Crash Bandicoot has been a household name and a beloved video game character for over two decades since his first appearance in 1996. Fast-forward to 2023 and developers Toys For Bob, in collaboration with Activision, put a unique spin on the fan-favorite franchise that has rarely been seen in the series’ history. With the release of Crash Team Rumble, players face off as some of the most memorable personalities from the iconic franchise in a 4v4 arena battle.
Given the game’s premise and how much it differs from the standard structure of a Crash Bandicoot title, it does beg the question; is Crash Team Rumble worth buying? I believe so, given it is lower than the standard console title, however, some concerns arise as to the game’s longevity and replayability. With a small cast of characters, a few maps, and just one game mode so far, I hope to see more content coming with each new season.
You can get your hands on Crash Team Rumble on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S for USD $29.99
Story – Or Should I Say Party?
Unlike the other well-known titles in the long-storied Crash Bandicoot series, Crash Team Rumble takes a step back from creating a new narrative to shed a whole new light on the many familiar faces of the franchise. Instead, players are thrust into an arena in a 4v4 battle to collect and stash the most Wumpa fruit in their bank.
Among those familiar faces, however, is a new character – Catbat makes their debut in the Crash Bandicoot franchise as its first non-binary personality. We aren’t given a backstory about Catbat, which raises many questions as to where they came from and what their intentions are, so hopefully this becomes clearer in future titles. Despite the lack of a storyline, Toys For Bob manages to keep consistent with the artistic style and game mechanics that Crash’s following has grown to expect.
Gameplay – Expectedly Consistent
Newcomers to the Crash Bandicoot experience needn’t worry, the game has long built a foundation on providing a challenging gaming experience, but not when it comes to the controls. The mechanics are simple and consistent regardless of the character being used, so once you get a handle on the jump, attack, and special skills buttons, you’ve basically learned it all.
Crash Team Rumble adds powers that can be selected pre-game to give players a competitive edge.
The game’s objective is simple, be the first to bank 2,000 Wumpa fruit in your team’s bank to pick up the victory. To make things interesting, there are gem blocks to control to give your team a boost, as well as collectible relics that can be used to activate power-up pads on the map.
Character Classes and Abilities
Crash Team Rumble has 8 playable characters in its core range that are split up into three classes; Scorer, Blocker, and Booster. The classes dictate the role of the player in the game, and the character’s abilities are tailored to suit their role.
The Scorers (Crash, Tawna, and Catbat) are more agile, have less focus on combat, and have the capacity to carry up to 130 Wumpa at a time. The Blockers (Dingodile, N. Brio, and N. Tropy) are stronger and best suited for either denying opponents access to their bank or protecting their own. The Boosters (Coco and Cortex) are best suited for using the map’s power-up pads to give their team the advantage, which is achieved by being able to collect double Relics.
Each character has a selection of unique abilities that can be used in a variety of offensive and defensive ways.
Graphics and Sound – Timeless Throwbacks
Given that Crash Team Rumble is comparatively a smaller project next to the many story-based games before it, expectations were high that it would capture the artistic style that is synonymous with the franchise, both visually and audibly. In both regards, the game nails the cartoon approach that has consistently been tweaked over the years and, while there was no noticeable improvement in the character likenesses, it certainly wasn’t a step back.
One of the great features of Crash Team Rumble from a visual perspective is the array of unlockable accessories that characters can equip, as well as some cosmetic options specific to each individual character. Whether you change the character’s skin or the design of the weapon/accessory they carry, players have the opportunity to put their own personalized spin on their character.
For the nostalgic gamers, the music was exactly on par with the franchise, in fact, many of the soundtracks you hear in the game are taken straight from the four major Crash Bandicoot titles. As an added benefit, you can select the theme song that plays when you achieve the Top Performer badge at the end of the game.
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- Characters are split into three distinct groups that dictate their primary objective in each match.
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- Crash Team Rumble features some boldly colored maps that fit right into Crash’s classic style.
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- There’s a number of customization options for players to use on their favorite characters.
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- Each character has their own set of abilities that give them a unique edge over their opponents.
Crash Team Rumble was reviewed for PlayStation 5.
