Gameloft has released Asphalt 9: Legends racing game for iOS, Android, and Windows users worldwide. The game was originally unveiled earlier this year but was under soft testing since then. Since the game is now available for everyone to download and play, it is time to look at whether it is a worth spending your time (and probably money too) on.

To start off, Asphalt 9 stays true to the very core of the Asphalt franchise which is the hard-core action-packed adventurous racing. It means while you have your usual collection of all sorts of racing cars including mean beasts, there is also the fun element of racing on tracks situated in some of the world's exotic locations. And add all those crazy stunts, drifts, and spins to that, you have a full-on entertainment game that we all have loved in all these years.

Asphalt 9's gameplay is simple where your Career Mode comprises of five chapters with each of them having multiple seasons. Each season includes different races where you need to achieve a particular race's goal to earn season flag, car blueprints, and packs. You have to collect season flags to move ahead in the game to unlock more seasons and eventually chapters.

There is no prize for guessing that you start with low-powered cars but as you will progress, you will get access to more powerful and better cars. The key to unlocking new cars is to collect Blueprints which, you guessed it right, are offered when you win races. And to keep players engaged, there are more than 800 races which vary in the format so that they are always on their toes. To make thins a little bit more interesting, there are also cops trying to catch you as you will race but keep in mind, they don't appear in each and every race.

Other than the Career Mode, there are three more modes which you have to unlock by collecting seasons flags. These modes are:

• My Club: The game allows you to create/join clubs where like-minded players can come together and have races with each other.

• Multiplayer: As the name suggests, it allows you to race with randomly selected eight players. It goes without saying that you need to have a good internet connection for a smooth multiplayer gaming experience.

• Daily Events: It comprises of events which get refreshed on daily basis and on winning them, you will get special rewards.

With Asphalt 9, Gameloft has introduced TouchDrive controls which are a new way of controlling the game. In this mode, a player does not need to worry about the steering or acceleration as both of these are controlled automatically. There are touch-based controls only for drift (right side) and for Nitro boost (left side). Whenever there will be more than one directions of the track, the player can choose his/her preferred direction by swiping left/right. These swiping gestures will also allow you to do stunts like 360-degree turns with your car.

This new controlling method seems to have been introduced to make sure that casual gamers or beginners don't get frustrated as tracks start to get trickier with each level. For those who want to have a manual control over steering, the traditional tilt to steer or tap to steer controls can be activated from the game settings.

Gameloft has taken a huge leap when it comes to UI and graphics in the latest iteration of the Asphalt franchise. Starting from the home screen to actually racing in the game, you will see a significant improvement right from the first look. While the whole UI has been revamped to give it a futuristic kind of feel, the graphics now have a lot more details.

The cars in the game look a lot more realistic, especially when you compare them to their real-world counterparts. As for during the race, you will notice fine details in dust, ice, rain, and water splash etc. while on the track.

To conclude, Asphalt 9 is everything that we have loved about the franchise but loaded with a lot of improvements. You will feel a completely new gaming experience and since Gameloft took five years to release the upgrade, it is something that you will definitely love to play. And not to mention the all-new TouchDrive controls, they will ensure that you enjoy the game to the fullest even if you are a beginner or a casual gamer.

• Asphalt 9: Legends | Android | Google Play Store, Free

• Asphalt 9: Legends | iOS | iTunes App Store, Free

• Asphalt 9: Legends | Windows | Universal App | Windows Store, Free