As a long-time racing game enthusiast who has spent countless hours behind the wheel of virtual vehicles, I was initially intrigued by the prospect of diving into the world of Asphalt Legends Unite. With fond memories of classic arcade racers and a passion for the thrill of high-speed competition, I eagerly anticipated experiencing this latest offering in the series.
Legends,” which some see as a potential fate for Electronic Arts’ “Need for Speed” series.
For Gacha game enthusiasts, several elements in this text will be familiar. The process begins with enhancing different aspects of a vehicle’s performance within each category, only to encounter a limit that necessitates a new rank-up. This is accomplished by accumulating Blueprints, which appear to be a major challenge for me this year. These blueprints come in fragments, and obtaining sufficient quantities for a specific vehicle unlocks it – much like an automobile enthusiast piecing together components of their cherished collection, starting with the less preferred ones. However, you’ll then receive the message, “That’s not good enough – earn their souls as well.”
Even if your car has a rating of 900 or 1200, and you add an “Overclock” for supposed extra benefit (sarcastically speaking), it would still be compared to cars with ratings as high as 1500 or even 2000.
As a long-time gamer with countless hours spent on various mobile titles, I can’t help but feel disillusioned by the monetization strategies that have become all too common in modern gaming. Take for instance this latest game I downloaded; RNG card packs, exciting bundles, Asphalt Tokens for auto-completing races when you can’t be bothered, nigh-unending “challenges” for scraps of Tokens. It’s all a vicious cycle designed to keep players hooked and spending money.
Instead of “I digress, though, as Unite focuses more on uniting various player bases,” you could say “However, it’s worth noting that Unite places greater emphasis on bringing together players from different platforms, consoles, and mobile devices.” Regarding the game content, instead of “There are Special Events where you race this car and that, time-limited events, a new track in Singapore, and improved visuals,” you could write “Special events offer opportunities to race various cars, limited-time events create excitement, a new racing track in Singapore is introduced, and visual enhancements provide better dynamic lighting and reflections.” Lastly, instead of “the revamped multiplayer is perhaps the biggest change, starting with World League and Season Series,” you could say “Multiplayer has undergone significant improvements, beginning with the introduction of World League and Season Series.”
If you’re deeply engaged with “Asphalt 9: Legends,” you might have participated in the World League competition. In this league, you can race in numerous divisions, each with a limit to the type of cars allowed based on rank (Elite League has no restrictions). Master Season does away with all constraints, but the new World League begins anew. You now encounter various ranks – Bronze, Silver, and so forth – each with distinct tiers. For instance, there’s Bronze 4, 3, 2, and 1. Excel in your races and move up through the ranks, earning different rewards based on your league standing at the end. The top-performing players also receive extra incentives.
The problem is that this tiering system further limits the available cars to race with. If you’re jumping in for the first time and only have limited options, good luck. Even those denoted as “free try” are beyond your reach because, unfortunately, you’re Bronze 4, not Bronze 3. Of course, this system is in place to ensure that cars are matched according to their performance rating to ensure balanced races. Surely this is what happens? That’s the neat part, though.
In Team Pursuit, it’s a thrilling experience akin to Police versus Criminals or Security against Syndicate: one side consists of players driving police cars on the chase, while the other side comprises the evading criminals.
In simpler terms, having a car with a lower rating than others in a race can be frustrating. Regardless if the difference is 300 or more points, you’ll still compete against significantly better vehicles. This situation might be unintentional or not, but either way, it makes the game less enjoyable. Why put effort into improving your car or striving for better ones when the competition will remain tougher? Even if you manage to obtain higher-tier vehicles, what’s the point when the matchmaking system will only pit you against stronger opponents?
In simpler terms, a Season Series resembles a regular series in format, but the conditions for earning rewards are more challenging. I’ve noticed some improvement in matchmaking, though it’s still not perfect as stronger vehicles often join the race, leading to an uneven competition. On the positive side, you can earn small amounts of points per race and progress through different reward thresholds. It might be frustrating for some players when they consistently lose, but the potential rewards could make it worthwhile.
In Team Pursuit, picture it as a thrilling game of Cat and Mouse: one side represents the law enforcement team in patrol cars, while the other is the criminal syndicate. The objective for the former is to chase down the criminals. This mode bears resemblance to Need for Speed‘s Hot Pursuit, yet it lacks the intricacy. In contrast to the opposition, the Security team’s Nitro boost is weaker, making a more effective strategy waiting patiently for the Syndicate to appear on the track. Tension builds as both sides have limited lives and the chance to end the game prematurely exists by jumping ramps. Why put in extra effort when rewards are given merely for participation?
Despite its impressive visuals and thrilling soundtracks, Asphalt Legends Unite has significant issues that have gone unaddressed for a prolonged period.
In multiplayer mode, Asphalt Legends Unite falls short, at times feeling more like a disappointment and other times a deliberate ordeal. Beyond the glitchy matchmaking, this game experiences frequent disconnections between players, which are unfortunately highlighted by bothersome pop-up messages.
On PS5, the visual enhancements are undeniably appealing, provided you have the necessary hardware. The reflections appear crisp and uninterrupted, while the frame rate remains consistent. Each level showcases impressive detail, although I would suggest altering the neon shade of that one divider in Singapore to prevent confusion with a purple launch ramp.
As a gamer, I’d put it this way: This game isn’t in the same league as “Gran Turismo 7,” “Forza Horizon 5,” or even “Forza Motorsport” for me. But for a free-to-play arcade racer, it sure is sleek and eye-catching! The music selection is quite varied, yet I found it hard to discern a unifying theme. Some tracks really grew on me, while others didn’t resonate as much. Your experience might differ.
Despite the game’s impressive visuals and thrilling soundtracks, Asphalt Legends Unite harbors some significant drawbacks. These issues, some of which have gone unaddressed for a long time, include the monotony of certain tracks and the frustrating rubberbanding AI. The repetition sets in as you race longer distances in Career Mode, encountering the same scenery that you’d see during shorter sprints. The AI opponents seem to have an unfair advantage, closing the gap between your car and theirs inexplicably, leaving many players displeased with this persistent problem. Given its lengthy history, I’m skeptical of any potential improvements.
It’s disappointing that Asphalt Legends Unite is filled with excessive monetization, confusing progression systems, frustrating ranked experiences, bothersome matchmaking, a seemingly meaningless Team Pursuit mode, and lingering problems. As a result, it’s challenging to put significant time and effort into this game.
As a longtime fan of racing games, I have to admit that I was initially intrigued by the mobile version of this arcade racing game. However, after playing it for some time, I feel that while there is a solid foundation of a competent racing experience here, it has been simplified to cater to the more casual and “pick up and play” nature of mobile gaming.
Regrettably, Asphalt Legends Unite comes with excessive monetization, confusing progression systems, perplexing ranked experiences, frustrating matchmaking, unnecessary Team Pursuit mode, and ongoing issues, making it a challenging game to engage with. Despite being one of the better mobile racing games, console and PC versions provide more content and complex mechanics. In comparison, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers a richer experience for both new and experienced players. Sadly, Asphalt Legends Unite becomes increasingly irritating as playtime increases.
This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
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2024-07-25 15:11