Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remaster Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

I must’ve been, what, three or four years old when Croc: Legend of the Gobbos first touched down on PlayStation? Given the fact that I was mesmerized by just about anything that wasn’t the usual à la carte of turkey dinosaurs and string beans, it wasn’t entirely surprising that I found an immediate attachment to a snot green crocodile with a backpack. And if I were to scrub through my subconscious enough, I think that I could probably paint you a pretty convincing picture of its vibrant worlds and the fuzzy companions that filled them. Not that this is something to brag about, mind you, what with the game now having a full-fledged remaster on consoles and PC. Even still, I remember it — and I think that speaks volumes about its character and prestige as a former favorite on PSX.

If you did happen to miss out on the original release of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos back in 1997, then just take this into account: it’s a platforming-adventure game that centers its existence around two things: unlikely heroes, and a faithful representation of a familiar good-versus-evil blueprint. Like the titles that came before it, it features a wealth of crisp and vibrant levels, collectibles, mountable platforms, and an array of enemies and other unruly foes to conquer. Sure enough, the latest Remaster doesn’t just end there either; it also features a selection of revamped controls, QoL embellishments, audiovisual overhauls, and a huge upgrade to several of its signature gameplay elements, too. So, Croc 2.0, basically.

Care to stick around as we plunge even deeper into the crocodile den? Then let’s jump back into the nineties and unpack Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remaster.

Same Pond, Different Croc

To acknowledge the crocodile in the room, this isn’t your full-fledged remake of a classic IP; it’s the same thing that launched back in ‘97, but with an additional layer of technical polish and pizzazz. As such, it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the pond, minus, perhaps, a few extra teeth to the signature grin and a little more sparkle in its natural appearance. But other than that, what you see is what you get: a basic rewrite of a cult favorite with some carefully crafted improvements that are easy to navigate and emulate on a modern bit of hardware. So, if you had high hopes of seeing more of Croc, then you might be in for a bit of disappointment with just how little has changed in terms of its framework.

While the Remaster isn’t the spiritual successor to its original, that isn’t to say that it isn’t bursting with life and strands of nostalgic platforming. It’s a relatively short game, and so, it’s best not to get your hopes up for an extended journey with limitless levels here. With that being said, each of the stages that it does bring to the table are just as memorable and as joyous as they previously were, with a solid portion of objects to scathe, smash, and tail whip, hidden dome-like jewels to find, enemies to thwart, and of course, Gobbos to unearth and protect from the viscous Baron Dante and their faithful companions.

Smooth as Butter

There is one major improvement over the original Croc to be seen here, and that’s the core mechanics. Before, you would’ve had to manually pivot and then run, which wasn’t entirely uncommon for most nineties platforming games, I’ll admit. In this incarnation, though, the controls are a lot smoother, which means that you can now transition between the usual movements, attacks, and actions in a free flowing manner. It’s a small change for modern times, for sure, but it’s also a huge shift from the traditional approach, too. The fact that it isn’t quite as clunky as it once was suggests that the creators were adamant about making it the best love letter to the source conceivable. And the team pulled it off, truly.

Croc isn’t a difficult game by any stretch, so you needn’t worry about the possibility of stumbling into any perplexing puzzles (taking the small amount of hidden areas out of the box, that is) or butting heads with a vigilante monster or what have you. And I’ll be honest, the remaster is a lot easier than the original, mainly due to the fact that the enhanced control system is more responsive and less, shall we say, janky.

Verdict

Oh, it’s good to have Croc back after so, so many years of seeing the IP laying dormant in the cold, murky waters of its former childhood pond. To say that it’s just as good as I remember it being wouldn’t be giving it enough credit, as it is, in spite of its dated visuals and intentionally shoddy mechanics and platforming aspects, a fantastic family-friendly journey with a huge amount of heart and copious amounts of pure, unadulterated pieces of familiar fodder and glee.

It was only a matter of time before Croc finally found its way to the lakeside cabin of modern remakes and slept-on jewels. Granted, even with its prominence as an underling of a much, much grander network of established franchises—Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Super Mario, to list just a few of its most admirable adversaries—there is still a bit of a looming shadow that drapes over our beloved backpack-sporting hero here. Perhaps it’s the level designs, or the significant lack of memorable NPCs that pulls it into the shallow waters. Or, maybe it’s just that we, as gamers, have become so accustomed to platforming games that it’s somewhat difficult to pledge allegiance to anything that isn’t the usual factions. Nevertheless, even if Croc is an underdog, it doesn’t make it any less of a contender in its league.

If by this point in time you haven’t seen Croc in all its whimsical colors, then perhaps now’s the time to take a trip out to the isle of the Gobbos and confront the tyrannical foe that is Baron Dante. And even if it is as fresh in your mind as a bouquet of dandelions, you still ought to give it some attention, as it is, in all honesty, a beautiful homage to its forefather.