A UK-based mobile gaming channel, PocketGamer, has revealed a first look at the upcoming portable version of Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Mobile, and it’s just over two weeks away from launch.
Developed by Italian mobile specialist studio Digital Tales, ACM looks set to be the sim-oriented entry in the mobile race pantheon. According to the PocketGamer presenters, the title isn’t quite as in-depth a simulation as Assetto Corsa — which comes as no surprise — but is a pretty solid approximation of it, intended as an entry level introduction to the ethos of the series.
As we saw during the stream, ACM has a number of different control methods. The one primarily used in this first preview was referred to as a “drag” setting, wherein the player controls the steering with their left thumb and the brakes with their right, while the game automatically accelerates. A further option involves tilting the screen for steering, and we’d expect individual throttle and brake controls on the screen.
Some cars, tracks, and even sounds will carry across from the regular Assetto Corsa titles, though the physics seems a little more user-friendly and the AI in the featured races didn’t seem entirely convincing. The tracks we did see included Barcelona, Brands Hatch, Laguna Seca, Mugello, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Vallelunga, and Zandvoort.
While the racing centered on low-power hatchbacks like the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Abarth 500, some other vehicles in the menu screens included the Audi Quattro SWB, Ford GT, Lamborghini Aventador, and Maserati Levante.
We did see a little from the game’s various modes. The Career mode appears to take the form of a relatively straightforward ladder, with players required to gain a minimum number of ranking positions — podium spots in the case of the lower order events — to progress to the next championship.
One event from the Career, the Welcome Cup, appeared on the stream, showing a ten-car race at Vallelunga. It’s not clear yet whether that’s as many cars as ACM can display, or just the field at these low level events.
Free Practice is, as it suggests, a mode for getting out and driving any car you have at any track you can use. Scuderia mode allows you to buy, upgrade, and customize your vehicles.
While this was just a short first look at the game, 505 Games is planning a longer event as part of a “showcase” on August 27 at 1200UTC. Assetto Corsa Mobile itself will launch just four days later, on August 31.
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Can you at least use a controller???
iRacing for PS Vita, please!
I hope this game scales for good hardware because the graphics in the stream are absolutely shocking.
If you don’t like it – congratulations, you were never the target demographic. If you’re not a fan of mobile racing games, then stick to the PC sims; they have a market for that already and Kunos does a great job of catering to it.
At least they had the decency to segregate their full releases from their mobile titles – unlike some other studio who blatantly released a mobile game on PC and console with the audacity to lie about every single thing about its release – only to announce its successor a month later.
All the visual aspects aside, isn’t one of assetto corsa’s main selling points its moddability? I doubt it’ll be as easy on mobile if it’s doable at all, so that’s already a bit discouraging.
The mobile game doesn’t hinder mods on the PC version. It’s no different than a console version of a game that doesn’t support PC mods.
The mobile version doesn’t take anything away from the AC we all know and love. It’s a different title all together. If you’re into modding your racing games – again, read my first post. You’re not the target audience. Plenty of people will play this, I reckon – and I’m certain many future PC players will have been introduced to the title through the mobile variant.
Couldn’t at least the dials have a higher texture resolution?
It’s something I thought of before, textures are very heavy, and on mobile, or on low-end PCs, you might not be able to run high-res textures, but on a racing game, I feel like the dials are an important detail, that should be separate and run at a higher resolution than the rest of the textures.
It’s a very small amount of textures, I don’t think it would affect performance that much.
just a lame money grab
Grid Autosport and Rush Rally 3 are great examples of mobile racing games that aren’t money grabs; maybe this one will be a premium title like those two (unless I’m proven otherwise).
I’ve said this before; if I wanted to play a sim on such a small screen, I’d move my rig further away from the TV.
What are the chances we see something else besides this mobile game at the showcase?
Like new content for ACC or even a development update for AC2?
Definitely a bad idea. Stay on Console and PC!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it just me or the graphics are….atrocious? In-game lightning feel really unfinished and I feel like the map got downgraded way too much compared to the original AC. Personally I’ve seen mobile racing games that look much better than this.
I mean brand exposure might not be a bad thing. I won’t play it but I hope it finds a crowd.
I don’t have a good feeling about this
yikes