For mobile device gamers who are fans of
the car racing game genre, French mobile game developer Gameloft and its
Asphalt racing game series whose origin stretches back to the time of the
feature phones has long offered an enjoyable line of racing games that provide
quality gaming experience for a wide range of devices including iOS and
Android.
Around 5 to 6 months ago, Gameloft updated
its Asphalt mobile racing game series with the Asphalt 7: Heat. Just like its
predecessors, the game follows the same (almost identical) gameplay with minor
tweaks and revisions. But are the new additions to the game enough to make it a
winner? I know it’s quite late but here’s my review of Asphalt 7 Heat for the
iOS.
THE
BASICS
Asphalt 7 features predominantly the same
gameplay as Asphalt 6: Adrenaline. There are several gameplay categories you
can compete in like DRIFT COMPETITION where
the player is required to collect a specific amount of points by drifting, NORMAL RACE where users win by finishing
in the top 3 for each race, ELIMINATION
where users are required to race under an elimination process and the TIME
TRIALS wherein users need to race before the timer runs out.
Game controls are also identical, with
players having an option to change the accelerometer-based controls to
touch-based controls. Controls for nitro or turbo are still present in Asphalt
7. The adrenaline mode, a legacy of Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, is also still found
in the game. In terms of the tracks available for use, Asphalt 7 features
relatively the same tracks with only a few additions and a few modifications to
existing tracks.
Cars on the other hand are a different
story. Yes, the number of cars that users can use for races have grown in
number but they are now categorized into different categories. Bike lovers will
also be disappointed as Gameloft has decided to remove all bikes and trikes in
the game.
Lastly, power-ups such as nitro boosts and
cash pick-ups are still present in Asphalt 7 and are placed in different
locations in each race track.
THE
GOOD
One of the best aspects of the game is its
familiar gameplay. For those who have played any of the previous versions of
the Asphalt racing games, Asphalt 7 would be a piece of cake when it comes to
the controls and racing tracks. The game also showcases a more diverse car
collection that players can choose from and just like the previous version;
each car can be customized in terms of paint, decals, window tint (new), and
performance parts such as suspension, handling and speed.
Another welcome addition to the game are “goals”. All throughout the game, three goals are set that gives bonus EXP to a player whenever he achieves any one or more of these goals. These extra tasks may range from buying an upgrade for your car, performing a specific set of skills in a race or joining a multiplayer game.
Gameloft also added the rent and preview
feature in this edition of Asphalt. The rent feature allows you to pay a
specific sum of money in order to use a locked car for a race. With these
feature, players can use more powerful cars on specific races that they are
having a hard time completing. On the other hand, free previews are work very
much like renting but without the player spending money to use a higher level
car. The only downside to these features is that users will only be able to
play the stock version of a car without the possibility of tuning.
THE
NOT SO GOOD
Asphalt 7 of course isn’t exempted from any
shortcomings. For starters, the tiered categorization of the cars in the game
(although one of its selling points) poses a small concern for games. This is
because this arrangement makes it impossible to use powerful cars in a race
even if you have already won them in the past especially if the event you're playing is at a lower tier.
It is also sometimes very difficult cars
because they are either quite unresponsive especially on beginner cars but
super responsive on the supercar level. This can take some adjustment time and
it’s a bit harder when you take into account that users may have to switch
between different car types.
Also, there are cases wherein a specific
car cannot be purchased unless you finish a specific event. In fact, there are
even models that you can only purchase once you finish all the racing events in
the entire game. Having said this, one can easily deduce that in order for a
user to drive all the cars in the game, a player must play the game again
several times before unlocking ALL cars.
THE
VERDICT
Asphalt 7 is your typical racing game from
Gameloft. Its main selling point is the familiar interface and gameplay mixed
with minor tweaks and additions in order to maintain its existing fan base and
at the same time to hook users who are new to the franchise.
However, there are some changes in the game
that can be considered quite a gamble for Gameloft as it can either make or
break the game in terms of customer experience. Nevertheless, Asphalt 7 remains
one of the best games of the racing franchise as it manages to maintain the
flair and appeal of its predecessor but at time provide an enjoyable overall
experience to mobile gamers.
And with a current price of $0.99 on Apple’s
iTunes, I’m guessing Asphalt 7: Heat will be a very “hot” offer even for the
most thrift consumer.
So there you have it guys. What are your
thoughts about Asphalt 7: Heat? Tell us be leaving a comment below. Also,
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