The game looks fantastic. This isn’t saying much, as the previous iteration also looked great. I will mention it did look particularly good on the new iPad, more than when Asphalt 6 was updated for the iPad retina display.

Asphalt 7: Heat (Universal: $0.99) 

“Hit the speed of heat in the newest, fastest, most visually stunning edition of the famed Asphalt series. Drive 60 different cars from the world’s most prestigious manufacturers, like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, including the legendary DeLorean.”

Presentation

There are 60 cars (Delorean yo!), as well as 15 tracks spread out throughout the world.  Although I have no problem with it, I can’t cut out the part where some of these locations have appeared in previous Asphalt games – oops. One of the cool parts about the game is the wreck cam (yes, that’s what I’m calling it). Basically when you take out another cam or wreck yourself, the camera zooms out and gives you an almost cinematic view of  the carnage.

Controls

Controls are as you’ve come to expect. By default, the accelerometer is in control for steering, but you can also use tap steering. You can also choose to have manual control over the gas and breaks. As for drifting, that also works easily, with the game guiding you through the steps on your race. The game feels like a nice balance between an arcade racer and a real life racing sim. Hardcore fans of either genre might have some trouble fitting in, but most gamers will find this just fine.

 Gameplay

Asphalt 7 offers the typical modes you’ve come to expect from a racing game on iOS: career, online, and quick race. You can play through career mode (which has 15 leagues for a total of 150 races), and it will have you complete specific goals. In quick play mode, you have a series of options. You can pick from game modes (king of the hill, beat ‘em all, elimination, etc.), location, and tier. If you can’t decide, simply hit the spinner for a random choice. Finally, there’s multiplayer. Multiplayer can be done either on local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or you can also go up against other players online. Frankly, when I tried it out, there weren’t too many players online, but I did enjoy a race without any lag, so that was nice. With the in-game currency you can customize or buy different upgrades for your car of your choice. You can also just buy a newer better car altogether. As you’ve come to expect with games on the AppStore now, you can also use IAP to buy more in-game currency, if you just want to go straight for the best. This means that instead of waiting to save up enough coins for that pimped out car, you can just buy it. Or maybe you just want to max out your current car. IAP buys you in-game currency which can be used however you choose to, so knock yourself out.

Conclusion

It’s hard to find something to say something about Asphalt 7. It is probably the best arcade racing game on the AppStore right now, but at the end, it’s another Asphalt game, and not much has changed, which was also our problem with Asphalt 6.

That being said, Asphalt redeems itself by being dirt cheap. I mean seriously, the game is universal and it’ll only set you back $0.99. I had fun with it, so I’d recommend getting it. Just don’t expect Gameloft to change their Asphalt formula, it seems to be working out well for them. 7/10