POSTED 5/3/12


ASPHALT: INJECTION

Ubisoft/Gameloft
Vita

Don’t you just love human nature? We get stuck driving around in circles in the real world and we crack the shits. Yet we’ll happily sit for hours playing racing games where the main object is driving around in circles.

There’s no shortage of Vita racers for those who dig a bit of circuitous pedal/metal interfacing. So what makes Asphalt: Injection special?

Well, beyond its easy to trip over name, umm, it boasts 45-plus real licensed vehicles. You even start off in one of those new MINIs with the chop top and baseball cap (way to overkill a brilliant thing, Mr BMW). Go all championshippy and you’ll be given various tasks, from straight out come first, second or third racing to drifting challenges, cash grabs to destruction derbies, elimination rounds to outrunning cop vehicles – all in picturesque worldwide locales.

Successful progression unlocks more of those promised shiny automobilic things, as well as tuning upgrades to make them go spiffier. Otherwise you can free race or hoon against others online or in a local ad hoc situationalistic situation-type party affair thingy.

Sounds pretty cool, yeah? Meh, we guess so. Somehow a game packing all this exciting-sounding stuff ends up – well - just kinda ho-hum. Much like having concrete coursing through our veins instead of adrenaline… It’s technically sound, though not super-flashy looking. It sounds alright but is devoid of wow factor. It handles OK – unless you go for the motion sensing with backside as flappy paddle gearbox option, in which case good luck out there. It also cheats its arse off when you start beating it.

We love racing games. We played this one lots, but more out of duty than any great magnetismistic attraction. Maybe it’s just the Corolla of racing games? Safe and dependable, but rather drab…

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