Sometimes when you take a popular series and turn it into something wholly other, it works out. Look at Paper Mario. Nintendo took a platforming character and turned his antics into a turn-based RPG. That was a good shift and one that was thought through thoroughly. Or what about when Microsoft took the Halo series and turned it into an RTS? All decent enough decisions to freshen up a series and keep it from getting stale.
Well, Activision and Toys For Bob have done the same with Crash Team Rumble. They have taken the concept of the Crash Bandicoot series and compressed it, made it a multi-player rumble experience, and thrown in all the antics and silliness that made that Bandicoot a whacky/zany character.
And it’s such a GaaS, GaaS, GaaS.
Sit back, grab some Wumpa fruit, and let’s talk about this.
Addictive gameplay
As multiplayer experiences go, this is a helluva lot of fun. Crash Team Rumble relies on maps, teamwork, strategy, and plenty of gimmicks to make it a worthwhile experience. In the beta version of this game, I wasn’t entirely sure there were enough of those categories to make it worth the $29.99. When you drop that money on a multiplayer-only game, you’re taking a chance. No one wants to experience another Titanfall (the first one, not the amazing second one that people still need to adopt and love) or Destiny 2, where the gameplay is great, but the content is scarce. At least Epic Games understood they couldn’t guarantee a massive amount of content out of the gate with Fortnite, so they made it free with seasonal options along the way. In all the hate I might internally give Fortnite, that is a game that did it right when it came to implementing a Games as a Service (GaaS) model. They sold the printer for cheap or free and concentrated on the ink cartridges. It’s a good move and it pays off in the long run.
Anyway, we’ll return to this conversation shortly. Let’s get back on track with gameplay.
Meet Your Crew
You can choose from Crash and his crew, and several other playable characters in this vanilla version, who are broken up into scorers, blockers, and boosters. This is a competitive game, so everyone has to have a certain role. It makes sense, but only when properly balanced with strategy methods and giving the players the best ways to win. Let’s break down the roles:
- The scorers are those who are picking up Wumpa fruit and breaking boxes to deposit on their side of the map. The scorers are quick, dangerous, and probably the most versatile of the crew. Yes, Crash is a scorer. In a rugby match, they are the quick-legged masterminds that live to collect and deposit. They are also the ones that must be protected the most.
- The boosters’ job in the game is to pick up relics, which are blue crucifixes laying around, and deposit them on special pads featuring gimmicky attributes. For example, a set of 10 relics could unlock a beach ball on the island map, which allows players to roll over and knock back the competition. That could mean disrupting someone’s depositing or it could mean punting them off the map. Once activated, the pads can be used by teammates or they could set off large events that attack enemies, such was the case with a large dust storm on the desert map that can do quite a bit of damage to enemies. The boosters compliment their teammates and aren’t meant for gathering and depositing. You can do that, but it may disrupt the strategic flow of the match.
- The blockers are just that – blockers. They are big brutes that are meant to impede the progress of the enemies. From what I saw in my review session, the blockers usually gathered around their opponent’s Wumpa deposit pad and do their best to prevent fruit distribution. This is a move that is known as a ‘dick move’ because it’s basically camping. But, like, purposeful camping. Anyway, still a ‘dick move’ but that’s what a blocker is supposed to be doing, making life difficult for the opponent. They are clunky to maneuver, but also brutal when played right.
The joy of this collection of competitive characters with certain roles is that there Is an entire family of Crash Bandicoot characters to make the gameplay interesting and engaging, even though the number of characters is only there for personality rather than breaking up their roles in the game. You get characters like Coco, Crash, Dingodile, Cortex, Tawna, and a large series of unlockables. The initial variety of characters is nice, but I can’t imagine it will take long to unlock everyone as you quickly succeed in the game.
Leveling and unlocking
In traditional MP and GaaS titles, you must keep playing the game to unlock all the goodies and characters. And that’s the real motivation to keep playing this game, outside of the fun gameplay (and it is fun). As you win and get better, and eventually figure out the type of strategy you need to execute as you progress, you start unlocking everything.
There is a max level with each character when it comes to leveling them up. There are multiple leveling options and additional side quests you can complete unlocking other items of interest and expanding the game to a certain point. From what I could tell during the review session with this game, you can probably reach max level pretty quickly. That said, there are other leveling options in the game, but they all depend on the same type of gameplay achievements (side quests, match accomplishments, etc.).
The leveling XP gathering in this game is divided up into subcategories at the end of each round. Those subcategories give you additional XP points, and you can gain more XP by completing side quests as they pop up. For example, if you have gathered the most Wumpa in a single round, you’re given a reward on the team, which translates to more XP. If you take out the most people, you get points for that. There are a lot of subcategories for scoring available in the game that gives you a proper amount of motivation to keep playing it. It’s honestly not a bad route to go and it is a major reason why people still enjoy games like Destiny 2 or Fortnite. You want to conquer and be rewarded with new items, especially as the seasons roll on. You also want to be the best in a round of gameplay, which also translates to additional XP.
As for those unlockables, you do get characters, which we have discussed, and you also acquire droppable items to help you conquer your opponents. Or at the very least use obstacles to impede enemy progress. These items can range from a nasty little Venus flytrap plant that spits projectiles at nearby enemies (wonderful to drop near bases) or a fridge that heals you and your teammates within a given radius. The most devastating items are the falling junk power and a large electric pole-wielding creature that you can drop at the right time on your enemy’s Wumpa deposit pad. The items and the characters make you want to keep playing and they do a good job of making you forget that you’re playing a finite number of maps. All said it’s a wonderful layer of strategy to the game that can provide a wonderful advantage during a match. At the very least, it’s humorous.
Finite Gameplay
During our review period, I may have played on four maps. The maps themselves are a big part of the gameplay, as they offer a multi-tier build with specific strategies attached to them to help produce the potential for a large amount of success. For example, there is a Tiki map that has a large Tiki statue in the middle that can only be accessed by activating a pad on the ground that will slingshot you to the top to collect a fair number of relics. Getting to that top gives you access to those relics, and it allows you to see the whole island and where enemy positions might be. Plus, you can attack from above and ruin someone’s day. Collecting relics to use on an item pad to get more relics is a brilliant strategy if you want to rain on your opponent’s parade. Each map contains this little path of strategic success and allows you to add that into a winning competitive plan.
Now, eventually, those maps do start repeating and you will feel like you’re playing the same game over and over again, even though the attributes and strategic movements might do their best to distract. And you can take this comment two ways:
- You realize that the $29.99 gameplay that runs on season passes is finite in its content and maps, and at some given point you’re going to hit a wall. You can either play for the love of the game or be frustrated with this fact.
- You’re a gamer that enjoys competition and you don’t care about repetition. It’s how Destiny 2 has survived all these years. You can accept this and enjoy the game.
As a reviewer, I’m at a crossroads with those two statements. Going back to my Titanfall (the first one, not the brilliant second one that deserves your love) comment from earlier, when you make an MP game that is season pass-driven, you’re bound to run into a wall where the content can go no further. I’m not sure that is a good thing, as it wasn’t with Titanfall, where your players will be waiting for new content more than they will be playing it. It seems, at least from what I have reviewed so far, that the wall is going to be hit hard and quickly with leveling in this game. That’s the nature of the GaaS model, though, and what the developers do to counter that is only hinted at through their announced roadmap. Right now, the initial launch looks to have eight characters, four maps, and a good number of items as power-ups. The launch of season one starts tomorrow and guarantees another map, two more characters, and a new power-up. Season one runs until September 11th and then new material comes out for season two.
The good news is that we shouldn’t have to wait long for seasons, which look like they’re running on a Fortnite-type of timeline. The bad news is that the maps and characters are incredibly finite, and you’ll probably hit that wall before September 11th. Of course, if you’re willing to ignore the limitations and just enjoy the hell out of bashing other teams repeatedly, then you’re going to be in heaven. It all depends on which of the two roads you have chosen from above. That is a personal gamer choice. I don’t mind playing the same stuff over and over again. It works for a personality like mine.
Balanced Gameplay
Despite the game’s possible content limitations, Crash Team Rumble is so much fun to play. It’s a 4v4 structure that has a wonderful balance of maps, items, powerups, strategy, and character execution. The devs at Toys For Bob really understood and executed the competitive gameplay structure very well with Crash Team Rumble. While you probably won’t find this in an Esports arena anytime soon, I can see how communicating with teammates and knowing your role is vital for success in this game. It plays a bit looser with roles than most competitive games, as it really wants you to have fun first, which is a huge positive and a tip of the hat to the source material.
Anyway, jumping around maps, collecting and depositing Wumpa, all while trying to disrupt your enemy’s progression feels good and comfortable. Nothing feels out of reach or unbalanced, especially the different character roles and how to handle them properly. For example, knowing that an enemy is nearing their max level of Wumpa deposit (2000) to win a match means that your team can send massive blockers over to their pad to slow them down. By doing that simple shift in strategy, it causes disruption with enemy boosters and scorers, which turns the attention over to knocking out your blockers. This allows your team to catch up and even out the scoring discrepancy.
The game doesn’t need much to shift teams toward success. It’s a teeter-totter of sorts, where each team has its chance to shine during gameplay and unseat the other, no matter how far ahead the competition might be. It certainly makes you feel good as a gamer to know that the other team isn’t wiping the floor with your team. Of course, this isn’t NBA Jam, where it’s a given that you’re going to come back and be competitive, but there are pockets of chances built into the competitive groundwork here that doesn’t destroy a gamer’s confidence that there is ‘still time’ to catch up. That will build gamer confidence and keep people playing. That’s also a fantastic gameplay design.
Ultimately, the gameplay in Crash Team Rumble features good balance, and by doing so creates a more intense competitive environment that works well for a GaaS game. Anytime you can feel good playing a competitive game and not walk away from it thinking you’re the worst teammate in the world is a good time. Crash Team Rumble was built with that sentiment in mind.
GaaS soapbox
Love it or hate it, the Games as a Service is here to stay in the industry. There is way too much money being made from it. Instead of poo-pooing on a GaaS system, we should support it as gamers, but also be demanding in how it works. We all have standards we live by and companies that sell GaaS games to the public should as well.
Crash Team Rumble is built with a GaaS core structure in mind, as you can purchase skins, tiers, and multiple seasons right out of the gate. Does any of it really help create an advantage over your opponent? Lord, no. I think the industry learned its lesson in that category, at least most of the industry. But it personalizes the experience, which connects with the gamer, something that Crash Team Rumble does remarkably well.
Overall viewpoint from 50 feet in the air aside, I’m not a huge fan of the double-dip of GaaS games. I think that if you make a GaaS game, then it should be released for free. A publisher will make its money back through season passes, items in the game, and small bits here and there. If the industry is deadest on going in this direction, then games under this category should be no-cost right out of the gate. And this isn’t just a poor writer telling you this, rather it’s a logic-backed suggestion that is good for the industry.
Releasing a GaaS game for free forces a publisher to believe in the product it is supporting. It all but guarantees support for said GaaS game, as the publisher exists to make money to make more games. If a publisher doesn’t believe in a title and its longevity, well, that’s never a good thing. We certainly don’t want another MultiVersus incident happening, where a good game ran out of steam quickly, wasn’t well received by the public, and the public got screwed in the long run. By taking a financial hit at the beginning, releasing a good game to the public for free, and counting on making it better as time rolls on with in-game purchases and season passes, well that says all it needs to say. That means the publisher wants to get a good game to the public at no charge and is on the hook for sticking with it for years in order to make back the money they invested (and more than likely a bunch of money if the game is good). If you need an example of this type of plan working within the Activision Blizzard family, look no further than Candy Crush. It’s a game that is free, updates all the time, and sells chances to continue gameplay. That game makes sooooooooo much money, and people love it. I’m sure their publisher enjoys the constant flow of cash. And that game succeeds because there is quite a bit of support for it on the publisher’s side.
I know this opinion may not sit well with all sides of the GaaS coin, but it’s the best structure for success and everyone wins in the end. Publishers are happy because eventually, they make a shit ton of money off a good investment. Gamers are happy because they’re getting a good game that is continually getting better and provides them with choices to purchase items within the game.
As all this relates to Crash Team Rumble, I can see the value in the $29.99 asking price. You get skins and the first season, which is about the price you would pay for all the items added up in the initial package. At least they aren’t pricing this at $49.99 – 69.99. This paragraph would have been considerably different if that was the case. As it stands, it’s a decent price for a solid game. In the end, I do wish all GaaS would be free. It just makes more sense and it provides some solid confidence to the consumer that the publisher is very much invested in their financially supported product.
Rambling aside on GaaS structure, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
Crash Team Rumble from Toys For Bob is quite fun. It features a balanced system of gameplay, some fun characters with unique gameplay styles, and a nice set of maps that complement strategy and quick gameplay. The leveling system may work its way to max quickly, but it doesn’t detour how much entertainment you’re going to get from this title. The biggest concern with this game is longevity and variety. It’s nice that Toys For Bob laid out a roadmap to tame some of this worry, something most companies don’t do well nowadays, but only the future seasons will tell the dedication to the title.
