After 22 years of quality drought, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is officially poised to return with a new and original game. 

Under the title “Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time,” the strategy from Activision is to completely ignore every game in the series after the PlayStation 1. A respectable and refreshing move, given most fans of the series can’t stomach much of the later entries besides “Crash Twinsanity.” 

The game’s trailer even pokes fun at their own decision to erase the canon of the less favorably received games, with a new mask character joking that it seems they’ve had more than only three run-ins with the recurring final boss, Neo Cortex. The game’s own tag line, “It’s About Time,” acknowledges the painful wait fans have endured. In the official reveal for the game, the familiar Crash Bandicoot marketing tactic from the ’90s in the form of a giant costumed mascot returns, giving the hype train an even bigger nostalgia boost.

Fresh in the minds of newcomers and returners, “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy” put the classic first three games back on the map with a sequel in the hopes of many. Organically picking up after the events of “Crash Bandicoot: Warped,” which released in 1998, the new game sees Neo Cortex and the rest of the Crash Bandicoot villains once again attempting to rule space and time. However, new masks offering new abilities, new and returning gameplay elements, as well as more playable characters are shown in the game’s first trailer. 

Toys for Bob, the same developers behind the “Spyro: Reignited Trilogy” remake and the ports for “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy” are behind “Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.”

The most intriguing aspect of the trailer is a new art style and seeming return to classic challenging platforming. Crash Bandicoot’s new design is more fitting of the character than we saw of him in “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.” The colorful and vibrant level design is displayed all throughout the trailer, giving promise to attention to detail and creativity as seen in the recent remakes of the series. Pausing the game’s announcement trailer at any given moment reveals enough details for a longtime Crash Bandicoot fan to salivate over. 

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time” is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Oct. 2, with a full price tag of $59.99. As compared to “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy” being $39.99 at launch, expectations will be high for the game to revive the beloved franchise with renaissance and be among the series’ best games yet.