Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
Composer(s)
Sebastian Aav
SeriesCrash Bandicoot
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Android, iOS
ReleaseAndroid
  • MYS: April 22, 2020
  • WW: March 25, 2021
iOS
  • WW: March 23, 2021
Genre(s)Endless runner
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! was a

asynchronous multiplayer
gameplay by competing for survival in procedurally generated levels. Several updates were installed throughout 2021, often in the form of new levels, bosses, and cosmetic skins.

King acquired a license to create a Crash Bandicoot mobile game from Activision in 2020. The game's director sought to place an increased emphasis on exploration compared to other runner titles, and the development team set out to incorporate as much of the franchise's history as possible by implementing several obscure and older characters. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the presentation, but criticized the lack of challenge and repetitive gameplay. The game was a commercial success, topping download charts in several countries and becoming the fastest downloaded mobile game within four days. The game was discontinued in 2023.

Gameplay

Gameplay of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! was a runner game in which players controlled either the titular character Crash or his sister Coco, who were tasked with saving the multiverse from domination by Doctor Neo Cortex and his minions.[1] Levels consisted of three-lane paths, in which Crash and Coco ran in perpetuity. Players could control the character's actions by swiping the screen; swiping left or right caused them to switch lanes while swiping up and down made them jump and slide downward respectively. Players could tap on the screen to initiate a spin attack which could be used to destroy crates and enemies.[2][3] Players could collect Wumpa Fruit that were scattered throughout the levels, and the number of steps Crash and Coco take was recorded and accumulated.[4] Mechanics carried over from the main series included Aku Aku masks that protected Crash and Coco from enemies and hazards,[5][6] as well as checkpoint crates that preserved players' progress.[3]

The main gameplay mode was "battle runs", in which players navigated a series of levels that had

cosmetic skins granted bonuses that augmented the number of resources that players collected.[1][4] Additional resources could be obtained by completing level-specific challenges provided by Aku Aku.[4] The gathered ingredients allowed players to craft the weapons within a hub area referred to as "Coco's Base".[1] The process of crafting could be accelerated with Purple Crystals, which acted as in-game currency and could be purchased with real-world currency.[4] Certain resources gathered from collection runs could be used to upgrade the crafting structures and widen the range of weapons that could be created.[7] After defeating a series of mini-bosses, the player could engage in a boss battle,[8] in which explosive "Boom Berries" would be collected and thrown at the boss to reduce their health.[3][9]

The player's steps and Wumpa Fruit could be given to a tiki statue within Coco's Base in exchange for trophies, which elevated the player's position on a leaderboard. Also in the base was a vending machine from which resources and skins could be bought; free resources could be acquired daily by watching a short advertisement.

asynchronous multiplayer that allowed players to compete with each other in "survival runs", in which three players ran through a procedurally generated level and attempted to survive the longest.[4][10] Participating in a survival run cost a ticket, which could be purchased from the vending machine.[4] Like the main series, the game included "Time Trials" in which the player attempted to finish a level in the fastest time possible and break special crates that freeze the timer for a set number of seconds. The player was then rewarded with a sapphire, gold, or platinum relic depending on how quickly the level was completed, and the player's best time could be shared with the community.[11]

Development

In February 2020, King was reported to have acquired a license from Activision to develop a mobile game based on Crash Bandicoot; the title's existence was previously leaked through Brazilian Facebook advertisements and highlighted by a Twitter user.[12] The game's engine was developed using Unity under the creative direction of Stephen Jarrett, with Nana Li as the lead conceptual artist and Gigi Chui as the principal designer.[13][14][15][16] Jarrett sought to elevate the runner genre by placing an increased emphasis on exploration, which influenced the variety and detail of the levels.[17] The development team adopted a goal to make "the Crashiest Crash game ever", and set about achieving this by extensively studying and drawing upon the franchise's 25-year history and incorporating characters within the series considered "classic" and "obscure".[14][18] King stated the game would feature over a hundred cosmetic skins and no loot boxes. Instead, the game would feature battle pass, and seasonal content consisting of special challenges, storylines, and unique bosses.[19] The soundtrack was composed by a team led by Sebastian Aav, and consists of over 50 tracks with an eclectic range of genres including disco, metal, and funk. Both real and virtual instruments were used in the creation of the game's score.[14]

Release and updates

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! was

App stores.[10][19] It was initially scheduled to release worldwide on March 25, 2021 for both iOS and Android, however, iOS version was released two days earlier.[15][21]

Starting in May, the game received monthly updates featuring new levels, survival runs, skins, and bosses.

Domino's Pizza during the 1980s — was featured as a miniboss for a limited time, and pizza-themed skins were rewarded to players who defeated the Noid.[28][29] The game's latest update was released on September 23 and featured Halloween-themed skins and battle runs.[30] On October 27, 2021, the game's development team announced a temporary hiatus from major updates in favor of building improvements and new features.[31]

On December 19, 2022, King announced that the game's servers would be deactivated on February 16, 2023, rendering the game unplayable. On the day of the announcement, all in-app purchases were disabled, with King giving players until the game's deactivation to make use of in-game currency. Earlier in the month, the game was silently delisted from app stores, which the game's customer support team claimed was a temporary issue.[32]

Reception

Critical analysis

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic.[33] Harry Slater of Gamezebo and Dave Trumbore of Collider regarded the title as a solid auto-runner and complimented the game's accessibility and presentation. Although Slater considered the game to be standard for its genre, Trumbore commended the extra challenge provided by the mini-missions and multiplayer mode.[2][4] Pocket Tactics reviewer, Glen Fox, acknowledged the game's authentic presentation and responsive controls and enjoyed the multiplayer mode, but was disappointed by the low difficulty and lack of gameplay variety.[34] Gamereactor's Kieran Harris appreciated the faithfulness of the visuals and music, and was impressed by the graphics, claiming them to be some of the best he had seen on a mobile game. However, while he found the core gameplay to be addictive, he criticized the implementation of the microtransactions, which he felt stagnated the game's pacing for those unwilling to pay for the in-game currency, and he deemed the enemy and boss encounters to be repetitive.[3] Nandini Yadav of Firstpost was thrilled by the prospect of a Crash Bandicoot runner game and found the general experience to be entertaining, but cited the high data consumption and lack of challenge as flaws.[36]

Commercial performance

On the day of its iOS release, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! became the most downloaded iOS game in 91 countries as well as the most downloaded iOS app in 76 countries according to Sensor Tower.

NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella cited the game's success as a factor in sustained console sales for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.[38]

Within four days of its full release, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! became the fastest game to reach 20 million downloads between the App and Google Play stores, surpassing the previous record holder

Candy Crush Jelly Saga in 2016.[40]

By the end of March, the game had accumulated 27 million downloads and was the month's second most downloaded mobile game worldwide, behind

Garena Free Fire.[41] According to App Annie, it was the second most downloaded new mobile game in the United States in Q1 2021 behind Zynga's High Heels!. It was also the quarter's third most downloaded new game in the United Kingdom, and the quarter's most downloaded new game in Germany.[42]

Notes

  1. ^ [22][23][24][25][26][27]

References

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  3. ^ a b c d e Harris, Kieran (March 31, 2021). "Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!". Gamereactor. Gamez Publishing A/S. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
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  5. ^ King (March 23, 2021). Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (iOS, Android). King. Level/area: Tutorial. Coco Bandicoot: An Aku Aku crate! Aku Aku will protect you if you run into an enemy or a crate!
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  7. ^ King (March 23, 2021). Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (iOS, Android). King. Level/area: Coco's Base. Coco Bandicoot: Yikes! Scorporilla sure is angry. Time to finish this! But first, we need some extra firepower. Let's use these Parts I collected to upgrade the Lab. Now we can make a Nitro Bomb to defeat Scorporilla.
  8. ^ King (March 23, 2021). Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (iOS, Android). King. Level/area: Coco's Base. Coco Bandicoot: Yikes! Scorporilla! She must be working with Cortex. We need to defeat her gang. Good thing I got the Mission Computer up and running. Now we can see which one of Scorporilla's henchmen is next. We have to defeat the rest of the gang before we can take on the boss.
  9. ^ King (March 23, 2021). Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (iOS, Android). King. Level/area: Turtle Woods. Coco Bandicoot: Look! A Boom Berry. It'll help us defeat Scorporilla. Pick it up!
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External links
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