Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!

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 mini-bosses at the end of each one. Mini-bosses were defeated by getting within proximity and using an assortment of weapons such as serums, bombs, and rayguns. To obtain these weapons, players partook in "collection runs", in which Crash or Coco ran through a level and collected ingredients. Collectible 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.[4] The game featured 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]

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]

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! was soft launched on Android in Malaysia on April 22, 2020 under the tentative title Crash Bandicoot Mobile.[20] Three months later, King officially announced a future wide release for iOS and Android under its current title with pre-registration on the Google Play and 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.[lower-alpha 1] Beginning on May 7, The Noid — a mascot character for 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]

• Official website