Asphalt 4 Elite Racing – Review

By
On August 30, 2008

App Type: Uncategorized

Asphalt 4 Elite Racing – Review

Our rating:

By: Gameloft

Version #: 1.2.0

Date Released: 2008-08-29

Developer:

Price: 9.99

User Rating:
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Of all the games I’ve played on the iPhone so far, this is by far the most "arcade like" I’ve come across.
The opening movie when you start up the application immediately tells you that this is a different kind of the game. And while the game itself does not have quite the same level of graphics as the opening it is pretty amazing in its own right. The graphics are great.

At first this looks like your typical iPhoned racing application. It is quickly clear, however, that this is more powerful than the others (at least the others I have played).

You get a choice of your car and you can have a quick look at the race map. There’s also an icon on the right hand side marked "girl" with a small iPhone with a heart inside. Yes, it’s (more than) a bit on the sexist side but then again, we’re talking street racing here.

You can select from a number of different cars and, as you accrue money by winning races and collecting money during them, you unlock additional vehicles. The first race that I played a used a Mini Cooper. (I’ve always liked the car and have toyed with getting one in real life so was kind of fun to play one in the game.) Other cars include a Nissan 350Z, a Mercedes-Benz SLK, a BMW M3, a Corvette, a Ducati motorcycle and the list goes on. Among the cars I’ve yet to unlock are an Aston Martin and a Lotus. If you like cars this is a nice way to play out a little bit of your fantasy.

Once you begin to make money during the early races you can not only choose a more expensive car but you can also trick out your car in a wide variety of ways. You can change the color, the rims, and the tires. You can swap out the original engine, upgrade the air filters and exhaust, change the brakes and the shock absorbers and the list goes on. All of which allows you to get a better edge in the next race.

The controls are simple and work well. Unlike other games that use the accelerometer exclusively with this game you steer by tapping the left or right side of the screen or by tilting the iPhone to the left or to the right. It took some getting used to, but after a brief period it worked quite well. If you quickly told the iPhone forward you give yourself a speed boost.

During a race there is a button on the screen with the image of a lightning bolt. Tapping this will kick in the Nitro. (Throughout the race of their opportunities to collect additional nitro so long as you drive through the icons that appear in the road.) A second button allows you to brake. In addition, you can change the camera view during a game. It’s pretty amazing stuff.

During a race you are encouraged to "drift". This is done by "while in a turn, touch and hold the desired direction to perform adrift. What drifting, touch left or right to control your car." Doing so earns you additional nitrogen boosts.

One of the things I wasn’t particular fond of in some of the other games I played was that there was no way to crash the car or crash into someone else. (I know, I know, it’s childish and other violent, but that’s one of the points of games like this. Living vicariously on the iPhone so you have no need to do so in real life.) This game lets you do exactly that. In fact, the game tells you,

"Illegal acts: play by street rules! Perform illegal acts to get cash, boosts, and live TV time! Illegal acts will also get the cops on your tail in no time! Please presence depends on the "wanted" gauge.

In addition, throughout the race if you click another car at the right angle you’ll destroy the car.

Another neat feature of the game is a multiplayer functionality. Tapping the "multiplayer" icon in the lower right of the main screen leads to a "search for a game" icon. After tapping on the  prompts the device will search for servers. Unfortunate, since the game just came out, I was not able to find anyone but as soon as I do, I’ll be sure to report back.

In all, playing this game was the first time I felt like I was playing was not playing an iPhone game but rather was playing a true video game on my phone. I love it and I recommend it. I do, however, wish it were less than $9.99. But that’s the price and I’m sure I’ll be getting my money’s worth from it.

Quick Take

Value: Expensive but an excellent game
Would I Buy Again: Probably
Learning Curve: Medium
Who is it for: People who love cars and racing games
What I like: Great graphics, excellent game play 
What I Don’t: Expensive

Final Statement: This is a superb iPhone racing game. From the graphics, to the controls to the music it is put together beautifully and is a whole lot of fun to play. 

Read the Developer's Notes:
Description:
"iPhone's most anticipated racing game", Asphalt 4: Elite Racing revolutionizes the genre:-Race against your friends in the exclusive Wi-Fi multiplayer mode.-28 licensed rides from the world's most prestigious manufacturers: Ferrari, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Chevrolet Corvette, and more.-Use your phone as a steering wheel thanks to the accelerometer controls!-The best 3D graphics available on iPhone.- Hours of high-speed entertainment: 5 racing modes, 9 cities such as New York, Shanghai, Dubai, and Paris.O U R   T A K E . . .

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danc has written 224 awesome app reviews.