Nitro Nation Drag Racing File picture

One of the things that almost everyone enjoys is driving, and it is no surprise that there are so many racing mobile games out there. Asphalt racing has been around as a brand for 10 years and Asphalt 8: Airborne is one of its best offerings.

As soon as one loads up the game, one knows that it is for those who love racing. Everything in the game is done to give you the feeling that you are in an action-packed car race — from the music to the locations to the countdown and, of course, the actual race. There are multiple types of controls for you to choose from; you can have a steering wheel on screen or just use the control scheme where you turn your phone to steer. I personally prefer using the left and right buttons on the screen.

The great thing about Asphalt 8: Airborne is that it is not just a racing game, it’s an action racing game. As the name suggests, there are ramps for you to jump off and go airborne to gain points. The more points you have, the more nitro you can use to speed up. Crashing into other cars is another way to gain points. The locations too are unique — from the snow covered roads of Iceland to the winding streets of Tokyo, each feels different.

The game can be played in multiple modes. The standard career mode lets you race in different parts of the world to earn cars and rewards. A variety of objectives keeps this mode interesting. Apart from the races, there is a last man standing mode, a time trial mode and an ingenious infection mode. There is also a multiplayer mode where you play live against seven other players to rise in the league and win a car. The main draw, however, are the limited-time events that let you try new cars and give you awesome rewards.

The best part are the various cars that you can drive — from a Bugati to a Lamborghini to a Ferrari. Each car feels different to drive and the experience is quite close to the original. You can buy new cars or win them. There is also an upgrade option.

VERDICT: Asphalt 8 is for anyone interested in racing. It, however, takes up a lot of space, almost 2GB, and will gobble battery and data. I would still rate it nine out of 10.

Game: Asphalt 8: Airborne by Gameloft

Genre: Racing game

Platforms: Androids, iOS

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