4.5/5 ★ – Endless_backlog's review of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

12hr Crash Team Racing is a stunning remaster of the original CTR whilst supplementing with tracks etc from other games like Nitro Kart and Tag team racing. Adventure Mode drops you into a vast open world island which you unlock in sections by winning trophies from each race in that area. At the end of each area there is a “boss fight” where you race one of the classic foes which I thought was a cool feature. Outside of Adventure Mode, there is local and online play, including fun game variations such as capture the flag, last kart driving and steal the beacon. Here you can play as a huge array of characters such as Ripper Roo, Dingo Dile and even Spyro. Each one has so much customisability from their vehicles to the skins of the characters themselves. This is where a lot of the fun is for me as there is some really creative and funny designs. Personally I liked the Rustland skins on Tiny Tiger and N.Gin that made them like Mad Max characters. The problem however, is that it’s so difficult to gain enough credits to actually purchase any of this, a move heavily criticised by users as encouraging micro transactions to fully enjoy the game. The difficulty level of the racing is a huge part of CTR, and ultimately if you will enjoy it or not. The races in Adventure Mode are really hard to beat, often one opponent is consistently clear in a given map, or you’d loose races by seconds and sometimes, milliseconds. To be able to really stand a chance, it is essential you master the new mechanics introduced here such as drift boosts and power slides. Overall I thought this remaster was phenomenally done, and you can tell that a lot of love went into this and fans of Crash Bandicoot would really appreciate it. Despite managing to complete the campaign, the difficulty is a bit too challenging, and I spent a lot longer on some races than I thought were really necessary. I loved it but I also really do wish they would scrap the impossible purchasing system so we can fully enjoy what the developers put into this game.