Ultimate Racing Mayhem: A Definitive Crash Team Rumble Review

The popular Crash Bandicoot series has ventured into multiplayer territory with varying success. From kart racing to cooperative modes, Crash Bandicoot has seen several attempts at multiplayer gameplay. The latest addition to the franchise is Crash Team Rumble, an online-only competitive platformer that brings together the beloved characters from Crash Bandicoot. Developed by Toys for Bob, the same studio behind the highly acclaimed Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Crash Team Rumble focuses on a team-based competition where players aim to gather as much Wumpa Fruit as they can.

Crash Team Rumble showcases an array of iconic characters from the main platforming series. In addition to Crash Bandicoot himself, players have the opportunity to embody Tawna, Dingodile, Coco, Dr. Neo Cortex, and many more. These characters are divided into three categories: Scorers, Blockers, and Boosters, although players retain the freedom to select their preferred approach during each match.

Scorers are responsible for acquiring Wumpa Fruit scattered throughout the map and delivering it to their base for points. Blockers, on the other hand, excel at defending the opposing team's goal to prevent them from scoring. Boosters have the task of gathering relics found across the map and placing them in strategic locations to support their teammates with power-ups. Although each character falls into one of these categories, they possess distinctive abilities that make them unique. For instance, Dingodile can use a vacuum to extract Wumpa Fruit from enemies, while Dr. N. Brio can transform into a formidable Hulk-like creature by consuming potions, enabling him to effortlessly repel opponents. With abilities that align with their roles, Dingodile and N. Brio excel as Blockers, while Scorers like Crash and Tawna prioritize mobility in order to swiftly collect and deposit Wumpa Fruit.

The Crash Team Rumble characters have a diverse range of maps inspired by the core Crash Bandicoot games, allowing them to test their abilities in various environments. These maps not only differ visually, but also offer unique power-ups that players can unlock by depositing relics. As a result, each Crash Team Rumble match maintains the same goal and general gameplay, yet the variety of maps and characters ensures that the experience never becomes monotonous or dull.

Crash Team Rumble offers an incredibly enjoyable core gameplay experience, showcasing Toys for Bob's exceptional talent for creating fantastic games in the platforming genre. Despite its focus on online multiplayer, the game maintains the beloved Crash Bandicoot-style platforming and item mechanics flawlessly. Surprisingly, it's even more thrilling than anticipated, easily captivating players for countless hours of gameplay.

Resisting the urge to continue playing Crash Team Rumble is a challenge, especially until players have unlocked all the characters and abilities. The allure of unlocking characters like Catbat serves as the perfect incentive for players to keep queuing up for match after match. Fortunately, it doesn't take excessively long to unlock everything. Once unlocked, progression revolves entirely around the battle pass and character levels.

The Crash Team Rumble battle pass is not up to par. Regrettably, progressing through the Crash Team Rumble battle pass is tediously slow, necessitating countless matches for players to advance even a single level, regardless of their performance. In light of the abundance of other, more established live service games in the market with their own battle passes to conquer, Crash Team Rumble's battle pass unduly demands an excessive amount of time.

The slow leveling battle pass in Crash Team Rumble may be an effort to maintain long-term engagement among players. However, it remains uncertain if the game will receive frequent updates to compete with existing live service games and popular new releases. Additionally, the game's distribution model limits its potential for developing a dedicated player community, as it is currently only available through a paywall. With its premium price tag of $29.99, Crash Team Rumble faces significant challenges in attracting enough players to thrive in the highly competitive live service market. Despite its enjoyable gameplay, it will struggle to compete with popular titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Diablo 4, and other online multiplayer games.

Recommending Crash Team Rumble is more challenging due to its uncertain longevity. Purchasing the game for $29.99 offers no guarantee that it will remain active even after three months. The current market is saturated with competition, making multiplayer adaptations of beloved single-player franchises a tough sell. The initial release of the game includes just nine maps and eight characters, which some may consider insufficient content for the given price.

However, those who give Crash Team Rumble a chance will discover a delightful and fast-paced platforming experience that rewards coordinated teamwork and also provides entertainment with random players. Toys for Bob has effectively showcased that the Crash Bandicoot-style of platforming suits the online multiplayer domain. Nonetheless, concerns about the game's lasting appeal are valid.

For anyone intrigued by Crash Team Rumble, now is the opportune moment to join while the community remains active. However, those hesitant to invest $30 in a game that may lose popularity within a few months may find it wiser to wait and observe if Crash Team Rumble receives a free-to-play re-release in the future.

Crash Team Rumble brings together Crash, Cortex, Coco, and several other beloved characters from the Crash Bandicoot series in an exhilarating online 4v4 multiplayer game. With the ultimate goal of gathering the highest amount of Wumpa Fruit, players can utilize unique special abilities to gain an edge in this zany strategy platformer.

Crash Team Rumble is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.