There are driving games aplenty on the AppStore and currently tied for pole position are Real Racing and NFSU (Need For Speed: Undercover), the former a serious minded sim, while the latter is an overly dreary on- rails affair, thus a gap in the market definitely exists for a fun arcade style racer. Enter Gameloft’s latest, a burnout-esque beauty by the name of Asphalt 5.

The most recent installment in the long the long running series improves on its predecessors in every possible way, the graphics have been tweaked, the gameplay is well oiled, and happily high-octane action is high on the agenda. The game is fast paced in more ways than one, and soon a vast array of muscle cars and sports bikes are at your disposal; this coupled with a more than satisfactory amount of tracks to race them on, makes A5 an instantly enjoyable experience.

As ever, modes include straight races, time trials, and cop chases. Initially the game is quite easy, but as you progress the difficulty level quickly ramps up, and at times this can be mildly frustrating. In particular the events where you play as the police are extremely challenging, here you have to knock a set amount of street racers off the road within a tight time limit, but poor collision detection and bad guys built like tanks make this a trying task. Overall though gameplay is solid. Persevere, upgrade your cars, expand your garage, and soon you’ll get to know the tracks and will be zipping past the opposition, taking sneaky short-cuts (leaping over rooftops! tearing down dirt tracks!), ramming rivals and winning gold with ease.

A5 isn’t without its faults however. The sounds are disappointing, the usual inane musical wallpaper that decorates this type of game is present, while engine noise often inexplicably sounds like a bumblebee getting strangled. Thankfully Gameloft included an option to drown out these minor irritants with your tunes via the onscreen music icon. But this has its downside too, adding to an already cluttered screen- a mini-map, speedometer, your fingers (if using the superior touch controls), and lap and race position numbers all vie for space at any given time.

Minor complaints aside, A5 delivers where it matters. A great sense of speed and fun prevails and at times the game is nothing short of exhilarating. It can be played like a beat ’em up on four wheels, gleaming sports cars and turbo charged motorbikes replacing the usual half naked ninjas and musclebound brawlers, or as a straightforward arcade racing game, but whatever your preferred tactic, this game is undeniably exciting. So what are you waiting for? – Jump in, and put the pedal to the metal, because number 5 is the best Asphalt yet.

Overall Score: 9 OUT OF 10

Asphalt 5 on the App Store.