Assetto Corsa Review

Assetto Corsa seeks to be the most authentic racer on the market. It focuses solely on capturing the feel of sitting in the cockpit. Its developer Kunos Simulazioni has been creating sim racers since 2006’s netKar Pro. So, the Italian studio knows a thing or two about this challenging genre. Driving games are a niche genre, and this is amplified even further when the word “simulator” is thrown into the mix. Released in 2014, Assetto Corsa is arguably the company’s most accomplished project. But, is it worth checking out?

Be the Driver

When it comes purely to the act of driving, Assetto Corsa is the best sim racer on the market. Shipping with a respectable lineup of cars and just under 20 tracks, Assetto Corsa focuses on quantity over quality in the areas that truly matter. None of the vehicles control the same way, with each requiring dozen-upon-dozens of hours to learn, let alone master.

The same extends to the tracks. Memorizing a map’s layout is crucial for standing any hope of securing a podium finish. You cannot learn Assetto Corsa’s tracks on the fly. You must prepare to spend a significant amount of hours driving solo in the practice mode. Once you gain familiarity, you can jump into the Career Mode. Although, it may be more rewarding to just opt for a single race.

Lineup

While there is an impressive collection of vehicles, players should not just flip-flop from one car to the next. Unlike arcade racers or a sim like Project Cars, Assetto Corsa’s lineup provides something to suit everyone’s fancy, rather than just making up the numbers.

Overall, the cars are divided into nine different genres, although any area can be further split into different classes. Along with vehicles designed specifically for a race type (Supra MKIV Drift), each genre contains a handful of cars intended to familiarize beginners with the controls. For example, the 2 Eleven is a great starting option. Beginners should outright ignore supercars until much later down the line. Deciphering which cars are prone to understeering or have poor traction becomes vital.