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You can count the number of racing games on the Switch that use real licensed cars on just two hands, even three years into its life. And where Sony has Gran Turismo and Microsoft has Forza, Nintendo has Mario Kart.
Nintendo’s seminal arcade racer is a great game of course, but it doesn’t offer the same sort of thrills as driving real vehicles around, and Nintendo hasn’t yet bothered to make a truly- new entry in their long series for the Switch. Instead, they just ported over the Wii U version.
This seems like the perfect environment for Asphalt 9: Legends, a free-to-play arcade racer from Gameloft, first launched on phones and the Windows 10 Store and now available on the Switch. The game has an expansive list of licensed cars, a driving model that combines the best bits of Ridge Racer and Burnout into a fun new package, and a huge selection of tracks and events you can play solo or with other people online.
Unfortunately, it’s also a nightmare web of unlocks, progression bars, energy timers, random card packs, and daily tasks designed to keep giving you little hits of dopamine till you’re addicted enough to spend real money. It’s one of the most brazenly- monetized free games I’ve ever played. Initially, it’s quite liberal with its handouts of premium Tokens. But once you’ve played the game for a few days, the free earning potential slows to a literal crawl, and time limits on play start to kick in. Only those who invest real dollars regularly will do well enough in the game’s many unique challenges and competitions to keep up.
Not even the game’s clan system is free of weird addiction-encouraging progression mechanics. After you’ve played for a while, you can create your own racing team complete with a customized name and logo, and invite your friends. However, if you don’t personally play the game enough each and every day, control of your team will be transferred to the friend of yours who plays the most.
