Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Review (PS5) – Snap It Up
I’ll never forget my now stepbrother who, when we were 11 way back when this game first launched, then tried to convince me that Croc: Legend of the Gobbos was somehow a competitor to Super Mario 64. Yes, that Super Mario 64.
He had a PlayStation. I had an N64. He had Final Fantasy VII. I had The Legend of Zelda. He had Metal Gear Solid, I had Operation Winback. He had Croc. I had Mario 64. There was simply no contest. Still, bless him, he gave it a good go.
You see, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is one stable and stupidly fun platformer that miraculously ran in 32-bit-o-vision upon first release in 1997. The 3D levels were quite the feat back then, and whilst comparing it to one of the greatest video games all of time was perhaps a fool’s errand on his part, it stands up as one of those PlayStation games from that era that I remember fondly being played by my step-brother (we only had one controller for a time), alongside the likes of Final Fantasy VII, Sypro and whatnot.
So with trepidation I jump into this shiny remaster of a platformer that I had quite the soft spot for, and thankfully, that soft spot carried me all the way to the end of this one. This is a solid remaster of perhaps one of the most middling-to-good games I’ve ever reviewed.
It’s interesting, because I remember each beat rather well despite never actually having played the game. The colour and the villains all hit me like a brick of nostalgia getting swung in my direction. The opening is as tale as olf as time as you can ever wish a platformers story to be..
So, Croc as a wee mini Hatchling was sent downriver in a basket only to be discovered by a species known as the Gobbos, who took him in and raised him like one their own. All is well until the evil Baron Dante descended on their peaceful village, kidnapping the Gobbos and placing them in various parts of maps behind keys and inside boxes that’s never really truly explained but we move. And who is left to clean up this mess and save the Gobbos? Why Croc of course. The game begins. Save the Gobbos you snappy legend.
From here it’s exactly what you think it is. Croc has to explore various areas of size and scope and I notice now in 2025 that these levels really aren’t all that big but every inch either had a collectible or enemy in it. The small levels certainly weren’t wasted. In terms of design they’re the typical platforming fare. A forest area, an ice area, desert and then a castle area. Not forgetting the Crystal Island of course which you can only access by finding every collectible throughout the main game. It’s best knowing this before you begin because, well, I’m sure you can figure out why this reviewer is letting you in on this particular secret.
And it’s all a bit sameypants. It’s difficult to judge a near 30 year old game to modern standards but boy, have we come a long way baby. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is not a modern platformer despite the solid job done to place the camera and the controls firmly in the modern age (and the colours pop off the screen). As mentioned above, as a remaster it’s certainly one of the better ones from that era (looking at you, Glover), but it’s also a reminder that we definitely have moved on, and there’s very little that Croc has to offer to modern audiences that they don’t already have in abundance on their modern systems.
But then who are remasters really for? They’re for us old idiots that have to cling on to the past because life was so much purer and simpler back then? It’s for the memories of sitting up in your pyjamas playing video games with your breakfast next to you, staring up at the screen in wonder because you can’t believe you can control a crocodile with massive eyes in a three-dimensional space! It’s mind-altering stuff, and shaped us all as lovers of this industry ever since. Particularly me, I love seeing the advancements in technology, I love seeing what incredible engineers and developers can come up with next.
Yes, we won’t ever see a giant a leap from PSX to PS2 etc maybe ever again, but can we just live there for a bit? Croc: Legend of the Gobbos offers a similar feeling to a Butlin’s 90’s weekender. It just takes your mind off the modern world for a little bit, and puts you right back in the shoes of your inner child or teenager. You grew up with this, the PSX was your bible. No, it’s not brilliant, it’s not even that great, but it’s yours.
Newbies aren’t missing a thing here, this is for the legends who were there when Croc first took charge to save all the Gobbos.
Jump back in, mate. You bloody deserve it.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is out now on PS5 (review platform), Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch and PC via GOG.com.
Developer: Argonaut Games
Publisher: Argonaut Games
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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