Never really was a big Crash Bandicoot fan back in the PS1 days, nor was I a fan of its take on the mascot racer. Just like Activision's other lineup of remakes, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is great to play and look at. This is not only a remake of the original Crash Team Racing, but one that adds content from later games in the series like Nitro Kart and Tag Team Racing.
It's obvious that CTR was meant to be a Mario Kart competitor. While its lineup of characters isn't as noteworthy as Nintendo's, CTR is superior in its actual racing department. I was quite surprised at the small differences, such as the focus on drifts/boosts and the boss races featuring unique obstacles. It was a great time, despite it being quite short and challenging.
The only thing I absolutely need to dock this rating for is Activision's use of microtransactions this time around. This feature became apparent to me when I started earning coins after accomplishing tasks and challenges, at which point I discovered a majority of the unlockable racers to be LOCKED behind these coins. By the time I finished the main story mode, I just barely had enough to redeem for one character from the absolutely absurd gacha system. This practice isn't new from Activision, but it's a surprise after seeing the Crash and Spyro trilogy remakes not have any system like it at all. (THPS 1+2 had something a bit similar, but not too the extent of unlockables.)
If you're looking for a non-Nintendo racer, this is one of the best out there right now. Just make sure you understand the cost of entry.
It's obvious that CTR was meant to be a Mario Kart competitor. While its lineup of characters isn't as noteworthy as Nintendo's, CTR is superior in its actual racing department. I was quite surprised at the small differences, such as the focus on drifts/boosts and the boss races featuring unique obstacles. It was a great time, despite it being quite short and challenging.
The only thing I absolutely need to dock this rating for is Activision's use of microtransactions this time around. This feature became apparent to me when I started earning coins after accomplishing tasks and challenges, at which point I discovered a majority of the unlockable racers to be LOCKED behind these coins. By the time I finished the main story mode, I just barely had enough to redeem for one character from the absolutely absurd gacha system. This practice isn't new from Activision, but it's a surprise after seeing the Crash and Spyro trilogy remakes not have any system like it at all. (THPS 1+2 had something a bit similar, but not too the extent of unlockables.)
If you're looking for a non-Nintendo racer, this is one of the best out there right now. Just make sure you understand the cost of entry.