Activision announced it's adding popular Spyro the Dragon villain Ripto to Crash Team Rumble's Season 2 line-up. New maps and modes will coincide with the character's entry into the game. There's no word of Spyro making t?he roster as of yet. However, the purple dragon's 25th anniversary looms later this month.

Ripto will be the first Spyro the Dragon character to join the multiplayer game Crash Team Rumble. On September 12, Season 2 of the competitive multiplayer game will include a new mode called Party Mode (which has mini-games) and additional maps such as Waste Deep. The map is inspired by the level Cortex Castle from Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. A Halloween event is likely to occur as well as there's candy with a Jack-o-Lantern's face on it (via CanadianGuyEh) in the official Season 2 picture.

[caption id="attachment_402353" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via the Crash Bandicoot Twitter[/caption]

Many expected the protagonist, Spyro the Dragon, to be first in line for the party game. He has appeared in Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled as a playable character in the past. There's no confirmation of Spyro's introduction to Crash Team Rumble yet, but it seems to be only a matter of time in fans' eyes. Regardless, it's exciting for many to have Ripto in Crash Team Rumble. 

Ripto is the main villain from 1999's Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage. He's a ??dinosaur who craves power and will take it by any means. He also utilizes magic as part of his arsenal, like fire a?nd poisonous attacks.

Spyro the Dragon recently hit a big sales milestone as his 25th anniversary draws near. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which has the original trio of games remade, has sold over 10 million copies since 2018. At the time of writing, you can buy the game for 75% off on Steam. The offer ends on September 11.

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Whoa?

Another live service game just came out in 2023 in Crash Team Rumble, and we're getting it instead of a Crash 5 for now. Wait, come back! If you're a Crash fan, there might be something here for you. Yeah, I di??dn't expect it either.

[caption id="attachment_387544" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Crash Team Rumble (PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Toys for Bob
Publisher: Activision
Released: June 20, 2023
MSRP: $29.99 (standard), $39.99 (deluxe)

So what the heck is Crash Team Rumble?

Despite the weird and somewhat pointless monetization angle (which we'll get to), the standard $29.99 edition (yes, this is not free-to-play) is a much simpler package than it seems on the surface. Crash Team Rumble is a 4v4 battle game that asks two competing teams to dunk Wumpa Fruit into their goa??l until they hit a score limit: at which point that team immediately wins. Easy to parse, right? It actually is! Matches are around five minutes to boot.

You'll need to roam across nine different maps (with more to come) that feel a lot like miniature Crash Bandicoot platforming levels while grabbing fruit, stopping other players from scoring, and causing havoc with power-ups. Those three core game loops encapsulate the trio of codified roles in the game: scorer, blocker, and booster. Actually fulfilling the core duties of your role (which is linked to specific characters) will shorten your ability cooldowns, but it's not completely necessary; as I've been in plenty of games where players flex into dif??ferent?? jobs on a constant basis (and thrive).

The secret sauce of Crash Team Rumble is how all of this ??plays out. Given how easy this game is to pick up and put down, I was shocked to look up at the clock and see that an hour went by during multiple sessions.

[caption id="attachment_387597" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Breezy, fun, and cute mayhem

Crash Team Rumble controls a lot like a legitimate core Crash game, which is where it's g?oing to ma??ke its mark for fans.

Crash himself still double-jumps, spins, and belly flops as normal, and each other character is different enough to justify their inclusion while mixing up how you approach each match. Platforming skills are paramount too, as swift jumps and air dashes can mean the difference betwee??n losing all of your fruit to a pit or scoring a game-winning goal. Coco in particular became a favorite of mine, as she can drop a digital brick wall behind her, with the option to trigger it during an air dash. It's immensely satisfying to block out an enemy while getting away for a breather, or drop them while mid-air to cause an opponent to slam into them and fall into the depths below.

I love how seamlessly Team Rumble eases you into all of this. The tutorial is short and sweet, and it's painless to pick up characters as there's a detailed move menu, just like a fighting game. What really surprised me is the high penchant for heroics in Crash Team Rumble's minute-to-minute flow. I've seen plenty of matches where individual players can make the difference in a marked way, cleaning up an entire team or blowing a crucial cooldown to defend a base when the enemy has the fruit they need to dunk and win. Hazards and other objec?tives (like taking control of extra score boost platforms or grabbing neutral power-ups) mix things up constantly, where no individual match feels the same, as different things are popping at different times and different roles of different skill levels are crossing paths.

The maps are just big enough to encourage discovery and small enough to create conflict: and the in-game iconograp?hy can help you make split-second decisions, like holding a large cache of fruit until the moment another teammate captures a bonus objective, to dunk in some extra points.

[caption id="attachment_387545" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

To reiterate the looseness of the role system gimmick, you aren't fully "locked" into being a scorer, blocker, or booster, but slipping into that role will make things a little smoother. Scorers want to actually score. Blockers block other scorers, naturally. Boosters want to manipulate the match using those aforementioned activities, providing power-ups for th??e team and locking down scoring bonuses. Shorter cooldowns through role performance mean more opportunities for bigger plays, but you can make those plays organically.

All of this action funnels into one core mode (competitive matchmaking), with the opti??on for private matches and "practice" featuring bots. This ensures there's one major "pool" for everyone to funnel into,?? and the aforementioned loop allows for a lot of variety. It's kind of a genius way to handle an online competitive game.

Thankfully, Crash Team Rumble has cross-play on day one. For a game like this, it basically needs cross-play to survive more than six months. Even ?so, I'm still worried about this one just from a preservation angle. A bot mode is a decent addition, but it is ostensibly a live service game, and I don't magically expect it'll become more generous as time goes on.

[caption id="attachment_387542" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What about those live service elements?

Outside of the 20 seconds or so it takes to connect to the game after the intro, it's hard to even sniff out some of the live service portions of Crash Team Rumble. This is partly due to the fact that the base game (again, $29.99) comes with the premium pass for season 1, while the deluxe edition includes seasons 1 and 2. Those passes are standard fare, containing emotes, backpacks, skins, and so on for each character...so a Fortnite lite style pass. The progression is what I'd call "slow-ish," which makes it feel all the more pointless; but individual character progression ?is kind of neat, as you can level up each cast member and unlock more cosmetics on top of the pass.

Even so, the slow-going pass is antithetical to the casual nature of how matches flow, and it's simultaneously confusing and innocuous. Those elements can feel tacked on, and although future seasonal content updates and monetization is up in the air (Activision is notorious for adding more layers after the launch of several similar games), all the core content (read: characters) is tied to in-game challenges, even future characters.

[caption id="attachment_387598" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's a bold move to go with a premium package on top of a season pass model with a smaller release like this, but that's what we have at the moment. It's hard to predict how Crash Team Rumble ends up in six months, but I hope it's still around, and the team is able to just? facilitate? what is working without corporate meddling. Whether or not enough people feel like spending $30 minimum to stick around and find out is up in the air.

_{[This review is based on a retail/launch build of the game provided by the publisher, as well as beta playtime.]}

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A future after Zelda

After many adventures with Link in May, there will come a day in which we want to play something outside of Hyrule. These June 2023 games take us to street fighting events, a high-fantasy world, and a bandicoot looking for wumpa fruit. The summer month is also delivering an astounding number of promising indies. Here are the most anticipated June 2023 games to ke?ep an eye on.

Crash Team Rumble (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

[caption id="attachment_378343" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Activision[/caption]

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Toys for Bob
Price: $29.99
Release Date: June 20
Trailer

The Bandicoot is back, but this time it's not a single-player platformer. Instead, it's a competitive party game that has you racking up wumpa fruit and attacking other players around the world. It's quite the far cry from past games in the series, but you'll still be jumping and spinning to win. Like a game of Rocket League, you're bot??h attacking and defending the goal. Playing as the heroes or the villains of the series, each character has their own unique ability to offer on the battlefield. As you try to master these abilities, you're also trying to capture key areas of the map. Hopefully, this game will grab an audience, despite not being free-to-play.

Diablo IV (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

[caption id="attachment_378339" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Publisher: Blizzard
Developer: Blizzard
Price: $69.99
Release Date: June 6
Trailer

The action RPG juggernaut series Diablo is coming back on June 6. Diablo IV is bringing its exciting combat to consoles and PC with five different classes at your disposal. It has the Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorcerer. Diablo IV is also elevating its storytelling with close-up cutscenes, outstanding voice acting, and grand fantasy theming throughout. That's good because the dull storyline was one of Diablo III's worst elements. While experiencing the narrative, you'll also get rewarding loot, like weapons and armor, throughout your journey. Hopefully, Diablo IV launches better than its predecessor? and will let players log in quickly out of the gate.

Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)

[caption id="attachment_378340" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $69.99
Release Date: June 22
Trailer

Another heavy hitter in the RPG space, Final Fantasy XVI, is heading to PS5 systems on June 22. This console exclusive sets players in a dark, yet beautiful fantasy world, seemingly inspired by Game of Thrones. Powerful monsters called Eikons are controlled by dominants (human owners), and the fate of the world is decided by their actions. You play as Clive Rosfield, who is protecting his brother, the dominant of the Phoenix. Through a series of unfortunate events, Clive swears revenge on Ifrit and goes on an epic adventure across Valisthea. For those who hate turn-based combat, you should be happy to know this is an action RPG through and through. The battle system is actually directed by Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma veteran Ryota Suzuki. This is quite possibly the standout from the June 2023 ?games lineup.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch)

[caption id="attachment_378345" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Spike Chunsoft[/caption]

Publisher: Spike Chunsoft, Inc.
Developer: Spike Chunsoft, Co. Ltd.
Price: $59.99
Release Date: June 30
Trailer

Miss the crime-solving adventures of Phoenix Wright and L.A. Noire, but want a big anime twist? Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is stepping into those shoes on the Nintendo Switch. From the developer behind Dangonronpa, players will be looking for clues as they attempt to figure out the truth behind unsolved cases. Part of the detective process is going through the Mystery Labyrinth, spotting inconsistencies, and taking part in action scenes. The art style is as imaginative as you'd expect from those who have experience from the Dangonronpa se??ries as you explore the town and speak to witnesses on the case.

Street Fighter 6 (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

[caption id="attachment_378351" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via S??treet?? Fighter's YouTube Channel[/caption]

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $59.99
Release Date: June 2
Trailer

The beloved Street Fighter series is taking its next step with a sixth entry. Featuring full crossplay and rollback netcode, Street Fighter 6 has exciting fighting gameplay to offer up fans on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The graphics look outstanding, with plenty of battle effects and gorgeous scenery to gaze at. For example, a new character named Kimberly uses spray bottles, and the colorful visuals really pop on-screen. Street Fighter 6 will also feature a new single-player mode called World Tour that features a character creator and open environments to explore and train your skills? with the very best. The gameplay seems to be advanced as well, with the addition of the drive syst??em and perfect specials. If you can't wait until June 2 to play the game, there's a free demo you can check out.

Honorable Mentions

[caption id="attachment_378356" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Focus Entertainment[/caption]

The June 2023 games lineup has a whole bunch of hidden gems on the horizon. Almost every day, there seems to be a new promising game? with a summ??er release date. The honorable mentions include:

• Super Mega Baseball 4 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - June 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - June 5
• Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (PC, Switch) - June 8 / (PS5/Xbox Series X/S) - June 22
• Mask of the Rose (PC, Switch) - June 8
• Pokemon Trading Card Game Live (Android, iOS, PC) - June 8
• Front Mission 2 Remake (Switch) - June 12
• Dordogne (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - June 13
• F1 23 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC) - June 16
• Park Beyond (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - June 16
• Aliens: Dark Descent (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - June 20
• Silicon City (PC) - June 22
• Sonic Origins Plus (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - June 23
• Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - June 27
• Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - June 30

The post Most anticipated games – June 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

No sign of Dash Dingo though

Following this weekend's closed beta, publisher Activision has released the intro cinematic for its slapstick brawler Crash Team Rumble, which sees the heroes and villains of the Crash Bandicoot universe gather together for cartoonish, pl??atform-fighting chaos.

The delightfully colorful and highly dynamic sequence sees characters such as Crash, Dr. Cortex, "He's Literally Me" Dingodile, and the schlub-bothering Tawna Bandicoot scrapping out on the sunny Wumpa Island. Coco is on their s??ide? Heel turn??! Produced by Thai animator RIFF Studio, the 90-second intro is packed with colorful excitement, as Crash �through dexterity, assistance, and sheer luck �manages to get the Golden Wumpa to the goal, scoring a point for all that is good and just in the world.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDHbh-rlKu4&t

Currently in development for PlayStation and Xbox, Crash Team Rumble ?looks to gather the Crash community for multiplayer mayhem, as they choose their favorite characters and utilize their unique skills and abilities ??to bring home the Wump Fruit for their team in four-vs-four action.

While tempting to typify the title as "Crash Smash Bros.", the game seems less focused on the actual fighting and more on point-scoring and objective completion. Developer Toys 4 Bob ha??s already confirmed cross-platform support, and the new title will be looking to rope in the fanbase for this new take on the series. No Ripper Roo, no sale.

Crash Team Rumble launces Jun??e 20 on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.

The post Check out the action-packed int?ro to Crash Tea??m Rumble appeared first on Destructoid.

Four-versus-four carnage

Crash Team Rumble will release for PlayStation and Xbox consoles with crossplay enabled on June 20, publisher Activision and developer Toys for Bob have announced, but what can players expect? At a hands-off preview event, we?? saw gam?eplay, mechanics, and finer details about the upcoming title including a closed beta that will run from April 20 to 24.

In the beta, players will be able to control Coco, Crash, Dingodile, Neo Cortex, or Tawna across three different maps in a four-versus-four team-based multiplayer experience. Each character has their own power, personality, and resulting playstyle with each being categorized as a Scorer, Blocker, or Booster. A Scorer's role is to collect Wumpa fruit from around the a??rena and bring them back to the team's bank to deposit them. A Blocker's job is fairly self-explanatory, in that they will be doing all they can to stop the enemy team from achieving points by depositing Wumpas. A Booster will be capturi??ng Gems which will increase their team's score multiplier, and activating Relic stations which give special powers and boosts to give their team the advantage.

These roles will not be set, so ??there's nothing stopping a Blocker from depositing Wumpas at the bank if they want to. This flexibility and freedom to take? on any role could make or break a team - it's great that the option is there, but let's hope teams can communicate well enough to avoid uncontrolled chaos.

Standard-versus-Deluxe

[caption id="attachment_369586" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Toys for Bob[/caption]

In amongst the carnage of battle, there's also an important decision for Crash fans to make before they can access?? the closed beta. The only way to gain entry is to pre-order th??e game, and the Standard edition will set you back $29.99. That version includes seasonal events and limited-time modes, as well as the premium battle pass unlock for the first season. The Deluxe edition contains all of the above, as well as the premium battle pass, unlock for season two, and 25 instant tier unlocks on the first season's premium battle pass. It also includes a Proto Pack with skins, a unique banner, and more cosmetics, and will cost $39.99.

Crash Team Rumble is currently only set to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, and when we asked Toys for Bob whether there were any plans for PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass collaborations, they commented that they weren't looking to discuss that at this time. The same was said regarding a ??Steam or PC release. It would've been nice to see a PC release lined up alongside the consoles. Either way, console owners can still get their hands on the closed beta which runs from April 20 to 24.

Not a MOBA

//youtu.be/becrLd9GOB4

Though gameplay leaked today ahead of the announcement, Crash Team Rumble looks fun, engaging, and entertaining. Toys for Bob is the studio behind the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, Spyro Regnited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Speaking about the development process, associatecreative director Lou Studdert and creative director Dan Neil said they were "super excited" to be able to work on Crash Team Rumble.

Neil said that throughout the process for Crash 4, they were already thinking about where to take Crash Bandicoot next. "How can we create something fresh and exciting?" he pondered. Studdert also commented that they wanted to take the "authentic core Crash DNA which is tied to intense, precise platforming, and marry that with a multiplayer competitive gameplay." This brand-new approach for Crash Bandicoot is a myriad of different things, but there is one thing it definitely isn't, as Studdert explained. "I want to clear the air first and say it is not a MOBA. Crash Team Rumble is not a MOBA!"

[caption id="attachment_369589" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Toys for Bob[/caption]

The duo ended up summarizing the game as a competitive platformer, and within the official reveal trailer characters such as Crash himself, C??oco, and Dingodile can be seen demonstrating the mechanics around a beach environment. Fireballs rain from the sky as Crash hops from gem to gem hoping to increase his team's multiplier, before eventually depositing all of his Wumpa fruits in the team bank to win the game.

The nature of Crash Team Rumble seems to be that players will be able to easily jump into games for engaging, high-octane fun at a moment's notice. There's nothing too intr??icate or confusing, and the fun element is de??finitely present in good, old-fashioned Crash Bandicoot style.

Crash Team Rumble will be released for PlayStation and Xbox consoles on June 20. Pre-ordering the Standard or Deluxe edition of the game wil??l grant access to the closed beta which runs from April 20 to 24.

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Crash & The Boys (and Girls)

At The Game Awards 2022, Activision announced a brand new title set in the zany, madcap world of Crash Bandicoot �but unlike the typical 3D platformers for which the series is renowned, Crash Team Rumble will instead see the series' colorful cast square off in a bout of multipla?yer madness.

Crash Team Rumble, currently in development for PlayStation and Xbox, will see Crash, Coco, Tawna, Dr. Cortex, and many other heroes and villains from the beloved series battle it out in 4-v-4 team-based action. Players will race to gather Wumpa Fruit for their squad, racing back to bank it in their home base while defending their stock from the opposing team and getting into frenzied melee scraps out on the battlefield. Each character will be afforded their own special skills and bespoke abilities, so teamwork and cha??racter synergy will be the key to claiming victory.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=becrLd9GOB4&ab_channel=CrashBa??ndicoot

"We’re so excited to unveil our fresh new take on multiplayer in the Crash universe with Crash Team Rumble," said Toys for Bob's Paul Yan in a press release. "Crash Team Rumble has something for everyone�easy pick-up and play for ?those who jus?t want to jump in, while also providing skilled gamers the opportunity to leverage and master their hero’s unique abilities."

While not quite the long-rumored Super Smash Bros. clone that people have been expecting, this all-new take on the wild 'n' wacky world of Crash could prove to be a pretty neat party title, and feels more in the vein of a Splatoon than a Smash Bros. I do?n't see my boy Ripper Roo just yet, but I do see my mirror image, (Dingodile), so I guess I've found my main already.

Crash Team Rumble wi??ll launch in 2023 on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.

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