Crash Team Rumble: PS5 Review

Developed by Toys for Bob
Published by Activision
Platform: PS5

Crash Team Rumble's simple MOBA attitude means the game is perhaps one of the slightest Crash Bandicoot franchise entrants there's been - but yet it remains playable enough fare if you've got an affinity for the Bandicoot and can look past the apparent long-term potential issues.

With no narrative whatsoever in this game, it's a relatively simple concept - help your team get the most Wumpa fruit into a central repository ahead of your opposition to win the game. Teams are made up of scorers, blockers, boosters and there are power ups to both help and hinder you achieve your goal.

It's not exactly rocket science, but it does require some creativity and some necessity to work together within a team dynamic to achieve the goals. If your team is full of slower blockers, you'll get beaten by the speed of the scorers.

Pulling from the wealth of Crash Bandicoot's character history makes for a nice touch and it's good to see the likes of Cortex and Dingodile back in proceedings.

But what Crash Team Rumble does lack is a bit of character itself - there's not much personality in the game because it simply becomes an absolute runaround to win the game. Spins, jumps etc all feature as moves, but this feels like it echoes what Crash Bandicoot is, rather than enhancing it.

That's no bad thing - but it's worth noting if you're expecting another Crash-heavy outing.

The game's online multiplayer also needs somewhat of a balance too, given that opposing teams with higher XP can simply wipe out opposing members with ease if they have lower XP and less skill. Equally, opposition can game the bases, preventing you from depositing winnings and wiping you out - it's not exactly fair play, and it does lead to some frustrations.

While the maps included are nicely drawn out and executed, there are few of them included, and while developers have said more is on the way, there will be some who feel this MOBA is a once over lightly kind of affair that takes the spirit of Crash, but perhaps not the soul.

Crash Team Rumble, at its heart, is disposable but fun gaming - it's to be hoped long term roadmaps will help it grow - because there's a solid base here that offers plenty of foundation to build great things ahead.