Is Crash Bandicoot Trilogy the Dark Souls of platformers?

It seems like the game has developed a reputation as very challenging, requiring precise jumps and movements. Some game reviewers see this as a design flaw, a product of the times. Regardless, the game is doing well. It seems like people are willing to look past some of the archaic level design, and still take the challenge. Your thoughts, SW? Do you think the gamers of today will continue playing it?

Not every difficulty is a worthy challenge.

I reckon you can find alot of challenging platformers though.

Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, Super Meat Boy, Wings of Vi all come to mind.

Also I didn't grow up with Crash, I don't particularly have any interest in it so I won't be playing it.

A lot of the difficulty from the Crash games come from problems with the design. The N' Sane Trilogy compounds the issue by changing the jump mechanic in a way that it feels inherently at odds with the original design of Cortex Strikes Back and the original game. Simple jump? Nope, you didn't build up enough momentum to get across. Sometimes getting too close to an enemy or Nitro crate can get you killed even if you didn't actually touch them.

Then there's the depth problem again. It looks like you're going to make an easy 2D jump, but it turns out you weren't properly aligned with the platform beforehand and fall to your death. It's an issue that isn't too often, but can make some of the platforming really frustrating because it's a poorly done mishmash of 2D camera perspective and 3D platforms.

If I were to think of a game that is difficult in a good way, I would think of Super Meat Boy. Haven't played it yet, but I've seen enough to know it's difficult in a way that's fair.

"The Dark Souls of <insert word here>" needs to stop

Yea, even punted on Steam store pages now.

Difficulty = Darksouls

No, it's not that hard and it's difficulty feels frustrating rather than fair. I'd rather get curbstomped in DS due to my own mistakes than fail another Crash jump because of camera/perspective.

it's as if this is only exclusive to Crash and no other platformer

TBH tho i think the remakes are kind of fucked compared to the originals. They messed up and thats why people are having trouble.

@jcrame10: Very few of the contemporary platformers have precision platforming that only has one route of success. Most of them either give you some wiggle room or alternative route through a platforming problem.

You can look at something like DKCR Tropical Freeze and the Kong Levels - those require some pretty precise execution but even they have variable outcomes and I think that really is the difference.

I suggest you play Dustforce if you really want a game that actually requires frame-perfect jumps and movements.

old school platformers at the time crash was relevant (sonic, donkey kong country, mario) all required precision timing

I think Super Meat Boy deserves that title more.

Don't think DS is a product of bad game design.

The Donkey Kong Country hidden levels are some of the hardest I've ever played.

@jcrame10: Super Mario and Sonic really don't require a huge amount of precision.

Much of the challenges don't require the absolute apex of Mario or Sonic's jump so the timing doesn't need to be as exact as in something like Rayman 1 or Crash 1. Mario and Sonic have variable jump heights but little to none of the platforming challenges require absolute precision. They both have plenty of room to allow for some error.

More so at the time Crash was relevant when you had things like Super Mario 64 which was explicitly designed to offer plenty of room for error.

“In earlier Mario games, we were able to measure the number of pixels Mario could jump and know exactly what was possible. But this time, we had to design the levels so that as long as your jump was “close enough,” you’d make it; it was too hard for the player to judge. This was a design change we made in the middle of the development, when the game was far already very complete. There was a lot of booing from the staff.” - Shigeru Miyamoto

Usually, the games that required absolute precision were glaring because of it.

The hitboxes are horrible in Crash 1 remastered that's for sure.

It's not the "Dark Souls of" anything. It's a product of its time. Games back then were more difficult than games today. Over the generations, games have gradually been getting easier. That's what makes Dark Souls stand out, because it harkens back to an earlier time when games were more difficult.

If i could finish all 3 games when i was 10 or less ... then new generation is really spoiled ( aside the ones playing rogues/dark souls etc which are few ). Everyone wants everything to be easy nowdays... mmorpgs, Fps etc .. everything. When a game gives a challenge without telling you beforehand like dark souls or rogues = crap. Pfff.

Take the challenge you noobs and beat the games and stop crying ( for the critics crying over silly things like a bit more difficulty than expected ).

@Sam3231: Well said. Super Meat Boy is more challenging than most platformers and Ori is no piece of cake either.

@SolidGame_basic:

To me, Crash Bandicoot will always be Sony's original Mario. In that essence, you HAVE TO look past its archaic design because that's the whole point of it. That's like blaming Super Mario Brothers for being too basic and dated. A blast from the past should always be a blast from the past! Not a dash of the past with a modern spin! The critics are seeing this too much from the current generation's eyes and not from the old fans. That leaves out what it really has to offer which is nostalgic platforming at its most refined.

No. The game has a good balance of challenge and enjoyment. Super Meat Boy is far more frustrating (but it still is a fantastic game imo).