Assetto Corsa

Despite its amazing driving simulation, Assetto Corsa just doesn't get the racing right. Out on track alone it feels amazing; there's no denying the remarkable realism Kunos Simulazioni has captured here. Unfortunately the team just hasn't been able to wrap a comprehensive or competitive racing experience around it this time.

Even without turning to those updates and additions, there's enough to celebrate. You could put any car on any track and lose yourself in the simulation for hours, squinting through sun caught in the smeared perspex windscreen of a Z4 GT as it sets over Spa and you pick out entry, apex and exit points, or pawing an Elise this way and that through the swerves of Magione. Assetto Corsa's laser focus on the driving experience works wonders - and when it comes to replicating that simple, brilliant pleasure, there's no other game right now that does it better.

With that said, hopefully the game grows over time. I know Evolution Studios turned Driveclub into an enjoyable experience after a failed launch. Maybe Kunos Simulazioni can do the same for Assetto Corsa.

Assetto Corsa is a frustrating drive with a punishing learning curve that never truly pays you back for your time investment. It fails to provide an effective way to learn its complicated intricacies and lacks features that a game of its ilk requires. It's also simultaneously the best and worst presented racing game of the past few years, with superbly detailed cars and tracks hampered by awful long-distance scenery and ugly roadside textures. Ultimately, this is a disappointment that lacks the heart required to truly celebrate the cars it has so lovingly recreated.

Without having to pay for iRacing or rFactor, Assetto Corsa Competizione is as real as it gets when getting behind the wheel.

Assetto Corsa Competizione sets a new standard in the racing simulators genre. The driving feeling is unparalleled, amusing and passionate in its complexity, while the spasmodic search for detail exudes passion.

I'm the end Assetto Corsa may lean more towards the professional virtual racer which offers some great features and tweaks available for the gamer who wants to maximise their realistic experience. I also commend the developers on creating such as engaging title but it does border a little on budget when compared to other games of this calibre but the cars look great and they handle how they should. The career mode is in-depth and the other modes are fun, especially the events and of course multiplayer which is where this title shined for me.

Die herausragende Physik, welche selbst den Reifendruck und Abtrieb genauestens simuliert, fordert mich als Spieler insbesondere in den ersten Rennen enorm. Dabei ist es wenig hilfreich, ohne dynamische Ideallinie auf den Rundkursen unterwegs zu sein. Auch hätte dem Spiel ein Tutorial zu den wichtigsten Einstellungen am Auto gut getan, um so auch weniger versierte Spieler besser in die Welt des Motorsports integrieren zu können. Selten war eine Fahrphysik derart realistisch abgebildet wie hier. Entsprechend werden Fehler hart bestraft, sodass der Schwierigkeitsgrad hoch und die Lernkurve möglicherweise zu fordernd sind. Die überarbeitete Gamepad-Steuerung sowie die angepasste KI machen es absoluten Beginnern dennoch schon wesentlich leichter, in die Motorsportwelt abzutauchen, als noch zu Release. Visuell muss sich Assetto Corda deutlich hinter dem kürzlich veröffentlichten F1 2016 einordnen und wer eben mal nur kurz eine Runde fahren möchte, ist dort ohnehin besser aufgehoben. Erst nach einiger Einarbeitungszeit lässt sich die vielleicht beste und am ehesten realistische Fahrphysik auf Konsolen wirklich genießen. Hier spielt Assetto Corsa aber in einer eigenen Liga und lässt selbst Rennspielveteranen ins Schwitzen kommen. Sehr löblich: Die Entwickler bemühen sich, nah mit der Community zusammenzuarbeiten, und haben mit dem kürzlich erschienenen Patch gezeigt, dass sie das Spiel weiter auf die richtige Bahn lenken wollen. Wenn die Jungs hier am Ball bleiben und weiterhin Bonus-Content nachschieben, bietet sich Assetto Corsa durchaus als Alternative zu anderen Genre-Vertretern auf Konsolen an. Das gilt ebenso für Simulationspuristen wie Anfänger, wenngleich letztere sich erst einmal durch die harte Lernkurve kämpfen müssen. Umso größer sind aber die Glücksgefühle, wenn eine fehlerfreie Runde oder die Bestzeit unterboten wird.

In conclusion, ignoring the stat glitches, lack of private lobbies and the somewhat questionable way the game is packaged, what's underneath the hood is seriously impressive. Any dedicated racing nuts who feel like testing themselves at the wheel on console should look no further. While there are other console games, such as Project CARS, with more cars and more courses, claiming also to be serious racers, Assetto Corsa undeniably owns the genre on console now, due to its uncompromising and unwavering dedication to realism. For now, there's nothing better for that on console. It's just a shame that it lacks the polish and omits some major draws, such as private online lobbies, which stop it from being considered a classic.

Assetto Corsa is a perfect example of ambition. Kunos Simulazioni is not a very big studio but that didn't stop them from working hard to release a simulation game that can compete against existing series. Yet the studio fell short of delivering the expected and necessary standard to pose any real threat to other driving simulation games out there.