TheCrash Bandicootseries has been through a slew of different developers, publishers, and genres, with the latest installment turning out to be a multiplayer online battle arena calledCrash Team Rumbleset to release sometime this year. The newest entry in the long-runningCrash Bandicootfranchise was officially announced during The Game Awards 2022, with an unsurprisingly high-energy trailer showing off some of the gameplay and a handful of the playable characters. Since then, not much else has been revealed about the upcoming title, and fans have been left to wonder howCrash Team Rumblewill fit in with previous party games likeCrash Team Racing.
WhileCrash Team RacingandCrash Team Rumbledon’t appear to have too much in common on the surface – one is a kart racing title from the late 90s, and the other is a new MOBA – there are still some parallels between the two. The character ofCrash Bandicoot has been through multiple iterationsand featured in many different games, but there are lessons developer Toys for Bob could learn from some of the older franchise titles likeCrash Team Racingwhen it comes to capturing the magic of the series.
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Crash Team Rumble Gearing Up For Launch
When it comes to Crash, players will probably mostly associate the spinning humanoid marsupial with the platformer genre. It’s one of the video game industry’s longest running series that’s still active today, and probably one of the most well-known platformers as well. So theCrash Bandicootseries comes with a sizable legacy, but that doesn’t mean developers are afraid to introduce new elements and new styles of gameplay. AfterreleasingCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timein 2020, Toys For Bob looked at taking the series in a new direction with its next installment and announced the upcoming MOBACrash Team Rumble.
Given that it was only announced at the end of last year, not much has been revealed aboutCrash Team Rumblejust yet, but with a 2023 release window, fans shouldn’t have too long to wait before more information is available. The team-based four-versus-four game will be an online title that pits franchise characters against each other as they compete to gather more Wumpa Fruit than the opposing team. A handful of characters have also already been confirmed forCrash Team Rumble, includingCoco, Dr. Cortex, and of course Crash himself.
Inspiration From Crash Team Racing
Crash Team Rumblemay be trying to do its own thing, but it still falls under theCrash Teambanner. It will be thethird party genre game in theCrash Bandicootseries, so some comparisons will be inevitable. However, even if the gameplay will be different, there are a few thingsCrash Team Rumblewould do well to emulate from its predecessors.Crash Team Racingwas undoubtedly inspired by Nintendo’sMario Kart, but while it could be seen as a knockoff by some, it still brought enough original ideas to the table and was a really fun and slickly designed game. The animations were funny, the mechanics were straightforward, and each character felt distinct – somethingCrash Team Rumbleshould bear in mind when setting itself apart from other MOBAs on the market.
Crash Team Rumbleneeds to make sure it’s separating its own playable characters with unique abilities and animations, instead of presenting players with interchangeable avatars. Starting off with a handful of core characters and then letting gamers unlock more as they progress through in a similar way toCrash Team Racingwould also ensure there’s variety, but that gamers also have to earn it.Crash Team Racingalso received some solid post-launch support, with additional maps and skins coming to the game on a regular basis - something thatCrash Team Rumbleshould strive to replicate. Maintaining the zany, cartoonish design and energetic atmosphere of the franchiseinCrash Team Rumblewill be key, even if it’s within the unchartered confines of aCrash Bandicoot-based MOBA.
Crash Team Rumbleis set to release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
