The era of outrageous arcade racers is all but dead these days. The likes of Forza Horizon and The Crew Motorfest have picked up the mantle, but we miss the days of sliding our Ferrari F50s around corners at right-angles, with retina burning SEGA blue skies and pumping c*ck rock providing the perfect backdrop. It’d be a criminal offence to compare Asphalt Legends Unite to the classics of yesteryear, like OutRun 2006 – but it’s the closest you’re going to find on PS5.
First, all of the bad stuff: this is a free-to-play game, so there are loot boxes, card packs, microtransactions, and more. You unlock new cars by collecting cards, and then earning duplicates will boost their stats, a little bit like in Disney Speedstorm. You’re also restricted by gas which regenerates over time, so if you want to keep playing for long periods, it’s best to have a large roster of cars because you can’t keep using the same one over and over again.
The actual gameplay, though, is good. Courses like San Francisco and the Himalayas are ridiculously oversaturated, with one race seeing you sprint down a mountain while hot air balloons hover overhead. It really captures that old SEGA Dreamcast nostalgia; it’s not quite as over-the-top as the Nintendo Switch’s unfathomably underrated Cruis’n Blast, but it has a similar kind of spirit with oncoming trains and other similarly silly track flourishes.
Despite the inclusion of real cars, it also defies physics. Double tapping the handbrake button allows your car to perform a full 360-degree turn, and you can then pair this with ramps so you’re effectively spinning around in the air before you land. All of this trickery builds boost, and there’s a level of depth added in the way you use it: tapping the boost button at the right time for a Perfect Nitro adds a little extra speed, otherwise you can opt for shorter sharper sprints when your meter is full.
The monetisation will put plenty of players off, but the free-to-play format means anyone can jump in and enjoy the sheer absurdity of some of its track designs. This is a bite-sized game, intended to be played in short bursts, so if you’ve been pining for something silly, simple, and completely over-the-top, there really aren’t many better options on PS5. Sometimes all a game needs to be is fun, and Asphalt Legends Unite is exactly that.
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When I was playing Pool yesterday with my pops, I was immensely caught offgaurd to see this having an arcade cabinet. With a triple monitor setup and everything. It didn’t seem like my thing because I only came to play pool and bowling (hello, Roman Bellic) but I kinda found it immensely cool that there’s still arcades here in Kuwait and seem to have a ton of people in it too. Maybe this game is fun.
Give us a proper successor to Burnout Paradise dammit!
There was one of these (I think) on Switch that I got into for a bit a few years back. It wasn't bad, it's just you definitely hit a wall with the way you unlock stuff. If all you want is a little bit of taste for some absurd arcade racing, have at it. It is free, after all.
But, yeah, it's sad when the companies get SO GREEDY you can't just casually pay here and there and still enjoy yourself. They don't want $5 from you. They want your whole wallet. They want whales. And if you're not one, you can ***** right off. It's aggravating as a consumer.
It's sad so few companies chase the Fortnite money, but don't do a better job copying the way they entice people to pay by - here's the shocker - being a well-built, fun game. Instead they choose to copy mobile F2P ***** to milk people's wallets dry. It's exhausting.
Was having a go at Outrun 2006 on my old Xbox 360 the other day, still totally awesome!!!
Wish SEGA would republish it on PSN along with Afterburner Climax, but I guess there's a minefield of licence issues for both games now for the cars and planes.
Wish Ea would bring burnout back or at least remake 3 and revenge.
Why are there no normal options for just paying for the full game and is this free 2 play garbage the way. I somehow think im getting to old for this nonsense.
I'll give this a go.. its FREE after all and it looks as though it could be a good laugh. It's only going to cost the time it takes to download..
@Flaming_Kaiser just how old are you?
@Futureshark yeah I would KILL for Outrun Coast 2 Coast on PS5
@Northern_munkey the series is pretty easy to get into. I played some older entries 12 years ago and they were straightforward arcade-y fun.
May have to try this
I have indeed been pining for something simple, and completely over the top so will deffo be checking it out. Thanks for the heads up 😀
It finally made the jump from phones to console I see, the mtx and restrictions on the mobile version ensured I deleted it after 3 whole races, theres a decent racer hidden deep, deep somewhere behind the paywalls, which is a shame.
This is a true 3/10 or less game
@Northern_munkey I'm ancient more then 40. I know these games drain your time and that something i don't want to waste on games.
I don't mind spending time on games but I do hate games that waste my time and do it so you stay engaged or better said trapped in a gameplay loop.
The same goes for mobile games just let me play and not waste my time with annoying monetization that slaps you in the face the whole time you are playing.
@Flaming_Kaiser I myself will be 52 years young this year..I don't see myself as old just yet although sometimes I do feel it lol..I understand you not wanting to waste time on games that have next to no interest for you..
@Northern_munkey I love gaming but I really dispice games that don't respect my time. Let me pay full price just to play a game where I don't have wait to play or grind for a ungodly time.
I already have one liveservice game I play and that is the only one I'll play and that's Gems of War the only reason I'm still playing is because I put so much time in it.
Also a reason not to play in mobile they almost only have those kind of games.
"Free fun."
![Untitled](https://i.postimg.cc/fyyCX6WN/i-dont-believe-you.gif)
@Northern_munkey Probably said this to you already, but Transmetropolitan is the way and the light.
I'm 43, and my thing is more that when a game is lengthy and repeatedly breaks it's own rules, I'm out. Like the first boss of Remnant, who kept attacking me through walls. I just said nope, and moved on after a few hours. I'm more than half dead. I'd rather go have some fun.
@LikelySatan yeah we've discussed transmetropolitan before. Half dead you say? I'm just getting started mate 👍.
Game is actually really fun and perfect for shortish sessions. Good for the working parent who doesn't have hours and hours to game!
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