Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos Remastered Review (PS5) – Despite the glut of famed platformers released throughout the 1990s, it has never seemed fair to consider Argonaut Software’s Croc an also-ran within the genre.
Though borrowing healthily from adjacent games of the era such as Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, and even Tomb Raider, Croc always had something about it, a sort of charm and clarity in design which endeared it to many, so much so that it ended up as the 27th top-selling game on the original PlayStation no less.
Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos Remastered Review (PS5) – Between A Croc And A Hard Place
Croc’s Long-Awaited Return Packs A Punch
Starting as a pitch for a Yoshi game given Argonaut’s prior work with Nintendo in developing 1993’s Star Fox, Croc was the studio’s first foray into 3D platforming and came at a time when the fundamentals of such were still being codified in the months following the release of Super Mario 64.
What we got upon its release was a melange of different inspirations and gameplay traits, but one that was unmistakably more than the sum of its parts. Now, some 28 years later, and with the re-emergence of Argonaut Games in tow, Croc has reared his snout again hoping to capture hearts as he did years prior.
As was par for the course back then, Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos first begins with a bit of voiceless exposition where the menacing Baron Dante kidnaps King Rufus and imprisons the rest of the little furry creatures named Gobbos. From there, Croc sets out to rescue each, of which there are six per level, with the last being locked beyond a bonus door only accessible by collecting five colored crystals strewn about the level. Sometimes they’re hidden in plain sight, other times they’re masquerading as regular clear crystals.
The clear crystals themselves act as Croc’s health bar and they work in a similar fashion to rings in Sonic where if you’re hit you’ll lose them all and if you’re hit again when you have none left it’s an early bath for Croc. The aim, then, for each level is to collect everything within the area via butt stomp, tail whip, or otherwise, before teleporting to the next courtesy of Beany, King Rufus’ friendly yellow bird.
Many of the levels are interspersed with little asides to keep things fresh, such as hidden gauntlets, (to prepare you for what’s to come) shell games, and whack-a-mole to name just a few. Each of these neat little games are usually hidden behind the aforementioned bonus door and serve to act as a little challenge for those who are looking to rescue the last Gobbo in each.
Another element worth mentioning is of course the music, with the game’s catchy theme song buried deep in the recesses of many a mind and it’s absolutely no different here. Each world has its own set theme also, which can grate a little depending on how much time you spend replaying levels, but at the very least there are other themes that play depending on where you are in a particular level, such as underground.
For this remastered release, developer Argonaut Games has put in considerable effort cleaning up some of the long-litigated points surrounding the controls and camera primarily. For the former, rather than having a toggle, you have the original ‘tank’ controls (or at least a more refined version of them) on the D-pad while the newer controls are on the left analogue stick.
Croc Has Never Looked So Sharp
Graphically speaking, there are two options to choose from, ‘retro’ and ‘remastered’. There isn’t a massive difference between each as they’ve both cleaned up the source significantly, which itself has always had a visually pleasant look, however the remastered option enables a sort of texture smoothing that runs the slight risk of having the game losing part of its patented charm. It is a functional coat of paint that helps make the colours pop, mind, and there are additional toggles for the textures, as well as CRT or VGA output filtering. It runs like a dream, also.
Each of Croc’s five worlds contains two bosses, the majority of whom are inhabitants of Gobbo Valley who Baron Dante has turned into unwitting guardians of his monstrous reign. He’s even given a ladybug boxing gloves, the mad man.
Outside of sometimes looking quite distinct, Croc’s boss fights are stilted affairs, void of any real impact. Perhaps it’s often the slightly muffled sound or the fact that most of them just amble around, or maybe it’s because when transforming them Baron Dante neglected to mention that Croc was the sole threat in Gobbo Valley and that they were to react accordingly, either way they are often rudimentary. At least the hitboxes have been cleaned up compared to that of the original.
What starts out as a gentle easing in of the mechanics begins to unravel somewhat from world 3 onwards, as the focus shifts to more high-stakes platforming which in turn stretches the seams of the gameplay to near-breaking point. Though the general refinements to the controls do help, Croc’s jumping mechanic lacks the precision to make these sections feel consistent and rewarding. Oftentimes, you’ll judge a jump based on the lip of the ledge but find yourself dropping before Croc has even attempted it, leading you to have to restart a section.
High-Stakes Platforming Can Prove Frustrating
This smattering of frustrating jumping sequences is made worse if you’re of the completionist mindset, due to the fact you’re given a standard three lives following a game over, and it’s possible you’ll make it to the bonus sequence only to lose your final life while racing against a spooky ghost and have to start the entire level again. Some of it is sweaty palms-inducing by the end, with the threat of falling into a dark expanse – reminiscent of another PlayStation gem, Kurushi – all too present.
Despite being the domain of Baron Dante himself, world five does provide a surprising reprieve to this, with it being far more plentiful with lives, almost as if the game wants to forgive you for what has come immediately before. There are other trinkets and secrets to uncover which does make replaying worth it, and while Croc doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel when it comes to platforming, it does enough things right to leave an impression.
Going back to the original – via a PlayStation 3 no less – does reveal a stark visual contrast, even when toggling the ‘retro’ graphical preset within the remaster. You’d be forgiven for thinking there isn’t a major difference between both options, that is until you boot up the original and take a look at its aspect ratio and resolution, not to mention the wobbly textures which were a mainstay in Sony’s maiden console.
Crocipedia Is A Lovingly Crafted Compendium
What’s more, it brings to light the profound changes around control and camera work, too. So, even with the welcome option of both ‘tank’ and ‘modern’ within the same control set, the former is demonstrably more refined than the original’s control scheme. Croc can now turn on a dime rather than moving as if he’s in a trickle, and the camera is far snappier, which makes for a more pleasant experience. At the beginning, that is.
One of the major additions to this release comes by way of a compendium – the Crocipedia, as it’s aptly named – which contains a treasure trove of goodies for Croc aficionados, including a comprehensive set of interviews from past and present developers, game design documents, market and merchandising wares, and even a section devoted to the titular hero’s presence in Japan. There are even details for the ill-fated television series, including its treatment, general notes, and ideas which were devised by Flint Dille of Transformers and G.I. Joe fame.
Croc is a throwback to a formative time where developers were sinking their teeth into 3D development and when met on its own terms offers more than enough charm and character to put a smile on most faces. Though you can only sand the rough edges so much, this is the best way to play one of gaming’s forgotten mascots and indeed is a compelling package for those dyed-in-the-wool fans who have been clamoring for a return of the green reptile for all these years.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is out on PS5 and PS4 on April 2, 2025.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.