the Crash-centric level 'Booty Calls', all you see is something blasting away a giant door that's blocking your way.
Then later on, in the level 'No Dingo Dallying', Dingodile emerges from the time rift in the Mosquito Marsh dimension. He employs the use of a small motorboat as a way to navigate the river, thinking he's getting closer to getting back to his diner. But, he gets sucked into another time rift, leaving the boat to carry on without him, and emerge through a gap in the wall right in front of Crash. Something you would have already experienced in the level 'Run it Bayou' without ever knowing Dingodile was involved.
When it comes to Neo Cortex, things are also a little chaotic. In the level 'Snow Way Out' for example, Crash watches a huge ship explode right in front of him. Thankfully he can use the Time Mask, Kupuna-Wa, to navigate the fast-falling ice platforms that are left behind. As you can probably imagine, Cortex was meant to explode the ship with Crash on it, but things didn't entirely go to plan. By playing through the level 'Ship Happens', you'll find out exactly what went wrong.
These are just a few examples of how the villains play into the story of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. You'll be able to discover them all for yourself when the game hits Xbox One and PS4 on October 4.