Crash Bandicootwas once one of the industry’s premiere platforming franchises, positioned as PlayStation’s answer to Nintendo’sSuper Mario. The Naughty Dog-developedCrash Bandicootgames earned a great deal of success, but things fell off the rails a bit when the franchise was handed over to other studios. Following a string of disappointing games,Crash Bandicootwent on an extended hiatus before finally returning in 2017 withCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Since then, theCrashfranchise has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, with a remake ofCrash Team Racing,the brand-newCrash Bandicoot 4adventure, aCrashmobile game, and nowCrash Team Rumble.
Crash Team Rumbleis a 4v4 multiplayer gamethat is kind of likeDestiny 2’s Gambit meetsCrash Bandicootplatforming. The goal is to collect Wumpa Fruit and deposit them in the bank, not unlike howDestiny 2Gambit players collect and deposit motes. The difference is that whileDestiny 2Gambit players are separate from each other except for invasions,Crash Team Rumblecompetitors battle it out in the same arena.
RELATED:Developer Is Interested In Bringing Crash Bandicoot To Theaters
This means thatCrash Team Rumbleplayers are able to sabotage one another all the time, whether that’s by directly engaging in combat or triggering traps to make their life more difficult. Matches can become incredibly chaotic, but well-coordinated teams can overcome this and regularly pull out victories.
Crash Team Rumblecharactersare separated into three categories: Scorers, Blockers, and Boosters. Scorers focus on scoring points for the team, primarily by collecting Wumpa Fruit and bringing it back to their bank. Blockers attempt to stop the other team from depositing Wumpa Fruit, with the only Blocker available in the beta being Dingodile and his handy vacuum that can rob opponents of their fruit. And finally, Boosters are a support class that are meant to focus on activating the traps around the map as well as gems that give the team bonus points for a limited time.
When a team sticks to their roles,Crash Team Rumblecan be a blast. Just like it’s thrilling inDestiny 2’s Gambit to take out an enemy player who’s hoarding 15 motes, it’s an adrenaline rush to play as Dingodile and knock out enemies inCrash Team Rumblewho are just about to deposit a full stock of Wumpa Fruit. Playing as a Scorer character like Crash Bandicoot is nerve-wracking, as players have to move as fast as possible to collect Wumpa Fruit and avoid enemy attacks. Boosters are the most challenging class to play effectively since they not only have to focus on activating the bonuses around the map, but they also need to be scoring points to keep up with the enemy team.
The problem in theCrash Team Rumblebetais that there are players who don’t really stick to the roles they pick and instead tend to do whatever they want. Because of this, it’s a lot more fun to playCrash Team Rumblein a group of four players who are regularly communicating with each other when it comes to character selection and strategizing. With the right team,Crash Team Rumblecomes together, and it becomes apparent why Toys for Bob decided to go in such an unexpected direction by making a 4v4 competitiveCrash Bandicootgame.
Gameplay-wise,Crash Team Rumbleis polished, smooth, and it can be fun enough that it becomes difficult to put down the controller. Unfortunately, there are some big clouds hanging above its head.Crash Team Rumble’s beta makes it clear that the game is a lot of fun to play, but it also raises some serious concerns about monetization and how the game’s live service elements will work post-launch.
Like most competitive multiplayer games nowadays,Crash Team Rumblefeatures aBattle Passthat players can level up to earn special rewards. Individual characters inCrash Team Rumblealso have their own rewards players can unlock. Leveling up characters inCrash Team Rumbledoesn’t take an egregious amount of time, but leveling up the Battle Pass is extremely grindy, at least with how it’s implemented in the beta.
After five games and performing very well and winning most of them, we didn’t even reach level 2 in the Battle Pass. There are challenges inCrash Team Rumblethat makes it easier to level up the Battle Pass, like inFortnite, but even completing those resulted in barely any progress. Ultimately, we were able to make it to level 2 after about 10 games. With so many other live service games demanding one’s attention,Crash Team Rumblemakes it clear that it’s going to be an extreme time sink to complete the Battle Pass, which could turn some players off the game entirely.
What makesCrash Team Rumble’s grindy Battle Pass even more concerning is that the game isn’t even free-to-play. Surprisingly,Crash Team Rumbleis releasing as a paid gamedespite being multiplayer-only. This is a rather head-scratching decision considering the nature of the game, but full judgment will have to wait until the game is out in June.
Crash Team Rumbleis a surprisingly fun twist on theCrash Bandicootuniverse, but its Battle Pass and potential monetization are major concerns. Hopefully the developers are able to take feedback from theCrash Team Rumblebeta and improve things for the final product so that it has the chance to live up to its full potential.
Crash Team Rumblelaunches June 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
