Assetto Corsa Hands On

Just Push Start was recently able to test the pre-release version of Kunos Simulazioni’s indie racing simulator Assetto Corsa. Currently a lot of the main features have been added to the game, but plenty of additional content is still in development.

The best place to start with any racing title are the vehicles. At present there are just under 30 cars to pick from. Ranging from classics, such as the Ferrari 312T, to some of the best supercars, including the McLaren Mp4 and the recently added Pagani Huayra.

For those wondering if the roster is enough, Kunos Simulazioni has recently confirmed a number of new partnerships. RUF and Nissan have both recently been confirmed as partners which will result in a number of new cars for players to get their hands on.

Alongside the realistic presentation is a robust driving simulator. Assetto Corsa is certainly not an arcade style Need For Speed type racing game. The game is similar in realism to the legendary racing franchise Gran Turismo.

Players with decent knowledge of cars can gain an advantage against their completion by utilizing the advanced car setup management system. Alas, past a few tyre pressures, I was unable to massively improve my vehicle but the possibility is there. There is a sense of fairness throughout the title due to the realistic nature of the game, as well as the penalty system. This all adds up to gives a nice feel to the game and punishes those who attempt to cheat by cutting corners, both metaphorically and physically.

The corners themselves make up the formidable real world tracks that have been scanned by laser to be added into the game. An increase from the current list of circuits has also been confirmed for the official release but the range already offers courses with decent variety. Some racing fan favourites are on show with Silverstone, Nürburgring and Monza all included.

It is a shame that the damage models are yet to be implemented as it detracts from the realism and thus the immersion of the title. Assetto Corsa prides itself on realism and currently the lack of damage states and the potential effects of damage are sorely missing from the game. The collision system has recently been updated improving it to some extent but until the damage system is in place, which are to be added progressively, the realism is often sharply cut off. Naturally decent drivers will not see this damage as they perfectly dance around the track.

Even at its current stage Assetto Corsa, shows that Kunos Simulazioni knows how to make a solid and realistic racing simulator. The range of vehicles, including both classics and supercars, is currently acceptable and it is clear that this is an area that the developers are already working on. This is the case with the majority of the games problems. More tracks and cars would improve the game and they have both already been confirmed. The lack of damage states draws from the immersion of the game and yet again it has been promised for the final game. There is more than a solid basis for Assetto Corsa to build upon and when the full release is out it will easily challenge racing titles from the largest developers. The game is currently available via Steam’s Early Access feature allowing the developer to get direct feedback from gamers. For this reason and many others any racing fan should give Assetto Corsa a go.