While I played a load of mascot platformers back in the day, I can’t say that I ever intersected with Croc for whatever reason. Perhaps at the time it felt a little too basic for my tastes, or I’d moved more into playing games on PC in that phase, but I missed out on it. Given the fact that so many games in that vein from that era have already gotten the remaster treatment, it isn’t surprising to see it get one as well. So what does someone with no nostalgic connection to the original think? I’d say your enjoyment will likely vary wildly depending on what you’re looking for.

As an update of an early-gen 3D platformer, I’ll admit that the handling of it is pretty impressive, and somehow manages to give it modern polish without losing the thread of what it originally was. They’ve maintained the use of geometric primitives to compose things like limbs, but with more smooth and rounded edges rather than linear jags. It’s also clear that they’ve worked on the game’s textures to keep them in line with the original as much as possible, but using higher resolution images. This gives the game a decidedly retro look but with a modern touch that’s a nice compromise, looking to honor the original rather than supplant it. 

Where the experience struggles, especially if you don’t have nostalgia for the original, is in the area of level design and general play. No doubt influenced by the console power available when it was made, most of the areas you’ll work in will feel practically claustrophobic, and in general the platforming is more on the simplistic side. To make matters a little worse, while I understand the game’s original controls were pretty awful, I’d say the modern implementation is better but in dire need of a little starting help. It’s no doubt a matter of different developers going with different means of initiating certain moves, but while I could tell that a butt stomp move would be required, it wasn’t until I tried to double jump that I understood that a second jump in the air would initiate one, something I didn’t expect. I also sometimes just wasn’t following what a given area was looking for me to do at times, essentially making me captive and stuck until I could figure it out since once you’re in an area you’re expected to complete it.

In the context of this being a celebration of a retro title with all sorts of ways to tweak its more modern aesthetics, enjoying its revitalized gameplay, and getting a little more info about it, it’s a nice success. If, instead, you’re looking to enjoy it as a great 3D platformer though, the value proposition is quite a bit lower. If you have fond memories of the original, or simply love to play games that are stepping stones that lead you to modern titles, this is a solid, but humble package. For anyone else, probably not so much.