Asphalt 9: Legends

Asphalt 9: Legends moved the series forward by introducing semi-automatic TouchDrive steering, where the game itself chooses the route and the player focuses on timing drifts, nitro, and evasive maneuvers with finger gestures – an approach that split the series' fans between those who saw it as a simplification and those who appreciated that it plays more smoothly on a small screen. Classic manual controls remained as an alternative, so players could choose whichever style suited them better – tilting the phone, virtual arrows, or the semi-controlled TouchDrive.

Gameloft released the game in 2018 as a direct successor to Asphalt 8, with even more lavish graphics, a longer list of licensed supercars, and a more elaborate system for collecting and upgrading the car roster. Seasonal cards and regular time-limited live events became the main pillar of long-term content that motivates players to return every day, and championship series give the game structure for players who want to track long-term progress and collect trophies for completed careers.

The free-to-play model combines ads, in-game currency, and a seasonal subscription, with spending pressure noticeably heavier than in previous entries in the series – faster progress and better cars are significantly easier to achieve with money than without it. Even so, the core of the game – fast arcade driving and flashy stunts – remains fun even for players who pay nothing.

Why play it: For fans of arcade racing who don't mind semi-automatic steering in exchange for smoother pacing, and who can tolerate somewhat more aggressive monetization than the older Asphalt 8.