When the engines roar, the tailpipes flare and the lights go from static red to green, it’s time to hit the ground running and be carried away by madness and competition . Crash Bandicoot, probably the most famous and mindless marsupial in the world of video games, gets behind the wheel again along with all the characters of his saga in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled , a game with a heart of nostalgia but a renewed look and gameplay 100 % .
Available from June 21, 2019 , developed by Beenox and distributed by Activision , it is a remastering of the PlayStation classic Crash Team Racing (1999) and some elements of its lesser-known PlayStation 2 sequel Crash Nitro Kart (2003) . Although the term “remastering” may be a bit short when it comes to talking about this game. It is not a simple facelift in terms of graphics to adapt it to the latest generations of consoles and the standards of the gamer community, but rather the original material has been taken and taken to a new, larger and more complex level. .
What do you keep from the original games?
Well, it has everything and nothing. Crash TRNF starts from the two installments already mentioned and reuses both the tracks and the characters and the racing mechanics with that fun element of sabotage . Legendary courses from the 1999 game such as Sewer Speedway or Papu’s Pyramid still have the same heart attack curves, traps, falls and shortcuts in their new version, so veteran players with a good memory will have a certain advantage over newbies. From Crash Nitro Kart , which had much less success and a cold reception from the public, things have also been saved that will make more than one reconsider if the original was as bad as they thought.
Random gadgets that will make us go faster or throwing objects with which to annoy our competitors are also kept. The time trial mode and the battle mode or drifting to gain momentum are still present to make Crash, Coco, Dr. Cortex or Tiny Tiger play it all or nothing to finish on the podium.
But although the base is there, the game is not the same.
Renewed or die
The development team has managed to create an experience that is familiar but is seen as something new , a very difficult balance that is noticeable among those who played the original titles. The graphic section is one of the clearest improvements, since that first generation squared 3D is abandoned for a powerful and very fluid visual quality . The cartoon style of the characters combines very well with the settings full of details and a treatment of textures and light that has little to envy to more realistic racing video games.
Another very (but very) interesting addition is customization . In addition to our racer and the type of car we will drive, both with parameters that will affect our driving experience, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled allows us to use different suits or car parts with an infinite number of possible combinations . Beyond the aesthetic preferences, the door opens for each player to find their own style and can adapt the pre-established values by the title to be the most genuine version of driver possible. It doesn’t matter if you prefer speed, skidding, or driving stability; Crash TRNF has an option for each player.
Random gadgets that will make us go faster or throwing objects with which to annoy our competitors are also kept. The time trial mode and the battle mode or drifting to gain momentum are still present to make Crash, Coco, Dr. Cortex or Tiny Tiger play it all or nothing to finish on the podium.
But although the base is there, the game is not the same.
The last detail that should be noted is the AI of the drivers handled by the console. Although these games, once mastered, are usually simple to complete and for many players they do not pose a problem, this particular case puts us face to face with voracious and skillful competition that even at its lowest level of difficulty can put us against the ropes and snatch pole.
These types of games are not a realistic and accurate simulation of a driving experience , but they are not intended to. The overflowing graphics, the optimization of its gameplay and the casual tone make it a perfect title to spend very fun afternoons and, if possible, in company ; because there is nothing like looking your opponent in the face just before launching a missile and overtaking him.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is available on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch from June 21, 2019. Let’s hope you do better than us .
