What parents need to know
Crash Team Rumble is an online competitive multiplayer game featuring two teams of 4 characters who compete to collect 2000 wumpa fruits before the other team. Everything takes place in the universe of Crash Bandicoot.
The two teams compete in the same map and players are divided into 3 classes: scorer, booster and blocker. For those who are already familiar with MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games, these classes are a bit of the equivalent of offence, support and defence, respectively.
The main objective of the scorer is to collect as many apples as possible and drop them in the goal, while the main objective of the booster is to accumulate traps, bonuses and penalties in order to allow his team to use them quickly when needed. The blocker, on the other hand, has the main objective of attacking opposing players and preventing them from depositing their apples in their goal. Characters get extra points when performing actions that align with their class objective, so it’s beneficial to respect each character’s strengths and weaknesses and not use a blocker to perform booster tasks, for example.
Characters can run, can hit each other, throw bonuses and penalties at each other, set traps. It is up to each team to build a balanced team with different classes of players before each game. So you may need to switch characters between games in order to match the needs of your team.
The characters unlocked at the beginning of the game are Crash (scorer), Coco (booster) and Dingodile (blocker). Other characters can be unlocked by playing.
Details
Level of experience required
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There’s a bit of cartoon violence, but there’s no blood or weapons, just like in the early Crash Bandicoot games.
There is no reading to do outside of the tutorial, and the tutorial is very clear and well illustrated. You can get away with a very low reading level.
It is necessary to know how to handle the 3D camera and move quickly in order to attack or dodge attacks.
Local game modes
There is a practice mode, which allows you to play games against bots. However, a PS+ subscription or other subscription that allows you to play online depending on your console is required to access the game. A story mode is planned for later in the year.
Online Game Modes
Playstation players can play with Xbox players. For now, the only game mode available outside of the Battle Pass is the classic 4v4 match, where each team must gather 2000 wumpa fruits in their goal to achieve victory. Other game modes are expected throughout the year, which will present different challenges.
Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)
None yet.
Our opinion
I really like the universe of Crash Bandicoot, but you have to be very careful with this title and its monetization that already seems aggressive.
There are already several editions of the game: “Standard”, “Deluxe”, there is already a
Battle Pass
and we have already seen monetization added after the release
of a Crash Bandicoot game
by the same publisher. However, at $30 for the Standard Edition and $40 for the Deluxe Edition, prices remain affordable compared to the price of new games in general.
The game is inevitably reminiscent of other similar MOBA games, like Pokémon Unite, Team Fortress, and League of Legends, but on a small scale with far fewer characters. The game is simplified and seems more suitable for a young audience. Crash Bandicoot fans will recognize the colorful style, music and sound effects they know from previous games, which is a highlight that brings a touch of nostalgia.
The characters are balanced and have different characteristics depending on their class. For example, blocker characters are generally slower, but more robust, while boosters are faster and scorers are a good mix of speed and constitution. Personally, I enjoyed playing with Dingodile (blocker), who is slow, but bigger, and has a vacuum cleaner allowing him to collect wumpa fruits directly from players’ pockets. It is also possible to customize characters and unlock cosmetic items while playing, allowing you to customize animations, looks and even the shadow cast by the characters on the floor.
The Battle Pass is free until the end of Season 1, so it’s a good time to try out the game and see if you enjoy it before investing in the next Battle Passes. This is a fun game if you like MOBAs and are motivated by earning levels, experience, items, and characters, and if repetitive games don’t bore you easily. Players who prefer games with a story mode, clean progression and varied objectives are not currently served by the current game modes. For now, the game lacks a bit of substance and variety and the wait between games can be quite long since there are few players online. Attacks, bonuses and penalties also seem to have often random effects, which gives the impression that the outcome of a game is more about luck than skill and can quickly be frustrating.
In recent years, many online multiplayer games have been discontinued by their publishers. Leaving players who had bought the games and made purchases inside them unable to play. Players did not get a refund in the vast majority of cases. That’s why we recommend being careful. If you want to take advantage of the free Battle Pass, now is a good time to buy the game and test it for yourself, but if you are considering buying the game for your children, I suggest you wait a few months to see how the planned updates turn out and get a better idea of what the game is supposed to be.
