Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
- March 25, 2021
- King
- 3h median play time
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! is a platformer game where players, as Crash or Coco, must stop Dr Neo Cortex's scheme to destroy the multiverse. By running, spinning, and sliding, players battle Cortex's minions across various dimensions. Despite its humor, the game is plagued with bugs, excessive grinding, and ads, but its enticing gameplay, intriguing plot, and impressive graphics and music create a unique Crash Bandicoot experience.
iPad
iPhone
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Great graphics and nostalgic feel for fans of the Crash Bandicoot series.
- Fun gameplay with a mix of collection runs and boss battles.
- Engaging mechanics that keep players entertained.
- Frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay.
- Repetitive collection runs that can become tedious over time.
- Heavy reliance on microtransactions and timers that hinder progress.
- graphics946 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a largely positive reception, with many players praising their vibrant, colorful design and nostalgic appeal reminiscent of the original Crash Bandicoot games. However, some users have noted issues such as blurriness, lag, and a lack of options to adjust graphic settings, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the visuals are generally considered a highlight, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
“The graphics are amazing, the design layouts in each world pop out at you at every turn.”
“The graphics are great, giving the game an excellent experience!”
“The graphics are stunning and the storyline is funny.”
“The only problem and why I'm giving it three stars only is because the game has a habit of freezing or exiting the game entirely in the middle of a run, causing me to lose progress and all the stuff I earned from a collection run. Also, the camera moves weird when there are turns, and the graphics are blurry.”
“The graphics are causing my input to delay and a few times it won't even register.”
“The graphics are so low which make the game ugly.”
- gameplay606 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its nostalgic elements and smooth mechanics reminiscent of classic Crash games. However, criticisms focus on the repetitive nature of the gameplay, excessive waiting times for crafting items, and intrusive microtransactions that detract from the overall experience. While the graphics and animations are praised, the game is often compared unfavorably to other endless runners like "Temple Run" and "Subway Surfers," leading to a sentiment that it lacks originality and depth.
“The gameplay encapsulates the essence and history of the franchise well, and is simple, easy to pick up and play, and fun.”
“Great gameplay; unlike other games with the same thematic, Crash doesn't stay in monotony: aside from the running, you also upgrade and craft, as well as unlocking different areas.”
“The gameplay is fun and enjoyable, I wish Crash would run a bit faster, especially on those longer resource runs.”
“The gameplay is too boring though, no enemies and no real threat from the bosses.”
“Boring, unoriginal gameplay with an unnecessary amount of hand holding, this genuinely makes me not want to try the original crash games.”
“The gameplay is very similar to other generic maze runners but with a touch of nostalgic iconic game mascot.”
- stability557 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches, freezes, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players have experienced minimal issues, many others have expressed frustration over losing progress and trophies due to these technical problems. Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial improvements in stability to enhance the player experience.
“Runs great on Galaxy S10 Plus running Android 11 with no lag or glitches.”
“Loving the game so far, graphics are great and the game runs like a dream, no glitches.”
“Very great game, no glitches, no bugs, and super smooth gameplay; it was so fun while I was playing this game.”
“There are also some frustrating glitches, particularly in the multiplayer, that happen often enough to dampen the experience, especially with the current lack of frequent updates.”
“But the abundance of freezes and crashes made me drained out from playing it more.”
“The game is very buggy, frequently crashing and you lose everything you have collected on that run.”
- monetization554 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 73 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the prevalence of ads and microtransactions. While some appreciate the option to watch ads for rewards and the absence of forced ads during gameplay, others criticize the game for being a blatant cash grab, filled with intrusive advertisements and high prices for in-game purchases. Overall, players are divided on whether the monetization enhances or detracts from their gaming experience, with a common desire for a more balanced approach.
“Pros; there are no ads unless I choose to revive myself for free, I don't need to pay to play/win, and it's a good time killer.”
“It does have microtransactions, but luckily they are very low-key and are not shoved in your face.”
“It's a fun game when you start, but when you have to harvest items or continue a run later in the game, there are too many in-app purchases and commercials that drastically decrease the enjoyment and flow of gameplay.”
“The game is a lot of fun, but the one annoying thing is that you get between 4 and 6 pop ups as soon as it loads: special offer, quests, buy pass, beat the gang, ads, skin offer...christ, i just want to play the game!”
“It's a fun game when you start but when you have to harvest items or continue a run later in the game, they are too many in app purchases and commercials that drastically decrease the enjoyment and flow of gameplay.”
“This game is clearly just a cash grab made by king, so many ads.”
- story304 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often feeling like a cash grab due to the grinding required to progress. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements and the connection to classic Crash Bandicoot lore, others criticize the simplistic and monotonous mission structure, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a basic storyline that some find enjoyable, but many feel it could benefit from more complexity and variety in missions.
“I love how it takes a common phone game style and changed it enough to make it unique with an intriguing story behind it.”
“The storyline is rich in content.”
“It's not just a regular endless running game; it has a story and it feels like a normal Crash game.”
“The main quest is boring, easy, and repetitive.”
“Grinding endless mundane levels to get materials just to make weapons which then take even more time just to progress in the story (if you even want to call it that).”
“You need so much material to even progress through the main story that you're trying to collect it all more than play the storyline itself!”
- grinding219 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive. Many reviews highlight the frustration of having to repeatedly farm for materials to progress, often leading to long wait times and a sense of stagnation in gameplay. While some players appreciate the initial fun, they quickly become disillusioned as the grind becomes a significant barrier to enjoyment, often feeling like a cash grab designed to encourage microtransactions.
“It's a Crash game, not a farming simulator.”
“Even at its best, the battle campaign was a grindy, tedious mess.”
“The gathering of materials can get to be repetitive and tedious, as well as the challenges and maps. In the 'endless mode', your character is just running in circles in the same map.”
“After a while, farming is literally just waiting as you constantly need new items.”
- music167 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its nostalgic elements and catchy tunes that evoke memories of the original Crash Bandicoot series. However, several users expressed disappointment over the limited variety, repetitive tracks, and the absence of iconic original soundtracks, suggesting that the game would benefit from more diverse music options. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, there are calls for improvements and additional tracks to enhance the gaming experience.
“The music is amazing and graphics are top notch.”
“The music is nostalgic and the gameplay is entertaining.”
“Absolutely love this, this game feels like a Crash Bandicoot game, the music is amazing, graphics and gameplay are very smooth, feels like a whole new adventure and overall just a fun time, gives me lots of nostalgia.”
“There's not a lot of music tracks.”
“And there's only 1 soundtrack to the entire game which is boring.”
“The music is just annoying.”
- humor76 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with many reviewers highlighting its family-friendly and nostalgic qualities reminiscent of the classic Crash Bandicoot series. Players appreciate the colorful characters, funny animations, and entertaining gameplay that keeps the experience light-hearted and enjoyable. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant strength, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
“The controls are great, the humor is consistent with the parent franchise... I cannot love this game enough.”
“It's funny, kids-friendly and full of lovely tasks.”
“Funny and creative, this game offers me new techniques and tactics to be able to entertain you more, it includes more than what speedrun games offer, I like it.”
- optimization56 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and good graphics, others experience significant lag, crashes, and stuttering, particularly on mid-range devices. Some users highlight the need for further optimization and bug fixes, especially regarding texture quality and performance on lower-end phones. Despite these issues, many still find the game enjoyable and visually appealing.
“The game is well optimized and doesn't have any issues.”
“Great optimization, excellent animations and designs, it took me back to my childhood.”
“Smooth gameplay, well optimized, looks great.”
“Man, I miss playing Crash, but this game runs slowly, lags, and is plagued by various other glitches.”
“Current version is littered with bugs and is far from optimized.”
“The game isn't optimized for the Dimensity 700 CPU at all; it lags like hell on the Redmi Note 10 5G.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of nostalgia and disappointment regarding the emotional aspect of the game. While some feel a deep connection to their childhood memories and excitement from the game's graphics and challenges, others criticize it for lacking a compelling storyline and feeling like a cash grab, leading to feelings of frustration and sadness. Overall, the emotional responses range from joy and nostalgia to heartbreak over the perceived decline of a beloved franchise.
“I want to cry 100 times each level before I pass a level.”
“This creation brings back my childhood memories, this is emotional, no words.”
“Very emotional, when a game from my kids' era is back.”
“But the boring storyline that crash games always had doesn't play well in a 'temple-run' genre format.”
“Great graphics but a boring story.”
- character development11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the nostalgic and creative character designs that capture the essence of the original series, while others criticize them for being inconsistent or lacking the zaniness expected from the franchise. Players appreciate the modern twist on character aesthetics and the integration of humor, but some feel that the designs do not fully resonate with the game's theme or gameplay experience. Overall, while there are highlights in character design, opinions vary significantly on their execution and impact on the overall enjoyment of the game.
“I love the character design; I think the levels look great, and I think the gameplay itself works with the story that is being told in the game.”
“The character design is perfect, and Crash still has that hilarious slapstick comedy from the original, really well done 💯.”
“Very nostalgic with a modern twist and HD character design.”
“Not even well crash themed, the character designs are off; rather than looking zany, Crash looks more like he's on illicit substances. The bounce crates are used as regular Wumpa crates, and it feels like any difficulty the original games, or even Temple Run, had is just gone to the point that playing feels tedious.”
“Mood is off, microtransaction pop-ups are more than annoying, gameplay is as seen in other billions of mobile games, and character designs are just plain bad.”
“The character designs are creative, but not too different.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the game's replayability to be high, driven by enjoyable level design and nostalgic elements. However, there are calls for more playable content, such as additional characters and varied gameplay mechanics, to prevent the experience from becoming repetitive over time. While the game is praised for its fun and smooth performance, enhancing the variety of content could further boost its replay value.
“The level design and replay value is fantastic and the art and animations are so well done.”
“The nostalgia I feel to begin with is just a fun experience and pairing that with an easy to play game that has a definite replay value to it?”
“Super fun... replayability is high... love it!”
“The game is really good, but I feel like it needs more playable content because it gets repetitive after a few weeks.”
“I hope to see more playable characters and events.”
“But I wish it could've been more though, like the boulder chases, time trials, Crash's skills in Crash 3, more playable characters, different abilities per skin, the hog rides, and especially the 2.5D view in every Crash game.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a nostalgic homage to classic Crash Bandicoot themes, enhanced by diverse environments such as deserts, jungles, and cities, all featuring dynamic weather conditions. Players appreciate the polished levels and unique mechanics that contribute to a fun and immersive experience, while the focus on atmosphere over traditional gameplay elements resonates well with fans seeking a lighthearted adventure.
“The levels are polished with a classic crash theme, showcasing a dedication to the old games and their atmospheres.”
“Maps and islands were a big part of the game atmosphere, which is probably what your nostalgic-minded customer base wants.”
“It is a runner game, but it definitely has the Crash Bandicoot atmosphere.”
“Maps and islands were a big part of the game atmosphere, and that's probably what your nostalgic-minded customer base wants.”
“Add new environments like deserts, jungles, cities, tunnels, surrounded mountains, islands, and monumental areas with real weather conditions like snow, rain, fog, mist, wind, storms, lightning, thunder, and a sunny atmosphere.”
“None of the box hunting, all of the atmosphere; don't take it too seriously.”
