Assetto Corsa is arriving on consoles in two days. Some lucky individuals have already found copies in stores, while we here at GTPlanet are just beginning to get our feet wet with a pre-release copy of our own. Chatter about the game has hit a fever pitch in the staff room, so we’ve collected a small list of the five things we’re most looking forward to in Assetto Corsa’s console version. Much like the similar article for F1 2016 last week, this is in no particular order.
The Abarth 500 Assetto Corse
Yes, really. The diminutive Scorpion-badged hatch is one of the most-anticipated cars in AC’s 90+ list. There’s just something innately appealing about a track-biased little front-driver. It’s like a vehicular puppy in terms of eagerness. We’re looking forward to tipping it into corners in much the same fashion as the image above, and getting familiar with the concept of lift-off oversteer thanks to that tiny wheelbase. The Assetto Corse car should provide plenty of close racing online, too.
The Physics
Of course this would be on the list. No matter where you go on the internet, the main talking point about Assetto Corsa is the physics engine. There’s the pedigree of Kunos Simulazioni, with the highly-regarded netKar Pro under its belt. There’s the numerous videos showing off just how close the game gets to the real thing.
It’s been a long time coming, with two delays pushing the title to its current release window. Console racers are itching to check out what the fuss is all about, especially with Kunos’ remaining positive the experience will not be watered down.
Drifting
This goes hand-in-hand with the entry above. A great, natural-feeling physics engine not only makes hitting apexes all that more sweet, it means going sideways can be more fun too. We love the rush of a great hot lap as much as the next digital racer, but sometimes you just want to view the surroundings through the side windows.
“From anyone who’s gave it a go, it sounds like the drifting is pretty addictive in the long-run as you try to nail each corner,” said our man Brendan. “I’m not much of a drifter but would love to give it a whirl!”
Porsche
The most-successful marque in the history of auto racing definitely deserves a spot of its own on this list. Okay, we’re cheating a bit here, since the Stuttgart manufacturer won’t be in console versions of the game from day one. It isn’t far away though, with the first of three packs set to arrive in September. Kunos is displaying a keen sense of what fans want, with a mix of old, new, road, and track cars making up the list of rides revealed so far.
Audio
While graphics have made improvements in leaps and bounds over the generations, audio is seemingly a much trickier beast to master. Checking out videos on Youtube of the PC build of the game, we’ve been consistently impressed by the breadth of sounds almost as much as the quality of them.
The Ferraris shriek as they climb the rev range, sure — but hearing a sequential box as it slams home the next ratio certainly adds to the immersion. One of our favourite details is a small one: the sound of sand pinging against the wheel-wells after you’ve had an off.
That’s our list and we’re sticking to it. A few other features were pitched back and forth, but at the end of the day, its these five that have us most excited for the game. It won’t be long now until we get to find out what they’re like. Getting the game? Swing by our Assetto Corsa sub-forum to share your own findings with the community.
Assetto Corsa releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One August 26 in Europe, and August 30 in North America.
See more articles on Assetto Corsa Console Release and GTPlanet Lists.
I, for one, am extremely excited about this game coming to consoles.
Why? Because I don’t pretend that I am a racing driver. I pretend that I’m some guy in his 30’s who has time to play video games (yes, I will call it a video game without hesitation because I can’t pretend that I care about the difference in calling it a simulation or not) for about 20 minutes once a week or so with a gamepad and a PS4 and this just looks like a lot of fun!
Really, it’s Porsche. But that other stuff is exciting too.
Whoever it was at Porsche that signed the infamous deal with EA back in 1999 should be kicked in the nuts (or nut area) so hard that LIGO goes haywire thinking a supernova just went off in Germany.
Sadly the engine sounds are a very mixed bag. From some sounding pretty awesome to some sounding like they are at a very low sample rate. Why the inconsistenty?? ..
Kunos is a tiny team of people. Cars that were released the earliest were built to a particular standard with the equipment and techniques available to them at that time. As they got more money and more experience and also improved techniques to record sound things got better. And then they got better again.
So, yes…I agree there are varying levels of quality among the library of cars in AC. I dont think any are terrible, but you can tell the difference between their best cars sounds and their not-best sounds. I don’t want to use the word “worst”. LOL
The good thing about Kunos – especially the fact that their offices are AT Vallelunga Race Circuit – they often get opportunities to re-record vehicles that come to the track or look over the real version of a car in their sim that they’re not 100% pleased with, take more reference photos and make improvements, if they wish and if possible.
I don’t think Assetto Corsa will EVER be ‘done’. They’ll keep tweaking and improving things as time moves forward. We are already on the 8th iteration of their Tire Model – but it’s been renamed to Tire Model 10 – I’m certain we will see another improvement to their tire model in the future. Kunos will always make improvements if they believe improvements are warranted…and they actually do listen to their customers suggestions in their support forums.
two changes happened, they got a second audio guy for the sounds and invested in a lot of audio equipment
That’s something strange – no word about Feedback =/
W/o adequate force feedback for my wheel I won’t play any sim today =! And no matter what Abarth, Porsche and Audio are there %)
I’m a bit disappointed…
for me there are two Major points that a Sim has to get right.
1) the Physics – How the car feels and responds..
2) the Drivers perspective. When I’m using inside Views, does it look close to how it would look if I was driving in a real car. ( Not Graphics Detail or Image Quality ) but how the Car and the Outside of the car react.
I don’t know how AC comes in for number 1.
but I just watched a Sample Video, and for #2, it Fails Completely.
It’s more of the fake Arcade visuals that so many Other Driving games have delivered
Have none of the Developers ever sat inside a race car and driven it on a track?
Why give us Sim drivers something that’s so far from real it’s down right horrible.
Who sits in a car and drives while the Whole Outside word is bouncing up and down, and the Dash is Rigidly Fixed in one position..
go watch this video clip… Stare at the bottom edge of the screen and dash,
notice how it doesn’t move at all..
It’s not even an attempt at a simulation of reality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ynF7LneELo
I know, I’m going to hear all kinds of flak…
but unless more of us Sim drivers Demand better than this, then all we are ever going to get is Arcade type junk.
Jesus, this view is an option. You can also drive with seeing the steering wheel and you can adjust the distance.
Furthermore, its interesting how you can judge the physics by watching a video. I played AC yesterday and it feels great, even with pad.
No flak at all – You are 100% right! These so called sim devs have a lot of work to do! People should stop buying until they sort it out.
Magic you complain about every sim game. You’re never satisfied what the game offers.
The problem is, you only have 1 16:9 screen in front of your eyes and you have to figure out a proper Field of View to give your ‘driver’s eyes’ – what you will see on your screen. For some reason, it’s like the driver’s eyes are mounted on a pole that sticks in the drivers seat, so the eyes will always be at the same exact height and same exact position: left, right, forward and backward. That is the disorienting effect that you’re talking about. You’re 100% right. That’s not natural.
Take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DisHD5lDJrQ
The person who made the video mounted a Go Pro, or similar device, and his head doesn’t remain 100% stationary. He moves around in all directions as he drives his R8 around the Green Hell. So, watching his video is a lot better because it’s got natural movement from our viewpoint — the exact thing that is missing from the ‘driver’s eyes’ in Assetto Corsa.
In that YouTube video, the Assetto Corsa game is still doing what you call unrealistic, but since our view is moving around it feels way more realistic. Now, when you play the game your head is going to be moving all around, it will tilt, go left and right, etc.. Your brain will interpret more realistic motion – the view. But when you watch the replay file you keep your head still and it looks worse.
@WyldAnimal
Yes, they got for example the car physics guy who drives the cars in Vallelunga circuit, the car sound guy has a MX5 that he drifts around the track.
And the best of all is that the main studio of kunos Simulazioni is in the Vallelunga race track… So they’re have it easy to work with cars,professional driver feedback and teams feedback.
They even make professional simulators for Porsche, Ferrari… With their assetto corsa PRO programme.
1-the physics are on top, And FFB also.
2- with the dash cam it’s great playing with a wheel
@ JDmsz – That’s right I do complain, and I complain because I am fussy – We had sims 10 years ago that were more realistic. If you accept anything nothing will change. Just my opinion, no need to get upset about it.
I’m looking forward to customizable controller options for the console. Apparently, there’s only 3 pre-set options. Hoping that’s patched up soon!
The 5 things that i’m looking forward to the most in AC are the P1 the FXXK, that cool track from that video(sorry have idea of the name) lafarrari the p1 gtr(when it gets added via dlc) and the fifth and last thing would be….
Finally its here (spain, pre order). i only could drive 1 hour, but the game is what i expected. The phisics for me, are amazing. You feel every bump in the track (G29 steering wheel). The sounds are very, very good.
Porsche DLC ouyeaaaah baby
That is dumb title, just go to a friend with a pc and then you know what AC will be like..
Not like AC on consoles will be a different game.
I couldn’t agree more on sound. That’s by far the best sound I have ever heard in a racing game. Even better than Dirt Rally.
This is the new go to simulation on console, and we can hopefully expect great support for it.
listen to the 919 hybrid and the r18 e-tron mods when you get a chance, they show how powerful the audio engine is, its pretty crazy
It won’t be the go-to game on console until they bring custom lobbies. No matter how good everything else is. Sad but true.
seriously? you havent heard RaceRoom Racing Experience then
@deththrasher, RaceRoom isn’t on consoles, is it? Last I checked it was PC only
“I couldn’t agree more on sound. That’s by far the best sound I have ever heard in a racing game.”
he didn’t specify consoles
@deththrasher. I believe, you’ve missed the point Syntex123 is trying to make.
Yeah, no private lobbies is going to make us wait for GT Sport even more.
The new sound engine is great and maybe 10 cars sound very nice. But that’s it though. Inconsistent. It was explained to me that they changed staff and equipment, so Porsche will be excellent in the sound department I hope. Let’s see :)
The little Abarth 500 is great fun! :)