Asphalt: Injection

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Asphalt: Injection is the eighth entry and second spin-off of the Asphalt series, released for the PlayStation Vita and Android. It was developed by Gameloft and published by Konami and Ubisoft. This game was Gameloft's second attempt at returning the Asphalt series to portable consoles.

Android ports#

Lenovo version#

A proof-of-concept port by Gameloft that came pre-installed with the Lenovo K860. This version was intended to show off the K860's Samsung Exynos 4 quad-core processor, which made loading times shorter and allowed for better graphics (though, perhaps ironically, the graphics here are actually inferior to those of the Vita release).

Notable changes include:

• Some textures are in a lower resolution, probably to keep the game's file size small.
• The introduction voice lines for each track are nearly absent. In New Orleans, the voice lines for Iceland play, and in Nassau, the voicelines for Chamonix play. The rest of tracks don't play any voice lines at all.
• The transparency values of some textures are incorrect, and therefore display with a solid background in-game. This is most noticeable with the logos of some vehicles, such as the Audi RS 3 Sportback, Aston Martin One-77 and Pagani Huayra.
• The car's lighting effects are missing, meaning that the car model won't darken up and will stay as it is in dark areas. This is most noticeable in nighttime tracks (New Orleans, Tokyo, Detroit, and Hong Kong).
• Car LOD models turn red by default for some odd reason.
• There are new HUD icons for the Pause button, Camera button, Nitro button, and Brake pedal, to accommodate the new in-game touchscreen.
• The Audi R8 and Ferrari Enzo have been modified and rebranded as Lenovo Asphalt Injection and Lenovo Asphalt Ultimate, which have slightly different bodywork and livery. These were used in the Lenovo K860 advertisements. Errorneously, the latter is missing a tire texture named "Ferrari_Enzo_Wheel_DIFFUSE.tga" which makes it have the pink appearance.
• The starter car is the Lenovo Asphalt Injection. Both the Mini Cooper S Coupe and Tesla Roadster are locked, unlike in the Vita version.
• The Minimap overview is missing from the Options screen and cannot be enabled.
• The Hood camera is missing. This also includes the ability to change the camera rotation.
• Online multiplayer is missing, only Ad-Hoc mode is available, i.e. local multiplayer mode.
• The Reloaded tracks aren't used properly in the Career mode: although there are 5 reloaded tracks, only Chamonix is used. It becomes very repetitive as many events take place in the same track. The Time Attack race on the Asphalt Ultimate Cup for said track is glitched; two of the time extension flags do not function, but finishing the race will still count as a victory with a Gold objective, even though the timer is negative.

The main menu interface has been altered in some way, meaning several elements are inaccessible in both of the mobile versions of the game:

• Vehicle upgrades and decals (albeit accessible in the multiplayer menu).
• Vehicle paint jobs. (AI racers only use the default as well).
• The garage (menu files are present, but the model itself has been removed).
• Sponsors (still unlocked through progression, but unequippable).
• Other race modes in quick race besides Normal Race.

Tecno version#

An updated revision of the Lenovo version, internally named "AsphaltInjection_Tecno_X260_IGP_TBFV_ML_GLLive_101_sign", and it was released in 2013. Although the .apk file name suggests that this is version 1.0.1, the in-game About screen displays 1.0.0 as the game version. Notable changes include:

• The Gameloft startup logo isn't animated anymore, instead, it's a static image, just like Gameloft's other games released in that era.
• Gameloft Live! support has been added. Unfortunately, the GLive! servers have closed, so it's not possible to log-in and sync this game to your account anymore.
• A tab with more Gameloft games has been added at the bottom left corner of the main menu screen.
• The first in-app purchase has been added: at the bottom right corner of the main menu screen, you now have the ability to unlock all cars and tracks of the game by using real money. This feature also doesn't work anymore.
• The ability to change the player's profile name has been added.
• Inside the Options screen, there is now a new Customer Care tab.
• Touch controls have been added, albeit slightly unpolished, as the brakes only allow drifting from one side to another. Sometimes the controls can lock up after using nitro several times where it prevents you from steering. It is only fixed by pressing the said button again.
• New languages have been added: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese. The game automatically detects your system language when you first open it.
• Inside the Multiplayer screen, the Ad Hoc option was removed and it simply redirects you to the Create/Join session options, possibly because there wasn't any other option to choose from apart from Ad Hoc.
• The Lenovo cars have been removed, although the Lenovo Asphalt Ultimate has the unlock car texture left over in the files. These cars can still be driven if their according textures and vehicle data are copied into the game files.
• The Close chase camera has been butchered in this version: the view is extremely close to the player car, making it very hard to see the road ahead.
• The Tokyo and New York lightmap road glitches have been fixed. The track textures are also much higher quality.

Unused Damage Models#

Doru Butz, a Romanian 3D modeler that worked on Gameloft from 2010 until 2014, showcased his entire Asphalt 6 portfolio on ArtStation. In it, among some of Injection's roster (including the MINI Cooper Coupe, Shelby GT500 Eleanor, Ferrari F40, among others) being blended in the mix, there was also one particular art piece that showcased what seems to be a scrapped feature in either Asphalt 6 or Injection. This piece included renderings that showcased various forms of damage, including scratches, dents, and shattered windshields. With this piece, there is evidence to conclude that such a damage system was initially planned for either game, but was scrapped likely due to hardware limitations or considerations regarding gameplay balance and performance.

See Also: Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

Unused Text#

Inside any of the .bar files (located in data/strings), text files don't just mention leftovers from Asphalt 6, but also several other scrapped elements.

Unused Vehicles#

• BMW 6 Series Coupe (scrapped car shown in the Gamescom demo)
• BMW Vision ConnectedDrive
• Fiat 500 Scuderia Edition
• Mercedes-Benz SLK 350

Unused Tutorial#

In the same text files (though they only exist in English and French (SCEA/SCEE), other cut strings can be found:

Ready to race? That's why you're here, right? So let's get you up to speed. With the default controls, you can accelerate using the R button. Steering this baby is as simple as it gets. You can use the left stick or the directional buttons.

Try to stay in the middle of the road for now. You can change control options anytime in the options menu. Hey, that's pretty good! How about we really get up to speed? Your ride is equipped with a nitro tank. Your nitro gauge is in the top center of the screen.

When you need a speed boost, press the B button. Go on, try it now!

Not bad, eh! Now fill up your nitro gauge by picking up nitro boosters - the ones with the flame icons. I'll deactivate your nitro for now and wait for you to fill your tank before you can use it again.

Great job! That was a regular blue nitro boost pickup. See if you can find a special gold nitro boost pickup.

Sweet! Gold items are worth more than blue ones, but it's collecting three in a row that really pays off. There are 3 levels of nitro boost. Once you're boosting, access the next level by releasing the boost button and pressing it again right away. Give it a whirl: press the B button three times in a row to reach nitro level 3.

Let me refill your gauge for you... There, now try again!

Pretty cool, huh!? Notice how your vision is enhanced to help you drive with Adrenaline! Now that's Asphalt for you. This kind of boost is very helpful, but going at high speed can be tricky when it's time to take a sharp curve. This is why you'll need to master drifting. On top of allowing you to own the curves, drifting fills up your nitro gauge. 
Drift some more to fill up your gauge now.

Loads of unused text likely meant for a tutorial, mentioning nitro and drifting mechanics.

You can use your Nitro while drifting to keep your speed up while taking harsh corners. If you boost to the 3rd level of Nitro while your gauge is in the red, you'll warp to Adrenaline mode! Keep an eye out for shortcuts to gain the upper hand on the competition. Remember to drift on tight corners to fill your Nitro Gauge. If somebody's hassling you, push them into oncoming traffic! Overtaking other racers is nice, but taking them down is even sweeter! Adrenaline mode makes you invulnerable and gives you an extra boost, but makes it harder to turn. Master drifting and you'll master the track! Be careful! At top speed, traffic and obstacles can show up in the blink of an eye. Upgrading your vehicle will give you the speed you need to rock the competition. Be sure to try out the different controls in the Options menu to optimize your driving! When in doubt, FLOOR IT! When you drive through a speed boost, hold on tight! Shock your opponents into submission with the EMP! Picking up Rage will give you temporary invulnerability with the ability to perform instant knock-downs. Have fun. Need more control over your vehicle? Finding the game too difficult? Go to the options to set driving aids that will help you out. You can customize your control preferences in the options. You can change the in-game view by using the Left/Right button. You can upgrade your vehicle at the Vehicle Select screen or in your Garage. Think you're the best? Take your skills online and see how you match up. Playing online helps you develop new skills and rewards you with special powers. Invite your friends to compete online through Gameloft LIVE! and Game Center. Check out the Asphalt Store to buy cool extras and upgrades!

The other remaining text shows that loading screen tips were planned. EMP and Rage powerups are absent even in online multiplayer. They were likely scrapped very late into the game's development and have no models. Note that both had some weird text instead of the proper buttons for the inputs.

Cut Achievements#

Authorized Driver: When you obtain your first license.
Amateur Driver: When you finish at least 20 races.
Promising Rookie: When you obtain your 10th gold trophy.
Online Racer: When you finish at least 20 online races.
Tax Collector: When your total earnings reach at least 100,000 credits.
Car Collector: When you have bought at least 75% of the cars in the game.
Top Car: When you have all the best upgrades installed on at least one car. 
Professional Driver: When you complete 50% of the racing events. 
Online Winner: When you win at least 20 online races. 
Great Career: When you complete at least 80% of Career mode. 
Ultimate Driver: When you obtain gold trophies in all racing events.

Unused trophies have been found in the strings. While similar equivalents appear in the game such as "Contender" for finishing 10 multiplayer races, an achievement for finishing 20 isn't implemented. There is an achievement named "Perfectionist" for earning all stars in a league, but no milestone related career achievements exist in the final game, they also have generic names unlike the Vita trophies.

Unused Track Order#

Located in the same text files yet again, track names can be found twice, first using the regular track order which is used, the other is the same as Asphalt 6. Bizarrely, the minimap textures have a slightly changed up list:

Chamonix and Monte Carlo have the same places as the final game, whereas HK was meant to appear earlier than Detroit (likely toned down due to the former being a lot more difficult). The first track starts with Nassau, just like Asphalt 6 instead of LA in the final game (in the internal list, it appears as the 5th track instead).

Internal Oddities#

There's a bunch of odd names for how the assets are called in the game files and in general:

Textures#

In the PS Vita version, the game uses Sony's .gtx format with a .tga extension for the main textures. The Android versions instead use PVR format (textures with alpha transparency are ZIP files). Despite this, the Android version allows sideloading .png files as long as they are renamed in file extension. Some track lightmaps do not have them specified, such as Detroit's being "lightmap01-lightmap04".

Tracks#

Some tracks have more than one internal name, Detroit is named Autoplant (only the pre-race co-driver quotes, referring to the original Fast Five track), but almost everywhere else it's called Abandoned. Reykjavik is named Iceland.