Crash On The Run Review (Android)

Crash Bandicoot On the Run

In Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, Dr. Neo Cortex has dispatched iconic villains across the multiverse to take control of all dimensions. With the help of his sister Coco, Crash must bash Cortex’s minions back to their own dimensions.

Pros:

  • Nice graphics.
  • 872MB Download size.
  • Touchscreen controls.
  • Opening tutorial pop-ups as you play.
  • Endless runner gameplay.
  • Classic Crash Bandicoot soundtrack.
  • Plays in portrait mode.
  • Actions-slide, jump, spin, and body slam.
  • Currency type-gems (premium/real money) and steps (every step in-game).
  • Materials- The game revolves around you crafting items to use against the bosses. These are things like mushrooms, weird green bark stuff, mechanical parts, and more.
  • Apples-used for crafting but also to donate.
  • Tiki-donate steps and apples to earn trophies.
  • Swipe controls.
  • Trophies-go to the team/clan and earns you unique rewards.
  • Clan/teams support.
  • Aku Aku quests-Daily list of missions to do for rewards.
  • Daily rewards.
  • Earn exp and level up to get rewards.
  • Two characters- Crash and Coco.
  • Skins-buy these with real money and each one gives unique buffs like getting more materials from certain levels etc. You do get a few free ones initially.
  • The main hub is a place that builds as you upgrade and unlock new parts of it. Here you will buy skins, craft items, item management, clan management, and take on missions.
  • Bosses- Each section of an area is made up of 4 mini-bosses then a big boss, You play through the level, and then at the end, you throw your item at them to defeat them.
  • Boss encounter is where you stop the needle in the bar to earn bonus rewards and trophies.
  • Checkpoints throughout the level.
  • Challenges-Gem runs, Challenge run, and Time trial. Each is a one-shot and much harder challenge but you get a lot of rewards.
  • Free run-Here you can pick an area and play it as much as you want to earn materials needed for crafting.
  • Power gems-Earned from bosses, These unlock the new areas and boss fights and needed in order to progress the game.
  • Areas on the free run map will show what materials are available there and will show a level of how many are left as it is limited.
  • Materials restock over real-time unless you pay with gems.
  • Crafting is done in real-time but can use gems to speed up.
  • Uses all the classic locations, crates, and abilities including throwing bombs to blow up nitro and TNT boxes.
  • Online leaderboards for clan progress.
  • Gets quite addictive.
  • In a free run, the levels are on a loop and at particular junctions, you can choose your route and at times this means picking home so you can quit out.
  • Upgrade buildings to make new items and unlock slots to build more at a time.
  • Back up saves via the King service.
  • Watching an advert can double rewards, respawn you but these are limited per day.
  • Aku Aku mask-Collect these to take hits for you and every 3 grants temporary invincibility.

Crash Bandicoot On the Run

Cons:

  • a lot of grinding for materials and eventually you deplete the stock and have to wait a long time for it to restock unless you pay.
  • A lot of King game pop-ups.
  • No graphic settings.
  • Drains the battery a lot.
  • Repetitive.
  • Can’t turn off notifications in-game and have to do it at the phone level.
  • No Googleplay integration including achievements.
  • A lot of purchasable skins and prompts on the screen.
  • Level layouts mean you might have to play for a while until the materials you want to show up.
  • Never sure which holes you can fall down in order to explore the lower levels.
  • On boss fights, any failure restart will cost you gems (real money currency) to continue once you have used up your one free advert watch.
  • All boss fights are the same formula. Miniboss is a level than a section where you avoid their attacks (usually dropping obstacles) and then defeating them whereas the big boss fight is a small level then you chase the boss and throw bombs at them but they will use obstacles to block and repel the bombs.

Crash Bandicoot On the Run

  • 7/10
    Graphics - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 8/10
    Accessibility - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Length - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Fun Factor - 8/10
7.6/10

Summary

Crash is back… Again but on mobile this time. It makes sense for Crash to be on a mobile as the gameplay is one that can be easily engineered into an endless runner. The game is indeed solid with simple swipe controls, the game manages to keep the pace and level structure we expect from a big boy console release. I like that you can do a body slam to clear crates around you but the level itself is some true highlights with many routes and areas to find, you play on a 3 lane level and can land up going underground, overground, or jumping all over the place. Boss fights will have the usual bunch of misfits and whilst the fights all feel the same, it does give a good challenge. The crux of the game is to collect materials from areas and craft items that then unlock the mini or big boss fight. It’s a long slog as crafting is done in real-time, materials are limited, and work on a real-time counter reset. Course you can plow money into gems and speed it all along but even those prices are quite high for what you get. Talking of gems these are used to buy the many many skins for Crash and Coco l, apart from the aesthetic look they also give bonuses to the material gathering. Steps that are easily racked up can be converted into trophies which will eventually unlock season rewards, join a clan to speed this up. Back to the game and it does capture the Crash atmosphere, it plays well, it looks great and it is a good time waster. It took me a good solid 7 or 8 hours just to clear the first island/are and there are 5 of these so it has longevity if you have the time. You cannot escape though that the grind is real and the lure of gem purchasing is everywhere with 60 percent of your hub world showing adverts for purchases. Stay away from buying and it will be a pickup and put down game but spend money and it’s a console-length behemoth. Crash on the run has it “give me monies” moments but it captures the essence of Crash Bandicoot and is brilliant fun.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!