Happy March 33rd everyone or April 2 for those not in the land of the Gobbos! Today, let’s travel back to 1997 when 3D games were still in their early years. The 3D platformer genre was storming into the world with games like Crash Bandicoot and Super Mario 64 being dominant as they explored the 3D realm in different ways. However, there was one little green reptile that had his own 3D platformer, no, not Gex, but Croc! Now, almost thirty years later Croc and developer Argonaut Games have returned with a remaster of his first outing Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is a simple 3D platformer that has linear 3D levels with a tad bit of exploration. The story is pretty straightforward as Croc must rescue all the Gobbos that have been captured by Baron Dante and his minions. Levels are divvied up into small areas, and Croc can find six of the Gobbos hidden throughout each level as well as five colored crystals or just sprint through the level to the gong at the end. The game itself is divided into five worlds with upwards of six main levels, not counting boss levels, as well as secret levels to discover. The best thing about the levels are how quickly they fly by with no level or world overstaying its welcome.
The remaster of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos isn’t the most in depth remaster like we have seen in recent years for other games like Crash and Spyro. This is still the overall original game from 1997, so don’t go in expecting something fully redone and updated. Then, the remastered art style might not be for everyone. The remaster art style takes out a lot of environmental details. This is very apparent when look at the ground in the first level. It is just a bunch of green and blue splotches whereas the original art there was enough detail to look like grass. Luckily, the game features different graphical modes which allow you to play the game with the remastered graphics or retro graphics similar to the original. These modes can be switched with the touchpad on the DualSense or in the settings. You are also able to customize the graphic settings to have the game how you want it to look. You can mix retro character models with remastered textures or even have a CRT display setting.
The other updates the remaster brings are great additions though. The original game came out prior to the introduction of the analog sticks with the first DualShock controller, so movement was more catered to the D-Pads on controllers upon its launch. Now, Croc’s movements as well as camera control take full use of modern analog sticks which makes the game much easier and more enjoyable to play.However, the coolest thing the remaster introduces is the Crocopedia. This is a such an awesome look at the history of Croc. It includes thing such as developer interviews, concept art and animations, a look at merchandise and photos, and even the series bible for the TV show that never made it into production.
The remaster of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is a delightful return of a oft forgotten character from the early days of the 3D platformer genre. While it is far less of what some people may expect from a remaster like other games from the era have gotten, the additions of the Crocopedia and the graphical settings are great to explore the history of the game. Thus, for those who want to experience an era of video games that has come and gone, Croc:Legend of the Gobbos remastered is a nice little jaunt down memory lane.
Score: 7 out of 10
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
