Escape from the cops in this Asphalt spin-off

Asphalt Overdrive is an endless driving spin-off of the popular racing series, Asphalt.

Hit the road

If you’re a fan of the Asphalt series, don’t get too excited as the gameplay in Overdrive is entirely different to what you’re used to. Make no mistake, this is not Asphalt 9. In fact, it plays more like Gameloft’s endless running titles like Despicable Me: Minion Rush or Spider-Man Unlimited.

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You get behind the wheel of the car and need to outrun the cops by reaching a certain distance. Asphalt Overdrive follows a three-lane vertical scrolling format where you must weave your way through the traffic, performing jumps and knocking other cars as you go. There are plenty of different race types (chase, stunts, destruction, boss races, etc.), and various boosts to win along the way.

As with many of these types of games, Asphalt Overdrive features an energy system, where you can only play a limited number of runs before you have to either wait a while or pay money to keep going. You’ll also need to ‘grind’ (replay levels to win more stars) in order to progress through the game’s various levels (or ‘turfs as they are known).

As you plough through Asphalt Overdrive you’ll be forced to upgrade your car and purchase new ones using in-game currency won during the challenges. There are loads of classic 80s cars available, and unlocking them is great fun.

Asphalt Overdrive features some cool social modes, including the ability to create gangs with your friends and compete in challenges against rival gangs.

Handles well

Controls in Asphalt Overdrive are dead simple and even if you suck at driving games normally you’ll pick this up quite quickly. It’s just a case of swiping left and right to change lane, swiping upwards to gain air on ramps, and swiping diagonally on a ramp to barrel roll in the air.

There are some tactical/strategic elements to Asphalt Overdrive, too. You need to choose your boosts wisely before you start a race as certain ones can come in handy for certain types of race.

80s throwback

The presentation of Asphalt Overdrive is up to Gameloft’s usual high standards. The game is set in the 1980s and this manifests itself in the form of lots of neon in the menu screens, the 80s-style soundtrack, and the retro cars themselves, of course. Everything looks pretty, but I feel that perhaps the developer could’ve gone further with the 80s theme to give it a more intense feel of the decade, much like GTA Vice City did.

Annoying but fun

If you can get past the grinding, the load times between runs and the paywalls/wait times, Asphalt Overdrive is actually a very fun game. Sure, it’s not a driving sim in the traditional sense, and Asphalt purists may be put off by this. But it’s great for picking up and having a quick blast on when you’re on the bus or waiting on someone.