The Crash Bandicoot series of games has always, for me, taken me back to my youngest years of gaming. Whether I was rushing along a number of unique platformer levels to collect crystals, racing against juiced-up versions of my favourite characters in Crash Team Racing, or trying to bump an AI-controlled enemy off of an icy rink whilst riding a polar bear in Crash Bash, there was plenty to keep me entertained.
When the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy dropped in 2017, I was taken back to a place of pure bliss. It was nostalgia overload, and so when I heard that Crash Team Racing would also be getting a remastered revival, I was beyond ecstatic. Can developers Vicarious Visions and publishers Activision go three for three and bring back Crash Bash in the future? I won't get ahead of myself just yet...
Having been sent a code to check out the new-and-improved Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled on PlayStation 4, I couldn't wait to jump into the action. When the animations began to roll, I was immediately transported back to that place of getting in from school and booting up the original PlayStation console (after homework, of course).
For newbies, the options available on the menu screen could be a little overwhelming. The tempting thing to do is to jump right into Adventure Mode, but it may be worth brushing up your skills in a couple of Arcade matches against AI before doing so.
Upon launch, there is a roster of 26 characters available, including all of the racers that were included in Crash Team Racing and its in-direct sequel, Crash Nitro Kart. To start off with however, players have only the eight base characters from the original game to choose from. The rest can be unlocked by progressing through Adventure Mode and completing specific challenges, whilst the Crash Nitro Kart additions have to purchased via the Pit Stop shop.
With such a wealth of racers to choose from, there's the hope that you can cater to your playstyle and change up who you're controlling behind the wheel as you progress, based on their racing stats. Unfortunately, they're not as varied as they may at first appear. Crash and Doctor Neo Cortex for example, have exactly the same stats, as do Polar and Pura, Doctor N. Gin and Coco, and Tiny Tiger and Dingodile. Still, with the added customisation of character skins, and unlockable cosmetics to change up your karts, there is an added incentive to always push for that win, collect up your Wumpa Coins and get challenges done.
Coming back to Crash Team Racing, I thought the game would be a lot easier to pick up than in my younger years; I'm a seasoned gamer now, after all! Turns out that the game is actually just incredibly difficult at times, with the rubber-banding effect of boss battles feeling a little unfair. You can hit them with weapons as many times as you like; they're still going to be right on your tail up until the race's final moments.
Challenging controls mean there's a real learning curve to gameplay. It was the maneuvering around tight corners that seemed to trip me up on most occasions, but once you've learned to let go of the gas, do a little jump and press the brake button, as well as the direction you want to quickly turn in, you'll be flying across courses in no time.
Adventure Mode is made up of 17 races that were all included in the original game. It's a great way to pay homage to the original, but with their being the option of playing Classic or Nitro-Fueled Adventure Mode, perhaps the races from the sequel could have been added to bring further longevity to players' adventures?
On the whole however, the campaign is incredibly satisfying. You may be able to get from start to finish as far as the story goes, within just a few hours, but there is so much more to do once you've reached that point, that you'll be pumping a heck of a lot more time into getting everything done. Some of the most challenging tasks for example, are collecting the letters C, T and R whilst racing across the maps, and still having to come in first place.
Battle Mode is as chaotic as ever before, but SO MUCH FUN. Racing is tossed aside here in favour of taking out your opponent with the range of weapons on offer. It's great if you're looking for some mindless action to take you away from the stress of having to place first to progress in Adventure Mode's trickiest races.
When it comes to racing against online opponents, I did find the connection a little patchy at times. This was usually when using a Wi-Fi connection on PS4; the console has never been the best when playing wirelessly, and even had my screen lagging and freezing completely a number of times when connected to the web in single player modes. This wouldn't be a problem usually, as you can progress through single player without the need for an internet connection, but what you cannot do without being connected to the web is collect Wumpa Coins. I'm not sure why exactly you need to be online to earn these coins, but perhaps that's something developers could look at patching in the future.
(To be crystal clear: I later connected to the web via an Ethernet cable and all of the problems disappeared, so again, this is more of a problem with PS4's lack of wireless stability than the game itself.)
The absolute standout of my time with CTR Nitro-Fueled has to be the sheer beauty brought to the screen. Colourful and creative maps are given a new lease of life thanks to the work of developers who are quite clearly incredibly passionate about giving the fans everything they've ever wanted from a CTR remaster.
Comparisons are of course going to be drawn between this game and Mario Kart, but to be frank, they're utterly different experiences. If you want more of a challenge, then CTR is the way to go. If an enemy gets a huge lead, then you'll likely be forced to redo your entire race over again. Not so is the case in Mario Kart, as a Bullet Bill power-up will hurtle you towards the front of the pack.
In conclusion, Vicarious Visions have done a stellar job bringing CTR back to fans, and we can only pray they'll be working on further Crash games in the future. Perhaps another remaster, or maybe even a new game entirely?
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. A code for the game was given to Female First on PS4 in exchange for an honest review of the title.
Get the officially-licensed CTR swag to really up your game!
The Crash Team Racing experience doesn't have to begin and end with the game, as Numskull Designs have released an incredible range of merchandise. Whether you want some swag to dress up in, a new mug to drink from, or even some furry orange dice to hang in your own motor, they've got you covered.
One of their spotlight pieces is the gorgeous Incense Burner, which doubles up as a figurine! Fitting perfectly into any games room, it can get you in the perfect frame of mind to take out your opponents on the virtual race course.
My own personal favourite however, is the Toolbox Pin Badge Set. Opening up to showcase 11 different pin badges, it's a gorgeous addition to any gaming merchandise collection, and goes perfectly with the nine pin badge set that Numskull Designs put up for sale to celebrate the remastered trilogy back in 2017.
Head to the official Numskull website to get more information on the items available, which also include car air fresheners and stunning keyrings, and place your own order!