Asphalt 9: Legends review: This game is much improved and refreshingly new

The game brings a host of improvements over previous version in terms of visual effects, game playback, cars, tracks, etc

French video game publisher Gameloft recently launched the ‘Asphalt 9: Legends’, a successor to its famous 2013 mobile racing game ‘Asphalt 8: Airborne’. The new game brings a host of improvements in visual effects, playback, cars, tracks, etc, to the previous one. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows 10 devices.
 

‘Asphalt 9: Legends’ has an average download size of 1.5GB on Android, almost the same as the previous game. But it brings a new storyline, seasons and controls. There are two gaming modes – online multiplayer and career. The career mode has different seasons with events and tasks. The multiplayer one can be played only after you have 20 successfully completed career flags.
 

A player earns rewards for crossing the finish line first in each season. But the gameplay is not limited to mad rush for the finish line. There are events like elimination and best-timing that need more acumen. In elimination, you need to never have been last so as not to get force-eliminated. In the best-timing round, you have no opponents but there is limited time within which to complete the lap. There are several interesting events, each with a set of additional tasks like perfect nitro or airtime. These are not mandatory but add to the overall rating of the event when achieved.
 

Speaking of visuals, graphics and controls, ‘Asphalt 9: Legends’ is better than the predecessor. The graphic detailing is more vivid – raindrops, snowflakes, tires marks on road and locations look immersive. The game is supported by many devices, but it is best played on one not more than two generations old, such as the LG G6, Apple iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S7, OnePlus 3T, etc.
 

There is a new gaming control that lets you focus on actions more than the car, which moves and turns automatically. However, you need to manage controls like nitro, directions and drifts. Also, you decide the direction of the car by swiping the screen; this makes the gameplay more refreshing. The swiping gesture makes jumping the racks, beating opponents and taking nitro more fun.
 

Overall, it is good to see Gameloft moving to a new title rather than updating the old one with new cars or controls. The Asphalt 9: Legends has everything that the predecessor had, and some more. The game is graphic-intensive, so it heats up some phones. Importantly, the game is free to download and play.