CTR: Crash Team Racing - PS3

ESRB Rating:
Release Date: 10-18-2007
Critic Score (1-100): 90
Genre(s): Racing / Driving, Real-time, Fantasy, Behind view, Direct control, Automobile, Track racing
Media Type(s): Physical

Crash Bandicoot's fourth outing in his record-breaking PlayStation series pits all your favourite characters against the evil Dr Nitros Oxide: an insane inventor transformed through a terrible childhood accident into an ultra-fast freak of nature. He is preparing to use The Hyper Activator, a power beam machine, to turn the world into a super-fast speed zone.

To combat him, Dr Neo Cortex has called together friends and enemies in a united attempt to out-race Nitros Oxide in his attempt to take control of the powerful Hyper Activator. In this latest development of the familiar Crash Bandicoot, Crash and his friends race to save the planet from this mob of evil wackos.

Challenge your friends in a series of exciting and demanding races to prove that you're not only the fastest, but also the most worthy to face Nitros Oxide in the testing final showdown. A whole host of racing options are available in this game of extreme playability. Choose from Adventure, Time Trial, Head-to-Head, Grand Prix or Battle modes. Pick up tons of weapons and power-ups, such as TNT crates, tracking missiles and poison beakers, to help you and hinder your opponents. You can also customise your cart in Lugnut's garage to help you power-skid through corners, nail tailgaters or boost your speed.

CTR: Crash Team Racing is a single-player and multiplayer kart racing game featuring characters and settings from the Crash Bandicoot series. The story centers on an alien speedster named Nitros Oxide, who arrives on Earth and challenges its best drivers. If no one can beat him, he plans to enslave the planet and turn it into a giant parking lot. Players choose one of the available characters and race across themed tracks to collect trophies, relics, and gems in order to confront Oxide and prove Earth's worth.

Races are held on closed circuits with up to eight competitors. The game's Adventure Mode combines story progression with a series of races against computer-controlled drivers. Completing each track earns trophies, while winning boss encounters against characters such as Ripper Roo, Papu Papu, and Pinstripe rewards keys needed to unlock new areas of the hub world. Once all trophies and boss keys are collected, players gain access to Oxide's challenge.

The core gameplay follows an arcade-style racing format. Each kart can accelerate, brake, and power-slide around corners. Players can execute a “turbo boost” by timing jumps on ramps or successfully chaining slides. Mastering the boost mechanic is crucial for maintaining speed and gaining an edge over opponents. Characters differ in speed, acceleration, and handling, allowing players to pick one that suits their racing style.

Items play a central role in competition. Weapons and power-ups are obtained by driving through crates scattered across the tracks. These include offensive tools such as homing missiles, rolling bombs, and TNT crates, as well as defensive items like shields and speed boosts. Collecting Wumpa Fruit enhances these power-ups, transforming them into stronger versions. A blue warp orb, for example, automatically targets the leading racer and can shift the outcome of a close race.

Outside of Adventure Mode, the game offers several other ways to play. Arcade mode allows quick single races or tournaments, while Time Trial lets players race alone against the clock or challenge ghost data. Battle mode is designed for up to four players and takes place in dedicated arenas where drivers compete to deplete each other's lives using items. Additional modes such as Relic Races and CTR Challenges introduce variations that test speed and item collection skills.

The cast features a mix of heroes and villains from the series, including Crash, Coco, Dr. Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Gin, Dingodile, Tiny Tiger, Polar, and Pura. Unlockable characters such as N. Tropy, Fake Crash, and Penta Penguin add further variety. Each character comes with a distinct stat balance, and kart colors can be customized in certain modes.

*** Data by MobyGames.com ***

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