Asphalt Legends Unite Review: A much-needed revamp, but still falls short

Gameloft’s Legends Unite update for Asphalt 9 arrived recently, and the racing action gets even more intense. With a plethora of new features added, the game has got a brand new look. Rather than launching a sequel, Gameloft unexpectedly revealed an upgrade for the existing game, featuring enhanced graphics, a revamped UI, and cross-play capabilities across Mobile, PC, Consoles, and Switch. With all these exciting changes, it’s time to dive into what’s working and what might still need some fine-tuning in this Asphalt Legends Unite review.

The sense of speed in Asphalt’s gameplay is still intact

I have good memories of Asphalt 8. It was the first “High Graphics” mobile game that I used to play on my Moto G 1st Gen. Regularly It was everything I wanted in my mobile game, high graphics coupled with shots of adrenaline-pumping action and last of all, fair. In the latest iteration, it hasn’t changed much.

Using the familiar Touch Drive control system, the gameplay remains largely unchanged. While this can be relaxing, it also simplifies the experience. Fortunately, players can disable it for a more challenging and immersive gameplay. The core racing mechanics, such as nitro boosts and stunts, are still exhilarating.

The sense of rush returns when you press the nitro to create a perfect shockwave or when you make physics-defying stunts or land on an opponent while doing a barrel roll, the foundations are as solid as ever. It is what’s built on top of it that is frustrating.

During races, the interface is overhauled, but not in a good way the speedometer is a huge eye sore, and during multiplayer races, the user names on cars obstruct the view. It was fair to its players old and new, Multiplayer races can be won using the hard-earned cars you have unlocked purely by playing it long enough.

Progression in Asphalt Legends: Unite is a frustrating uphill battle

This is where the game goes downhill and it goes there very fast. When I booted up the game, it gave me a basic overview of controls, and BAM! I have a welcome offer of $20 (1799 INR). I skipped it and completed a race in career mode, “Buy our Unite Pass” or watch this Ad for a pack that contains BLUEPRINTS which is not a lot. Career mode unlocks a few cars and offers you some packs to unlock more. 

After working hard to unlock a car, the joy is short-lived as you need to continue working to collect more BLUEPRINTS to upgrade the car with additional IMPORT PARTS. These parts need to be unlocked separately through various events and career modes. For example, a basic D-class car requires 15 BP to unlock and another 40 BP to reach 3 stars. For an S-class car, it can go up from 250 BP to 300 BP.

Garage levels return and their cap is increased to level 60 from 20, which essentially rewards you with some blueprints on level up and adds new blueprints to the pool of standard packs. You will level up fairly well just by playing career mode, and completing quests and events until you hit a paywall.

The game incentivizes spending on everything, even fuel. Yes, fuel! With a limited cap of 6, you either wait a few hours (8 hrs. for a total refill for all cars) or spend money to refill – just like real-world gas for a virtual car you don’t even own. I’m missing out by not watching the ads.

While some might enjoy the grind, most of us find it tedious and unfair. The extensive use of multiple currencies and purchasable upgrades creates a significant advantage for players who spend money.

Overclocking: A Pay-to-Win Power-Up

Overclocking (OC) chips are another layer of complexity added to the progression system. These chips boost car performance, providing a significant advantage in races. Do you smell another “pay for this, else stay in your minivan“ vibe? If yes, no extra points since it was easy to guess.

While obtainable through events, the acquisition rate is slow, encouraging players to purchase OC chip passes. This pay-to-win element further imbalances multiplayer matches, as players with heavily overclocked cars can dominate races. Overclocking essentially ensures that you are never done upgrading your car.

Performance is acceptable for the most part

I have extensively played Asphalt Legends Unite on my OnePlus 12 Android device and at the time of writing, have seldom experienced any bugs or crashes. No visible frame drops or making my phone hot as an iron box. However, many players have reported performance issues and crashes at launch, which persist on Windows and Consoles. I’ll avoid talking about that though since I didn’t experience it.

Visual overhaul feels like a misstep

Graphically, the game remains consistent with its previous version, offering a high-quality graphics option that appears similar despite some updates to textures and lighting. Although an increase in the frame cap would have been welcome, it remains maxed at 60 fps.

The UI’s blend of glaring neon shade causes the car to merge into the background rather than stand out. A simple, clean interface with eye-pleasing colors, instead of an overwhelming purple, is a reasonable request, and I don’t see it being changed anytime soon.

The multiplayer mode is a shadow of its potential

My experience with the multiplayer mode was underwhelming. I constantly faced opponents with significantly upgraded cars, making it challenging to compete fairly. The matchmaking system seems to prioritize higher-level players, creating an uneven playing field.

Additionally, the frequent occurrence of random knockdowns, often caused by minimal contact, disrupted the flow of races. The ability to use overclocked cars further pushes the imbalance.

Final Verdict

Ultimately, Asphalt Legends Unite offers a familiar and exhilarating racing experience built on a solid foundation. The game revamp was needed to be honest, but its aggressive monetization system significantly detracts from the gameplay.

The emphasis on microtransactions and in-app purchases creates an uneven playing field, favoring those willing to spend over those who prefer to earn rewards through skill and dedication. Although the fundamental racing mechanics are enjoyable, the constant pressure to spend money spoils the overall experience.

In short, if you are playing Asphalt Legends Unite for the first time and have not come across Asphalt 9: Legends in the past, then as a standalone it’s decent, quite good infact, but considering its nothing but a well-hyped upgrade, it falls short to its promises. Over to NFS Mobile to put out a solid racer.

That’s all from us for the Asphalt Legends Unite Review! Did you find our Asphalt Legends Unite Review helpful? Do let us know in the comments!

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