Crash Bandicoot was once a loved video game franchise for Sony’s PlayStation console. Since then, he’s appeared in numerous sequels and spin off games with a variety of different developers and platforms and is still loved to this day. It’s no wonder then that he’s now appearing in his own mobile game, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! which shares much in common with its platforming roots, but with elements that cater more towards mobile platforms, such as touch controls, and the occasional waiting around for timed items.
Let’s first talk about gameplay. For those who have never played any of the old Crash Bandicoot games, you’ll most likely to compare Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! with other mobile games such as Temple Run and Subway Surfers. Basically, you control Crash Bandicoot with a series of swipes (up, down, left, right) to control whether he goes left or right and if he jumps or slides. You mainly just do this to either avoid obstacles or collect items along your path. While it plays very similarly to an endless runner, there are stages that consist of boss battles which will end there if the boss is defeated.
If you’ve played older Crash Bandicoot games before, then you’ll notice that the gameplay really isn’t that much different from the original games, just simplified. This should please long time fans and offer some form of nostalgia. Of course this wouldn’t be a free-to-play game if there weren’t elements meant to keep you from endlessly enjoying the game. For instance, some levels you can’t play until you get the necessary items to play them. That means farming for certain ingredients to make the item which takes time to make. You can speed this up by spending crystals, but you only have so many crystals.
That’s where the in-app purchase come in where you spend real money to buy more crystals so you don’t have to wait as long. You can spend anywhere from $1.99 to $99.99 for single purchases or you can pay for a subscription. Of course it’s perfectly fine not to buy any of these, you’ll just have to take a break from playing every now and then when something requires waiting.
Graphically, the Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! looks pretty good. It looks very much like classic Crash style art, just a bit more modernized and clean looking. Everything is super colorful and for the most part, I think you’ll really enjoy the style.
Overall, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! is a really fun game and while it’s very similar to other endless runners on mobile, it brings its own charm and flare to the genre. Like I said above, fans should be pleased with this game and appreciate all the actual Crash Bandicoot nostalgia within the game. There’s plenty to unlock in the game to keep you coming back for more and while there is the “money grab” element, you don’t need to spend a dime to enjoy this.
Google Play Store: Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
iTunes App Store: Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
The Gamer With Kids 