Asphalt 9: Legends was released globally for Android and iOS users last week and we review the game to find out whether this is a worthy successor to Asphalt 8: Airborne.
Asphalt games from Gameloft have typically done well to please casual mobile gamers for its impressive graphics, fast-paced arcade-style racing experience and simplistic controls. Since 2013, Android, iOS and Windows users have been playing Asphalt 8: Airborne. The game has been lauded for its graphics among other things, which is why it has continued to attract users in 2018. But now, we finally have its successor - Asphalt 9: Legends.
Asphalt 9 was released globally for Android and iOS users last week. The game is around 1.5GB in size so make sure you have a good Wi-Fi connection or sufficient mobile data. I downloaded the game on an 8GB OnePlus 6 and an iPhone 7. In terms of what Asphalt 9 brings to the table, you should expect better graphics, a more immersive arcade racing experience and hopefully an overall marked improvement over its predecessor. Does it follow these rules? Let's find out.
When you start Asphalt 9, you will notice some similarities to the previous game. There's Career Mode, Online multi-player and daily event. Career Mode has unlockable seasons that require you to complete every race with good results to progress to the next season. There's a whole range of premium-looking cars [48 to be precise], but you will of course start with only one playable car, which is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution from D rank. As you complete races, you will inch closer to unlocking those cars, but this will take a while. The biggest difference here is that you will now require "blueprints" to unlock these cars or to level them up.
Another noticeable new feature is TouchDrive which when turned on allows you to simply swipe left or right to change directions and steer rather than tilting the phone to drive as was the case previously. It's similar to games like Temple Run and Subway Surfer where you only need to swipe to make the character switch lanes. This makes things a lot simpler and I feel users may find it convenient when they're in a crowded space and don't want to throw their arms around to steer the car. Personally, I find the "Tilt to Steer" method more engaging as it gives one a more arcade-like driving experience. I do appreciate the option for both the modes, though.
As far as the actual races are concerned, the gameplay hasn't changed all that much, but there are some nice additions. You have the nitro button on screen that gives you that extra bit of nitrous boost. A feature called "nitro shockwave" makes a return after Asphalt 7: Heat. The feature gives you a massive shot of speed if you double tap the nitro button when the bar is full. You see a trail of purple when you're in the shockwave mode that actually looks fantastic, but this also runs out the tank extremely quickly. Then there's the brake button, of course, that lets you drift around the curves. You can now double tap the button for a quick 360-degree spin that also adds a good amount of nitro to your tank.
Graphics on Asphalt 9 is absolutely stellar. The look of the cars, the environments and detailing of the weather look incredible and is an absolute treat to play. In fact, you can turn on TouchDrive for a while just to appreciate the environment and visuals of it all. You also notice the attention to detailing when the car hits the ground after some air time and dust particles splash up, or when the leaves blow past the screen and the different objects on the street that you can destroy. There are various weathers like clear daytime, night, snowfall, and rainy and overcast all of which feel quite realistic.
The races themselves are pretty short compared to the previous generation. I got through the first season in no time, and that's perhaps my biggest gripe with the game. I would often find I've finished a race in about 30 seconds, leaving me with no time to actually enjoy the scenery. That being said, the races themselves are quite unique and impressive. Some particularly memorable ones from Season 1 are Freefall and City by the Bay.
The cars look visually very realistic and there's a great sheen that catches your eyes when the race begins. All the cars this time around look quite premium and are worth collecting. As mentioned, you get blueprints for the cars that allow you to unlock them by winning races. It takes quite a while unlocking new cars. I managed to unlock a BMW Z4 LCI E89 in the first season and a Chevrolet Camaro LT in the second. You have five classes of cars that can be unlocked: D, C, B, A and S. You start off with D class cars and make your way to the top. I feel the addition of Blueprints to unlock a specific is meant as a hook for players to keep playing because unlocking cars in Asphalt 9 can take a while.
It's worth mentioning that the game worked absolutely smoothly on the OnePlus 6 and looked great on an iPhone 7 as well. Battery consumption did vary on both the phones. 10 minutes of gameplay drained around 5 per cent on the OnePlus 6 and a little over 10 per cent on an iPhone 7. The iPhone also heated up a little while we did not find any noticeable increase in temperature on the OnePlus 6. Of course, the battery consumption and thermal efficiency will vary depending on the chipset and RAM inside your phone.
Asphalt 9: Legends is a pretty fantastic successor to Asphalt 8: Airborne. It took a few years, but Gameloft made sure that the game was well worth the wait. Graphics and visuals have been improved, races are fast-paced and innovative and cars look visually stunning as well. The few tweaks and additions make sure the game gives you something new without changing too much.