RIYADH: Crash Bandicoot fans, it’s time to get back in the kart. “Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled” (CTR) released worldwide on Friday, available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
The new CTR is a revitalized version of the 1999 classic, developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation. The original was an immediate hit with audiences despite its single-minded intensity. Held together by the barest threads of a plot, the story is hardly as entertaining as the racing itself.
The gameplay, on the other hand, is wildly addictive. Track after track of intense twists and turns, a revolving cast of characters ranging from cute to evil and hidden trophies and collectibles, it was surprisingly sophisticated for a simple racing game.
And now the game has been revitalized with incredible new graphics, better sound (a recurring point of criticism of the old game) and new features like full kart customization and character skins. The remake also introduces an online mode where players no longer have to be sharing the same console to race each other.
Gaming purists can opt for the “Classic” campaign mode, which adheres to the same rules of the original game. The new “Adventure” mode allows for more customization and introduces difficulty settings.
Those uninterested in unlockables and trophies can just dive right into the action with battle modes, time trials and local multiplayer races.
Publisher Activision has been on a roll lately with their remakes of retro PlayStation games. Back in November, Activision released their remake of the original Spyro trilogy, with all three games bundled together as “Spyro: Reignited.” The year before, they published a remake of the original much-loved Crash Bandicoot trilogy, remade as the “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.”
Both remakes have received favorable reviews from critics, with many applauding the effort to preserve these beloved classics for the older generation of gamers whilst also appealing to younger players.
Activision has also gone the extra mile and localized the game in Arabic in the MENA region, just as they have for the Spyro Reignited trilogy.
All in all, the question remains: Is the new CTR worth getting? In this reviewer’s opinion, it’s a resounding “yes.”
