Game Reviews

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

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Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

It says something about our changing appetite for motorsports that while F1 looks to be on the wane Gameloft's Asphalt is going from strength to strength.

The franchise is now in its sixth iteration, and you get the feeling Gameloft has decided to throw all of its toys into the mix this time.

Every arcade racer you can think of - from Burnout and Need for Speed to Outrun and Ridge Racer – is referenced here in some form, and that's no bad thing.

It's the nuts

The series' tradition for being as tasteful as a copy of Nuts Magazine remains firmly in evidence.

But, while the buxom girls that adorn the loading screen may not be to everyone's taste, they're certainly consistent with the hot action that takes place on the tracks themselves.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline's selling point is a slight shift to the franchise's boosting system.

The gauge that powers said boosts is filled both by picking up icons on the track and driving recklessly, but holding down the '5' key to boost now unlocks the game's 'adrenaline' meter.

Here, not only does your speed pick up, but your car is also invincible for a short period, enabling you to smash your way to the front of the pack.

Cop a load of this

It's how well you time these moments of madness that determines how far up the running order you reach before the finish line.

Even if you're leading the way, however, the action never really stops. More than once a race you'll find the police on your tail, with a Burnout-style takedown the only real way to rid yourself of their unwanted attention.

It's when all these elements come together – boosting, burning, and bashing into other racers – that Asphalt 6 really finds its rhythm, delivering the kind of heart-hammering experience usually confined to racers adorning the big screen in your living room.

But that's because Gameloft has no limits when it comes to Asphalt 6: Adrenaline.

Mobile or not, the game's efforts to marry the exploits of every racing franchise under the sun ends up delivering an experience that outstrips almost all of them.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

As action-packed as it gets, Gameloft's latest Asphalt takes the series' foundations to the extremes and is likely to paint a great big smile on your face
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Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.