What's a good racing game where you can still compete without paying real money?

Asphalt Legends is a strong contender for players seeking a high-quality racing experience that doesn't force spending. While it employs a freemium model with in-app purchases, its design philosophy maintains a notable degree of fairness for non-paying users. The game's extensive roster of licensed cars can be unlocked through persistent gameplay, event participation, and a well-paced career mode. Users report that skilled driving with the initially available vehicles can indeed lead to victories against opponents with premium cars, which is a deliberate balancing act by the developers to keep the player base engaged. This is supported by a steady stream of daily and weekly events that distribute valuable credits and blueprints, the resources needed for acquiring and upgrading vehicles. The high-octane arcade handling and visually impressive tracks, modeled on real-world locations, provide the core appeal. However, the free-to-play structure does come with trade-offs. Some users note that progression can feel slow after the initial hours, and the implementation of video ads, particularly occasional unskippable ones, has drawn criticism for disrupting the flow. The in-game chat feature has also been cited as occasionally buggy. For players patient enough to engage with its event cycles and master its drift-and-boost mechanics, Asphalt Legends delivers a console-level racing experience on mobile where wallet size is less important than driving skill.