Free - to - play game often look appealing , but it ’s difficult to know at a glimpse whether the business model is subtle and fun ruining , or reasonable and deserving pump a few buck into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a late innocent - to - shimmer iOS plot , put it through its paces , and let you bonk if it ’s really worth your time ( and money ) .
Gameloft ’s Asphalt racing serial trudge along for nearly a 10 , releasing several entry that werefinebut never quite great — and thenAsphalt 8 : Airbornebucked that trend to a rather startling degree . The 2013 button finally launch the series into the upper echelon of mobile racers , delivering the best colonnade driving experience on iPhone and iPad , plus it sold for only $ 1 at launching . Just a couple month afterward , it was turned into a free - to - frolic secret plan .
Three years later , it ’s still the estimable of its kind , but Gameloft is back with a saucy take : Asphalt Xtreme . It really ditch most of the titular roads and finds you instead whip through mud and soil and across ice , sand , and water , plus you ’ll apply monster truck , mud buggies , pickup trucks , and rally cars rather of the sportier rides visualize in Airborne . It ’s just as fast , playfulness , and attractive , but what about that free - to - play model ?
The pitch
Asphalt Xtreme does n’t try fixing what was n’t break ; instead , the new racer just shifts the action mechanism to fresh terrain and swap in varying vehicle types . If Asphalt 8 feel like the mobile equivalent of the brilliant Burnout serial on consoles , Asphalt Xtreme is MotorStorm , the now - abeyant PlayStation series that let you piece one of several unlike kinds of rides and battle it out in canyons , jungles , and gelid terrain .
There ’s also a DeLorean lusus naturae truck in the game !
Indeed , you may pick a nutty and judge to outrun a monster truck , although I do n’t advise convey too close to those loom tyre . The multi - vehicle battles offer a lot of multifariousness and opportunity to specialise in the kind of drive that equalize your racing style , and top brands like Ford , Dodge , Predator , Mercedes - Benz , and others are represent here . And as with Asphalt 8 , Xtreme is well one of the most impressive - looking games on the iPhone today — it ’s polished and quick , looking much like a console game on a minor silver screen .
Powersliding is redundant slippery when you ’re racing on ice .
With only a fistful of courses , distinctive as they may be , you ’ll end up play a lot of similar - feel subspecies if you dig deep into the game . Even so , all of these events render a firm sense of procession as you move through the life history , unlock special perks , and promote your ever - expanding hardening of rides over time . It ’s important to underline “ gradual , ” however , otherwise you might be tempted to pass big to speed up that process .
The catch
Asphalt Xtreme is a Gameloft game , so unsurprisingly , it ’s tied up in a maze of freemium elements . I bought Asphalt 8 when it be a buck and enjoy how square it was at launch , and while the initial free - to - play move was somewhat smooth , the approach seems a little more complicated and sophisticate every time I revisit . Just now , I loaded up Asphalt 8 and had a full - screen video ad dad up whilebrowsing the menus . That ’s terrible .
Oil changes in Asphalt Xtreme come a lot more frequently than in real life sentence .
fortunately , Xtreme does n’t have kill - up advertising , although Airborne ’s phylogenesis suggests that might not last perpetually . It also does n’t have a universal vigour or gas meter to limit your swordplay time , but each car require an rock oil change after a few races , which means you ’ll drop some quotation for the oil and then await for the job to complete . you could change over to another car in the meantime , or spend either credits or premium tokens to speed things along . Real Racing 3has a similar system of rules , and it ’s not terrible , just a necessary and consistent annoyance .
Elsewhere , Xtreme puts a lot of focus on theatrical role , which you ’ll make in a number of way . You ’ll get a barren crate of part cards every four hours and another once daily , while more are honour after winning some events . Otherwise , you could bribe bad bundles of parts add-in using tokens , with the promise of super - particular item within . It seems cockamamy to attribute values like “ rare ” and “ legendary ” to thing like car parts , but hey , card games are super hot right now .
kick downstairs your boost abilities can only help once you ’re tearing up the track .
Between the free boxes of carte du jour , daily gaming bonus , and all of the different types of event , Asphalt Xtreme does reward you frequently in small bits — but it also offers a hatful of ways to buy some larger progress saltation . you could purchase credits in packs ranging from $ 2 ( 35,000 credit ) to $ 100 ( 2.65 million credits ) , with the same price extreme available for tokens ( ranging from 50 to 4,000 tokens , respectively ) . Xtreme also sells packs of high - performance car in bundles range from $ 3 to $ 40 , and offers change promotional and starter bundles as well .
you could also buy power - ups for use in races , both online and off , and between that ability and paid upgrades / unlocks , the competitive balance here is reasonably well tossed aside . That ’s not as adult of an event in the career and other single - thespian upshot , where the A.I. opponents tend to scale up in acquisition incrementally over time , but spending handsome can give you a monumental reward online . alike , notspending big can aid keep you in the back of the inner circle .
Starter packs might land you a cool car and enough currency to really elevate it , but do n’t endeavor to outspend the top - tier online racer .
I spent a bit of money , but admittedly , I did n’t specify at all . The Car Mix Pack ( $ 11 ) gave me more options across the entire range of rides , but none seemed like huge improvements over the couplet cars and truck I already had . And then I dropped $ 5 on some tokens to grab some rise and skip the timer on crude changes , but did so sparingly and on different rides . It would have made more sense to pump that money into enhancing one or two car , but hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to freemium spending .
The verdict
In any case , I doubt I ’m unforced to spend enough to contend with some of the racers I ’ve encountered online so far , but that ’s more of an honest realisation than a ailment . Truth be told , I ca n’t line up much to seriously scold about with Asphalt Xtreme .
Yes , it has a entanglement of freemium elements and minor barrier to contend with , but that ’s part and parcel with free mobile secret plan today — and in the end , Asphalt Xtreme hit heights that most other free - to - turn game ca n’t hope to compete with . I ’ve said this with past Gameloft titles , but despite any criticism you heave up their way , the publishing firm pour on the production values into secret plan like this andModern Combat 5 , make them tough to ignore .
Granted , if I check back in a twelvemonth and Asphalt Xtreme is loaded with pop - up ads and the militant rest is totally skew , then my recommendation could be tempered . mightily now , however , it ’s well worth abide the little , simmering annoyances to enjoy this impressive racer .
