Vicarious Visions have announced that Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy will be receiving a free DLC level titled Stormy Ascent for a limited time.
The new level is available now to download now, however, beware as the level will be no stroll in the park as it is one of the hardest levels of the entire trilogy and was left out of the main game on purpose.
Check out the new trailer down below:
Thanks to the PlayStation Blog, we also got a little insight about the infamous level from some key developers. When asked about how the level came to be, here’s what Taylor and Dan had to say:
Taylor Kurosaki: Early in production of the original Crash Bandicoot game, everyone at Naughty Dog often wore multiple hats. However, by year two we were somewhat specialized and I went from artist to game designer. I ended up designing and laying out ¾ of the levels in the original Crash Bandicoot. And Stormy Ascent was one of mine.
Dan Tanguay: The team here at Vicarious Visions knew the fans really wanted Stormy Ascent, and so did we! One of the best players on the design team had beat the first game and wanted a new challenge. So, we told him to try the original Stormy Ascent. It took him 60 lives to get through it – needless to say it was much more challenging than he had expected. However, he still fell in love with it and we decided to bring it life.
It is interesting to hear about the infamous level and how hard it actually is, but one might wonder is it even beatable? Well, according to the developers it is beatable, however, due to it being so hard and longer than any other level in the series, Vicarious Visions left it out of the main game.
Taylor: Yes. It was one of the last levels I finished during production, and as we prepared to deliver our Gold Master to Sony for manufacturing, the decision was made to cut it. It was playable, but just too damn difficult, and we ran out of time to make it easier. It remained on the disc as it was less risky just leaving it rather than trying to remove it. It was basically hidden, but it was there.
“It was playable, but just too damn difficult.”Dan: Fans found it though, using Gameshark.
Taylor: I think it’s cool when fans find hidden things in games, this was no exception. I was glad it somewhat found the light of day, and I think it’s an awesome level.
Will you be giving Stormy Ascent a try? Think you’ll be able to beat the level without any hiccups? Download the free level now for a limited time!
