I grew up with Crash Bandicoot, I have played all the games in the series, the fantastic ones and the not-so-great ones. Crash Team Rumble is the latest to join the list, this time around it’s not your normal Crash game, instead, we return to the party game style like Crash Bash.
I loved playing Crash Bandicoot 4, it restored my faith in the series after a few bland games in the series. When I saw the trailer for the Crash Team Rumble, I was happy to get more Crash as it is a character and franchise, I hold dear. It was my childhood growing up with this franchise, so to still be playing it 29 years on I couldn’t wait to see what Toys for Bob brought to the series in the form of a 4v4 Online Multiplayer Rumble.
Crash Team Rumble is an online multiplayer video game and the third of the party genre in the Crash Bandicoot series. You’ll get to play as several characters new and old from the series as you are pitted against each other in a four versus four format. Teams compete against each other to capture more Wumpa Fruit than the other team. You must collect it from around the various maps and then drop it off at the drop-off zone to add it to your team’s score.
There is currently only one game mode in Crash Team Rumble which is quite annoying as the previous party genre games had an array of different modes whereas Toys for Bob has given us an online multiplayer experience that doesn’t offer local play and comes with a battle pass, never thought I’d see a Crash game with a battle pass but everyone has them nowadays.
There are three different roles Blocker, Booster, and Scorer. A Blockers objective is to prevent the other team from dropping off Fruit, Boosters are like the supporting role, as they can pick up more relics at once which are used to activate power-ups, and finally, you have the Scorer, who can pick up more Wumpa allowing your team to score quicker.
Make up your team competition with a mixture of characters from the different roles to flesh out your team. All the characters have unique skills and abilities which makes them all feel different and enjoyable to play. As mentioned above the aim is to collect Wumpa Fruit and drop them off at your team’s drop-off zone. Using your power-ups and abilities you can gain the upper hand on the other team if used correctly. There are various abilities from healing fridges to giant guardians that can be used to tip the match in your favour but the other team has their tricks to use as well.
You can collect relics that can be used to unlock power-ups on the different levels which come in the form of the different Mask, Force Fields, and other goodies. Though the one thing that stood out to me the most with Crash Team Rumble is teamwork. If you are playing with a team that doesn’t work together you stand no chance of winning, well, it makes it incredibly harder.
The best way to play is to make sure your team has a good amount of diversity when it comes to roles and characters. If you had a team full of Crash and the other team has a Dingodile, Coco, Crash, and Cortex they will probably win due to the synergy of roles and different playstyles. Crash is classed as a Scorer, so having four scorers on one team won’t be as effective as having a Scorer, two Boosters, and a Blocker.
The level design is fantastic and makes for fast-paced action. They are a nice size which means that you are always able to interact with the other team if you are going after KO’s on the enemy players or are frantically collecting Wumpa. The competitive side of me comes out so much and I feel like a kid again which I love. Even though it’s online there is a sense of balance which nowadays is hard to find.
When playing online you feel though any game you play you can win, even if you are 1000 Fruit behind if your team pulls together and utilises their abilities you can claw it back. This was one of my favourite things as it made every match competitive and nail-biting.
My favourite role and character to play was Dingodile who is a Blocker. Blockers are used to prevent the other team from scoring Wumpa Fruit and I felt that Dingo was the best at it. His tail whip and suction gun were easy to master and before long I was mastering his playstyle. I also love all the cosmetics that come with him, like the bowler hat and chainsaw gun.
These little additions are nice as they give you something to unlock and work toward. There is a battle pass too which comes with tons of goodies but I do feel like the progression for it is super slow and takes ages. I’m worried that a casual player might not be able to complete the pass in time and miss out on some brilliant nostalgia items as well as call cosmetics.
Graphically, Crash Team Rumble is beautiful and is a great follow-on from Crash Bandicoot 4. It’s nice seeing all the new characters and old side by side in this action-packed, fast-paced game. There is some major nostalgia in the battle pass with classic soundtrack packs and additional accessories that can be added to your characters. It gives a sense of individuality as you can make your character look different compared to the other online players.
There can be multiple of the same character so having the ability to customise your look is a nice addition. There is also banners and icons that you can unlock and equip to your profile, not to mention an array of different emote that you can perform to boast to other. I also like how the different power-ups and abilities look on screen, they are visually stunning and can turn the tide in a game.
Crash Team Rumble is good but I question its longevity. It currently only has one game mode that can only be played online. No local play feels like a kick in the teeth, though I can see why they have done it. The Four v Four game mode wouldn’t work locally. The roadmap for the game shows new characters and limited-time modes but I do fear for the game if it doesn’t add more to it.
There is a battle pass system but it is incredibly slow to progress through, the first season was free and I can’t see myself paying for it after this one as I don’t think I will be able to get through it at its current rate.
Conclusion for Crash Team Rumble
More Crash Bandicoot is welcomed, I would have preferred another installment in the main series but Crash Team Rumble does a good enough job at filling the void for now. The Four Verses Four gameplay is good and oddly works, there is a level of skill and strategy needed with the different character classes and the way that a game can completely turn around makes every game a nail bitter.
The race to collect 2,000 Wumpa Fruit is additive but can get repetitive after a few matches. The current character selection does a good enough job at shaking things up as each character plays differently and has a unique playstyle but I can’t help but want more. The road map shows new characters are on the way and at the point of writing this review we got Ripper Roo added but if you didn’t manage to complete the challenges to get him then I’m not sure if you ever will be able to get the loveably blue kangaroo.
There are more limited-time game modes as well on the road map but nothing permanent. The longevity of the game could be put to question if they start charging for the battle pass and not giving consent updates, in terms of new powers, characters, and modes. The map designs are excellent and Toys for Bob’s take on a party genre game for Crash is one that surprisingly has me hooked for hours even with just the one game mode.
The addition of customisation to your character, banner, and icon gives you something else to work towards. Overall, I do enjoy my time playing Crash Team Rumble and for those reasons, I’m giving it a solid 7 out of 10.
Crash Team Rumble Trailer
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