Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

The term 'race car' is a palindrome - it’s spelled the same backwards as it is forwards.

Racing games seem to take inspiration from this. They reverse the tracks or make you drive against oncoming traffic in a bid to shake things up. But they always rely on the same principles – go fast, win races.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline isn’t anything new. It’s a palindrome of Burnout (er, spelled differently), but it makes no apologies for that.

When the racing is this well-executed, it doesn’t need to.

The first thing you'll notice is just how dashing it looks. Apart from a few graphical glitches here and there, it's beautifully presented. The track of New Orleans blurs past in a rainy neon haze; your BMW or Audi glistens in the lights. The level of polish is very impressive.

The accelerometer handles the steering, while most of the control schemes available increase your speed automatically. The tilt control can take some getting used to, but there's always the option of switching to an on-screen steering wheel should they prove too tough to manage.

A tap on the virtual brake pedal sends your vehicle sliding satisfyingly around corners, which are clearly designed with long, outrageous drifting in mind.

Another cleverly engineered perk is how uncluttered the screen is compared to previous titles in the series. The speedometer and nitro bar are kept tidily at the extremities, leaving you with plenty of space to spot oncoming obstacles.

There are 12 tracks and a Career mode with various race objectives - for instance, you might have to eliminate your opponents by crashing into them, or collect money tokens before they get the chance.

The only real let down is the audio. The music is repetitive faux-dancefloor noise, while the female announcer is about as aurally appealing as Janice from Friends.

However, the number of cars, upgrades, and the aggressive action-sequence gameplay make Asphalt 6 a worthwhile purchase for racing fans.