Asphalt 8: Airborne is a 2013 racing video game developed by Gameloft Barcelona and published by Gameloft. It is the tenth major game of the Asphalt series. It was released on August 22, 2013, for iOS and Android, November 13 for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, January 15, 2014 for BlackBerry 10, and April 5, 2015 for Tizen. Its successor, Asphalt 9: Legends, was announced on February 26, 2018. The game has about 470 million players, according to the game description in the App Store.
Gameplay
Gameplay is similar to that of Asphalt 7: Heat, with the player given four control options: "Tilt to steer" (auto-acceleration with movement controlled by tilting the device), "Tilt and icons" (manual acceleration via an on-screen icon, with movement controlled by tilting the device), "On-screen controls" (auto-acceleration with movement controlled by an on-screen virtual steering-wheel), and "Tap to steer" (auto-acceleration with movement controlled by tapping the side of the screen). The Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 versions feature different control schemes, including for the WASD and arrow keys.
The five-star rating system with primary and secondary objectives first introduced in Asphalt 6: Adrenaline has been also used in Asphalt 7 and Asphalt 8. Three stars are awarded for finishing in first place, two for second, and one for third. Achieving secondary objectives, such as performing a given number of stunts or knocking down opponents, awards the player with two additional stars. In the Moto Blitz and Championship modes, the primary objectives must be completes to unlock the secondary objectives. Obtaining stars in an event is cumulative; players who finished first in an event without completing the secondary objectives may replay the race and obtain a five-star rating even if the primary objectives are not met.
The core gameplay is slightly different, however. As the subtitle implies, the focus of Airborne is on jumping, with tracks featuring a lot more ramps than in previous games. In addition to performing standard jumps, the player can also perform flat spins (by drifting off of a ramp) and barrel rolls (by driving off of a curved ramp). It is also possible to perform a barrel roll by driving with half the car on a normal ramp. All jumps earn boost; the longer the airtime, the more boost earned. Destroying obstacles such as barriers and lamp posts, and hitting or near-missing traffic cars, also earns boost. Another new feature, which substitutes the "Adrenaline Mode" in Asphalt 6 and 7, is the ability to perform a "Perfect Nitro". When the player activates the boost, a small red zone appears on the boost bar. If the player activates the boost again when the boost meter is in the red zone, the boost will become stronger, lasting until the player runs out of boost, brakes, crashes, or hits a ramp.
In the initial version of the game, the career mode consisted of 180 events split into eight "seasons", which become progressively more difficult. In later versions, additional challenges and seasons were added. As of March 2020, Asphalt 8 had a total of nine seasons, excluding the "McLaren Legends Season". When the game begins, only the first season is available; later seasons must be unlocked either by earning enough stars or by purchasing a "Season Unlock" (which cannot be used to skip ahead more than one season at a time). The Great Wall update added 30 new events centered on the Great Wall of China. The Dubai update introduced a new season where only fully upgraded cars are eligible to participate, besides adding three new events centered on Dubai. The San Diego Harbor update introduced a new season featuring events where the player can participate in a 24-car race (exclusive to iOS 8), alongside several new events centered on both Dubai and the San Diego Harbor.
Asphalt 8 is the first game in the Asphalt series to use Game Center for achievements rather than Gameloft's own Gameloft Live. The April 2015 update added support for the Apple Watch and made it compatible only on the iPhone 5 or later models using iOS 8.2 or later through the use of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The October 2015 update added support for the Apple TV. Online multiplayer can be accessed both locally and globally via Wi-Fi. There is also a "World Series" online multiplayer mode, although this mode is unavailable on the iPod touch 4 and iPhone 4. Playing on multiplayer is the only way to increase a player's in-game level; a higher level results in higher credit earnings. The Multiplayer League Update in October 2016 introduced reworked multiplayer gameplay in the form of the "Multiplayer League", where players compete against each other in online multiplayer races to win exclusive rewards.