Asphalt 7: Heat (iOS)

Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Slide 5 Slide 6 Previous Next CNET Editors' Rating 4.0 stars Excellent CNET Editors' Rating 4.0 stars Excellent

Overall rating: 8.2
Installation and Setup: 9.0
Features and Support: 8.0
Interface: 7.0
Performance: 9.0

Review Date: 9/28/12 Average User Rating 4.5 stars 1 user review

The good: Asphalt 7 is one of the best for arcade racing, offering fantastic graphics as you race through several environments and unlock 60 licensed real-world vehicles.

The bad: Cars are slow to come by, which entices you to pay to play. The ability to buy your way to the top may turn some players off.

The bottom line: If you want an arcade racing game that's less like a simulator and more about speeding down the track while grabbing bonus items, Asphalt 7 is one of the best in the App Store.

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Asphalt 7: Heat for iOS is the most recent in Gameloft's popular arcade-style racing franchise and it doesn't disappoint, with more than 60 cars to race and tons of tracks on which to make your way to the top.

Asphalt 7 has all the bells and whistles of a great arcade racing game. To start off, you get 60 licensed cars from manufacturers all over the world, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin, all intricately detailed and great-looking on the Retina Display. There are six different game modes in which you'll be challenged to race in 15 different leagues for a total of 150 different races. Tracks are set in real cities around the world, such as Paris, London, and Miami, with all the appropriate landmarks. You also have achievements (called Goals, in this game) for everything from finishing your first race to completing a league and everything in between.

The control system is just like in the others from this franchise. The default control mode has you tilting to steer with the gas always on, and you have a button on the lower right to get a nitro boost. You also will find pickups around the track for both cash and nitro, so don't worry too much about overusing your speed boost.

Asphalt 7: Heat is tough to beat (pictures) 1-2 of 5 Scroll Left Scroll Right

In between races, you'll be able to upgrade your cars with cash earned while racing. There is also a tiered racing system that requires you to earn stars in order to unlock tiers of cars and upgrades. Upgrades include top speed, acceleration, nitro efficacy, and handling. Stars and cash don't come easy, so if you really want to advance in Asphalt 7: Heat, you're going to have to commit to competing in a lot of races.

You also have the option to race against up to five friends on a local network or online. In this latest addition to the franchise, multiplayer has been fleshed out a bit more, with a full stat-tracking system so you can compare your stats with your friends. In my testing, I was able to get online immediately and had a smooth racing experience, but that could be because the game is so new.

Lastly, like many modern games for iOS, Asphalt 7 gives you the option to buy your way to the top (a practice I don't agree with). In-app purchases let you buy both stars and cash, so if you're willing to spend the money, you can upgrade that way, though it doesn't seem like it would be as much fun.

Overall, Asphalt 7: Heat is another solid arcade racing game from the popular franchise, with enough new content to make it a worthy purchase, especially at 99 cents. If you like arcade racing or any of the other titles in this series, you should check out this game.