This Remaster offers a good way to experience Croc for those that missed out on the original, found the controls too unwieldy, and a reason for veterans to revisit the game. Crocipedia is a nice example of video game preservation, and it shows that a lot of care was put into it, so if you're confused about the pricing, the amount of work that went into Crocipedia is the likely answer. There are a handful of things that I would like to see addressed in future update(s): - PS1 soundtrack featured a far greater amount of audio tracks. They're outright missing and are replaced by duplicates. Considering how heavily the game leans into the soundtrack to build its identity, this is a major oversight. - Ambience tracks do not loop. If you stay in an area long enough, the secondary audio track cuts off and never returns until you switch areas. - Audio mixing requires tweaking, as "realistic" volume distance drop-off makes SFX such as boss cues barely audible. - Original PS1 user interface had animated colored crystals. That extra bling is now static. - Platforms that appear from a liquid featured a fountain underneath them. These sprites are omitted from the Remaster. - With higher resolution it's easier to tell that there are occasional geometry misalignment, be it an instance of a floating tree on the level select, or and archway that is wider than the door. - Ideally, a re-created texture artwork would be an ideal solution, rather than relying on quick AI upscales that result in a melted, waxy look. - Flails have overly big hitboxes that would benefit from a tweak, as the hazard damages Croc without even visually connecting. - As a result of quick loading, some bonus areas start Croc facing a ledge. Often times you walk off by accident. - Control remap should be a part of a basic PC release. While the list may seem big, if you like something, you should be able to criticize it. I'd like this release to become Definitive way to play the game, paving the way for Croc 2.
If you're seeking to experience Croc for the first time, a veteran player returning for the Croc2/modern control scheme at 60fps, or are looking for a brand new copy of the game without any extortionate pricing, then this Remaster is the way to go. The Crocipedia alone is worth it, as this is a good example of how to preserve the legacy of a video game. However, hare a few things that I would like to see addressed in a future update(s): - Missing music. PlayStation 1 version has a significantly richer soundtrack, while Remaster does not include said audio tracks at all, replacing them with repeated tracks within the same "World" part, thus less variety. - Better sound mixing. In the original, you could clearly hear sound effects of distant bosses as a clear cue. In pursuit to have a more "realistic" audio expiernece all the effects are severely muted as a result. - Adding missing sprites. Levitating platforms that raise from liquids originally had a sprite fountain underneath them. Completely missing in the remaster. - Animated user interface. The five colored crystals were animated, always spinning when collected. Now they're static. - World map, misalignment tweaks. At a higher resolution you can clearly notice mistakes like floating trees being part of the level select map. There are also doors with misaligned arches that could be fixed. - Rather than relying on AI-upscaled textures, it would be great to have the art re-created properly, as the upscaled textures give off a very waxy look that is undesirable.
