Following the hit success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, a number of Bandicoot fans have been eagerly awaiting news of what’s next for gaming’s lovable spinning marsupial. While there has been a lot of talk and speculation with regards to a potential new outing in the series thanks to the very positive reception induced by the two former titles (both of which are remasters of original titles hailing from the PlayStation era), it remained to be seen just what Crash’s next game could be.
Turns out, fans don’t have to wait that long, as Crash Bandicoot makes his mobile debut in Crash Bandicoot Mobile. The title dropped very suddenly, and in limited availability; at the time of this writing, the game is only available through the Google Play Store in Malaysia, according to a report from CNET. Like most mobile title spinoffs, it’s free-to-play and takes the form of a ‘runner,’ where players have to swipe the screen in order to avoid obstacles. Check out gameplay footage for Crash Bandicoot Mobile below.
One of the first things worth noting is that Crash Bandicoot Mobile is developed by King, one of the biggest names in the mobile gaming industry. They are perhaps best known for the Candy Crush series, which is undoubtedly one of the most profitable video game series in history. To be fair, King does a pretty good job here to keep the spirit of Crash Bandicoot intact, with Crash’s amazing expressions and well-designed animations. The remixes of the music are great as well, especially the track that plays during the very first level.
However, the game does start to rear its ugly head in the midst of the tutorial, as it begins to creep towards the territory that gives mobile games its less-than-desirable reputation. There are bosses scattered throughout, and you need weapons to defeat them. However, there are some wait timers for some of the materials needed, which of course you can bypass with microtransactions. As the gameplay footage suggests, Crash Bandicoot Mobile may be a bit incomplete at the moment since it is still in a soft launch phase, and it remains to be seen what Activision and King will plan out for the game in terms of monetization once a full launch is ready.
