(Jam) rally madness – review of the game “Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled”

After the huge success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy two years ago, the return of the racing game with jamray in the lead role was much awaited by fans. In December 2018, manufacturers finally confirmed work on the revamped version of Crash Team Racing . As with the platformer, the CTR is a remake completely recreated from scratch, in addition, it combines the content of the original with elements of Crash Nitro Kart  and Crash Tag Team Racing , which is even more admirable.

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We can choose from twenty-six playable characters, of which eight are available from the beginning (nine, if we use the code to unlock Penta Penguin *). They differ in stats: speed, maneuverability and acceleration. In addition, we have the option of choosing skins for the driver (including a cute, angular retro version) and modifying the appearance of the vehicle. Customizing the vehicle is a nice addition, although it’s not very extensive. We have at our disposal various body and tire models, an option to change the color scheme, as well as stickers to be placed on the hood. Far back from my ideal Lego Racers in this respect .

The tracks are varied, expressive and extremely colorful. During the game, we drive, among other things, through icy winter scenery, through underwater tunnels, among ancient buildings and inside steampunk factories. We have over thirty routes to cover in total. All this in an exaggerated, cartoon-like aesthetic, well known to fans of the series. As with N. Sane Trilogy , models and textures have been redesigned. Elements of the environment were also added, which, due to the hardware limitations of the first PlayStation, could not be included in the original. Despite only thirty frames per second, the animation is very fluid and dynamic. Thanks to all this, the new version of the CTR really pleases the eye.

Of course, this type of game could not lack various weapons and power-ups. Crash and co have at their disposal various types of missiles, explosives and potions, a boost, a time-disrupting device for enemies, and magic masks that provide temporary invulnerability and acceleration. In addition, so that it is not boring, the routes are dotted with fields that increase our speed, obstacles and boxes with fruit that enhance the effects of the equipment.

Crash Team Racing remake  does not have a Polish language version, which is a bit surprising these days. The game menu, however, is so transparent and the dialogues are so simple that the lack of localization should not be a problem for anyone.

Once upon a time in a remote part of Australia …

There is no need to pretend that the plot of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled it is not pretext. After all, we’re talking about a game where anthropomorphic pets, aliens, and an overweight chieftain go kart racing over obstacles, shooting at each other and setting traps for themselves. Nevertheless, there is some history behind it. It can be summarized in one sentence: the alien Nitros Oxide arrives to turn the Earth into a gigantic parking lot if no one beats it on the racetrack. Our task is to win more rallies to finally face the alien. Of course, there are some nuances and additional motivations of individual characters (for example, the leading antagonist of Crash, Dr. Neo Cortex, wants to win, because concreting the planet would thwart his plans to gain power over the world). However, it is really only about crazy, colorful fun.

In the story mode ( Adventure ), our task is to get the keys, thanks to which we will be able to compete with Nitros. For this we have to win several rallies. We can play in two modes, classic (we have to go through the entire game with one character) or easier Nitro-Fueled (we can set the difficulty level, change the hero and go-kart between rallies, and we also unlock the ability to play bosses more easily).

Individual worlds are connected with each other into one hub, on which we move in our vehicle, choosing where we want to race. Thanks to this, if we are not doing well, we can try our hand at a different track. However, we do not have complete freedom, because access to some boards requires having a sufficient number of wins on your account. This solution makes the game non-linear, and at the same time guarantees that we will not be struggling with levels with too high difficulty level. The downside of this mechanism is the inability to quickly change the board. This is especially troublesome when we want to race on a track from another world. Although the idea of ​​the menu in the form of the island on which we are driving is nice and very aesthetically realized, in the long run it causes unnecessary waste of time and a bit frustrating.Crash Team Racing , because the studio took care to implement the autosave function in the new version.

Master of the steering wheel

If we get tired of regular races, we can try our hand at more complex single-player modes. The name of the Time Trial  speaks for itself – our task is to break the set record. Relic Race,  on the other hand, is about passing the track in a certain time, which is helped by breaking the boxes that stop the stopwatch. To complete the Crystal Challenge, you need to collect twenty crystals hidden on the map before the time limit runs out. In the CTR Challenge,  we have to win the race, and additionally collect the three letters hidden on the route. If we manage to win the appropriate number of rallies in this mode, we will be able to take part in Gem Cup tournaments consisting of several boards .

You have to admit that there is a lot to choose from, the more that the difficulty level is not the lowest and you can feel the spirit of old games in it, which required hours of improving your skills. As a person who plays sporadically, but has some experience, I chose the Medium option , but in the second world I had a problem with defeating the boss. The challenges seemed absolutely beyond my reach. 

More briskly in the group

The greatest fun, however, is the possibility of playing with several people. In Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled,  we have a choice of three game modes that allow you to face not only artificial intelligence, but also friends. The unfortunate fact is that they are not highlighted or labeled as multiplayer in any way, so you just have to know which ones are.

A maximum of four people can compete on one console. By the way, I have to mention a rather strange designer’s decision to split the screen when there are three participants. In this case, a quarter of its surface is empty. It could be reasonably managed, for example by placing a map on it, but it was left unused.

The basic variant available for many players is Single Race , which is the most ordinary single rally. We have some settings at our disposal (route, number of laps, difficulty level, direction of travel). In turn, the Cup Race  is a tournament consisting of four boards, in which we score points depending on the position taken. Unfortunately, there are always eight vehicles in rallies, so it is not possible to race without AI.

A very nice diversion is Battle , which resembles a go-kart variation on paintball or a laser tag. It contains several “sub-modes” with slightly different rules. We can shoot at each other, fight for the flag or collect crystals, in teams or individually. There are many possibilities. In addition, in this mode, the creators allow us to play without the participation of virtual players, which is beneficial for beginner players.

Online

If we do not have a soul mate at hand who wants to play with us, we can try our hand at racing or battle via the network. In online mode, we can choose a private game with friends or let the system choose our opponents. While there were some bugs in online play right after launch, they reportedly fixed these bugs with the last game update.

The Internet also gives us the opportunity to take part in the Grand Prix . These are a cyclically changing series of challenges, thanks to which the participants of the game can win additional content for the game: skins, go-karts and even characters. I must admit that the developers do not let the players get bored.

A bit of mechanics

The control system is intuitive and does not raise any objections. The system of controlled skids ( Power slide ) works very well , which allows you to increase the speed at the exit of the turn. The creators also thought about people who find it difficult to use the thumb both to accelerate and fire weapons, and made it possible to change the settings of the pad to an alternative one. Oddly, they didn’t add the option to customize the button layout.

A pit stop is also a good idea, which is a store with accessories. Let me reassure you immediately, there are no micropayments here! We can make purchases for points earned in the game (although the update is said to have an option to buy virtual currency for real money). A very nice solution is to award a consolation prize even for taking the last place. Thanks to this, we are more motivated to finish the race and we do not feel that we are wasting time when we have no chance to make up for the losses before the finish line. The virtual store offers characters, skins and go-kart elements. However, the decision to change the assortment every day raises mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s good that we are not forced to buy something that we don’t like, just for another item to appear (this does not apply to characters). On the other hand – sometimes we do not have enough points and the skin that caught our eye disappears for unknown how long, and in its place there is something that we are completely uninterested in. I think that such artificial maintenance of interest in the game is unnecessary and it would be better to share all the contentPit stop  right away.

Perfect remake?

Until recently, owners of Nintendo Switch able to enjoy the advantage in the form of Mario Kart and , who had no other competition in the latest generation of consoles. This is the past.

Beenox studio didn’t lie, adding the Nitro-Fueled ending to the title . CTR is a  truly explosive game filled to the brim with a variety of content. The multitude of routes, modes and characters as well as fantastic graphics make an electrifying impression. Most of all, if not for a few small interface elements, the production could be considered a completely new project, not a refreshed version of the title from the first PlayStation. This is not only a great remake. It’s just a great game.

* To unlock Penta Penguin, hold L1 and R1 in the main menu and press: down, right, triangle, down, left, triangle, up.