While it might look like it’s on par with some of the more modern racing and driving games out there, Crash Time 5 (a.k.a. Cobra 11) is more or less a budget title that leaves promises unfulfilled. In case you don’t know, this game is based on a rather well-known and most-loved German TV show. Serious fans of that franchise might either like or hate this title; it really depends on personally factors more than anything else. As far as the average gamer is concerned however, Crash Time 5 probably isn’t going to turn many heads. Simply put, this is a game with too many problems and inconsistencies to merit a serious consideration.
Visuals
At first glance it would appear that the graphics are rather solid, great even. But after several minutes of darting across a track you’ll begin to understand why this game has been getting such negative press. Since the visuals are still somewhat palatable, the bad level design and handling (amongst other things) really makes the game come across as annoyingly bittersweet. This is the sort of title that you really want to try to enjoy (perhaps because of its low price) but simply can’t due to its technical shortcomings and uninspiring mechanics.
Gameplay
Crash time 5 is supposed to be a step up from its predecessor, but one might argue that this isn’t the case at all. Sure, they’ve added a bevy of seemingly interesting gaming features and modes in this installment, like package collection, pursuit, street races, etc…but at the end of the day these features aren’t redeeming enough to save the game itself. For starters, the handling is somewhat questionable, which is vitally important for a driving game, obviously. Likewise (and as previously mentioned), the level design isn’t all that great, which is more or less unforgivable when it comes to driving games. In all honesty, this title is an attempt to bring together various elements from popular racing titles, the problem of course is that the execution isn’t all that great. At the end of the day, Crash Time 5 comes across like it was built very hastily; everything simply has a certain “cheap” feel to it, which for many gamers will be an unforgivable trait.
Verdict
Unless you are a die-hard fan of the franchise on which this game was built (the German TV series) or just so happen to really love the game series, you might want to avoid this one. Having said that, if you could pick this game up for next to nothing, you might want to play it in order to gain a greater appreciation for the truly great racing / driving titles out there, or perhaps use it to make a funny hyper-critical “let’s play” video series for Youtube.