Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, guide to Quantum Masks

Contents

What are Quantum Masks? What are they for? Lani-Loli: changing reality 'Akano: pure power Kapuna-Wa: stopping time Ika-Ika and gravity Quantum Masks represent the main novelty of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. We have already had the opportunity to tell you well what we think of the return of the most famous marsupial ever in the world of video games: if you have our review of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, you probably know. And you will also know well how, in fact, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a production so rich in content that it deserves individual insights on certain aspects ... for example on Quantum Masks. What are they? Where are? And how are they best used? We will try to answer all these questions, and others that you may have already asked.

What are Quantum Masks?

Quantum Masks represent the most important novelty of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, because they enrich the gameplay with unprecedented potential and "rejuvenate" as much as possible a game formula that is now so well established, but which dates back to more than ten years ago. The masks themselves were already in Crash Bandicoot: Aku Aku (that of the Budega!) Is the best known, and has always protected Crash from enemy blows. Uka Uka, evil twin, is instead one of the most dangerous enemies of the series: both also return in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

What are Quantum Masks then? These are four exceptionally powerful family members who don't normally live on Crash Bandicoot Island. Their task is to keep together the space-time fabric of reality itself, avoiding dimensional fractures; or at least, it was this before Uka Uka did not use his powers to tear the veil between the worlds. In this way the balance has been destroyed, and the Quantum Masks are now dispersed: only by putting them all back together is it possible to restore the original situation.

What are they for?

If from the point of narrative view the purpose of the Quantum Masks is more than clear, the same cannot be said initially for the gameplay: this is good, because it guarantees the player's sense of discovery. Those who have not followed the reveal and commercial videos of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time know absolutely nothing about the masks, and when they meet Lani-Loli for the first time in the temple on the island, they just expect him to be a new travel companion.

But the Quantum Masks, within the game, are really useful: they guarantee special powers, albeit momentary, to the protagonist (Crash or Coco that is); all the other secondary characters cannot use them, because they already have their own powers and gadgets at their disposal probably. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time provides the player with Quantum Masks only and only on certain occasions, and only in the presence of specific obstacles within the levels.



The player, therefore, he cannot freely equip masks from an inventory, as he would in any RPG, but limit himself to using them whenever possible and when due. It is good to note that in the moments when Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time provides a mask, the latter is indispensable to continue: there are no tricks or other ways. You have to learn to use them and that's it, otherwise you can't go on.

Lani-Loli: changing reality

Lani-Loli is the first Quantum Mask that Crash will encounter during his adventure, already in the second game level. It is a blue and particularly cowardly mask, but it is also the one that took over the situation after the fracture of space-time: it is she who explains to the protagonist that we need to find the other three members of the family before N Tropy and Cortex do too much damage between dimensions.

Lani-Loli allows the player to modify reality: in the levels where it is possible to use it, you will immediately notice transparent objects and others simply sparkling with a blue light. The power of Lani-Loli makes it possible to invert the presence of these objects on the screen: at the same time the transparent ones "appear" and become solid, while the bright ones disappear from the level. The elements of the level, in short, take over, but they cannot all be present at the same time.

The gameplay-side use of this power is quite evident: Crash makes it appear (that is, it projects into its reality) previously non-existent objects, and consequently makes others disappear. Imagine jumping between a series of platforms now transparent now solid, having to make them appear and disappear with a certain synchrony: it is not always an easy task. Obviously, the same mechanics are also used during races on phones or iron beams, with the difference that here timing must come to terms with speed.

'Akano: pure power

The second mask Crash encountered on his journey is' Akano: purple in color, extremely silent and with an appearance that oscillates between gruff and menacing. In reality she will also prove to be an indispensable ally, this time also during the fight against enemies.

'Akano represents pure power, and is powered by dark matter. To begin with, it allows you to repel magical attacks (green in color): it therefore makes Crash invulnerable to such threats, as long as the latter is performing a pirouette. Obviously there is always the downside: the collision with the enemy does not prove fatal, but still pushes Crash far away, and this can prove problematic on very small platforms or in the presence of dangerous crates such as TNT and Nitro.

The Quantum Mask in question also allows you to perform an infinite and unstoppable spin: this allows you to destroy any object on the screen, even the iron boxes, as well as cover very long distances in flight thanks to the double jump. There are entire levels that require you to jump between two very distant platforms, using 'Akano's pirouette jump. However, we must pay close attention to the TNT and Nitro speakers: both explode immediately upon contact with the mask during the turn, and death is assured there.

Kapuna-Wa: stop time

Kapuna-Wa is the third mask Crash met, a nice granny who knows what has been and what has yet to happen; so much so that obviously nobody wants to hear her talk too much, because knowing the future can be distressing or dangerous. However, he is very kind and helpful, and immediately gives Crash his powers to advance into the otherwise inaccessible icy levels.

The third Quantum Mask allows you to stop time, even if in reality this is only apparent: more the player simply slows down the seconds until he is almost immobilized. At this juncture, whatever is on the screen obviously slows down accordingly: an enemy, as well as a platform that was falling too quickly, and on which it seemed impossible to climb.

In sessions where Kapuna can be used -Wa developers have also placed new speakers which, once activated by a switch, disappear after a few moments. At that point you obviously have to stop time and run to hit them all in a row before it's too late.

Ika-Ika and gravity

I'm looking for a permanent center of gravity, the song said . But in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time there is almost nothing permanent, apart from the fun: here then is that the fourth Quantum Mask, Ika-Ika, allows you to change the gravity of the levels. In reality, we need to be more precise: it is the Bandicoot's center of gravity that varies, and not the game objects or enemies, which all remain in their places.

The use of the mask is intuitive: it is needed to advance along roads that suddenly end in unavoidable danger and continue safely on the ceiling; only the change of gravity makes it possible to pass from one side to the other. Above and below, below and above, continuously: exactly as Lani-Loni asked to constantly change the presence of objects on the screen, or Kapuna-Wa the altered or usual flow of time.