I’m still waiting on a new Crash Bandicoot platformer but it’s still not that time. Instead, I got the opportunity to review Crash Team Rumble, a new game in the Bandicoot franchise that has little to do with the original genre. Team Rumble isn’t a new platformer, it’s a 4vs4 online multiplayer game set in the colorful Crash Bandicoot universe. Is this spin-off worthy of the Crash Bandicoot label? Let’s find out!
There’s power in simplicity
Before you can start playing Crash Team Rumble, you’ll learn the rules in a short tutorial. The goal of the match is to collect the iconic Wumpa fruit as fast as possible. The first team that’s able to bank 2000 Wumpa fruits wins the match. It’s a lite approach of the MOBA genre but it works surprisingly well. In order to become good at the game, you’ll need to master the skills of the playable characters and their special abilities. Just like the bigger games in the genre, you’ll have characters that are good at defense while others are way better at attacking the opponent’s base. There’s a lot going on at once and there are lots of ways to gather Wumpa fruit. The best way to win is by dividing the tasks and going for different approaches all at once. What I appreciate most about Team Rumble is the simplicity of the gameplay. Yes, there are a couple of things you’ll need to learn, and yes, getting to know the characters and different strategies will take some time to truly master but at its core, the simplicity is what really makes it so much fun to play. During my first matches, I wasn’t sure if this game was something for me and I thought it was all a bit too simplistic but I was proven wrong the more I played. The more I played the more strategical the matches became as I understood the different characters and the importance of temporary power-ups more. If you’re new to the MOBA genre, Team Rumble feels like a perfect place to start.
Work as a team, claim your victory
Although there’s a lot going on in a match of Crash Team Rumble, it’s crucial to work as a team in order to claim victory. Dividing the tasks and always prioritizing special items or advantages is crucial but not as easy as it sounds. In order to become really good at the game, you’ll need to understand and master the different classes. At first, there aren’t that many available classes since you’ll need to unlock them, the Battle Pass can help you reach those unlockables faster but even without it, you can still enjoy the game. Where it gets hard however are the chaotic arenas you’re battling in. There’s so much going on at once, which makes it hard to stick to your strategy or to even keep the overview of the field. Graphically, the arenas are top-notch and feel right at home in the Crash Bandicoot franchise but gameplay-wise they become too chaotic too fast. Perhaps bigger arenas could have solved the problem here.
The chaos of the arenas is something you can get used to if you play the game a lot but that’s the second problem. There’s not that much to see or do and the game clearly lacks some variation to keep things fresh. It feels like this game was once part of a brainstorm for a mini-game collection and made it into a standalone spin-off instead. Sure, the lower price might justify the lack of content but for an online multiplayer game, it’s not a good look.
Conclusion:
Crash Team Rumble offers some fun multiplayer madness but lacks variation and modes. It’s fun to play in between your other games but don’t expect this to become your next online addiction.
