Developer – Kunos Simulazioni

Publisher – 505 Games

Platforms –   PC (Reviewed)

Review copy given by Publisher

NOTE:

The following game is being reviewed in an Early Access State, the game may change after the release of this review, this review reflects the game at the time of publishing.

Assetto Corsa Evo has finally sped into Steam’s Early Access after months of anticipation and teaser showcases. As the third driving simulator from the Italian developers at Kunos Simulazioni, AC Evo follows in the tire tracks of their original release, Assetto Corsa (2014), and its successor, Assetto Corsa Competizione (2018). Before we shift gears into a deeper discussion about AC Evo, let’s address some disclaimers and establish our credentials.

My gameplay experience is powered by a Ryzen 7 5800X processor, an RTX 3080 GPU, and 32GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3600MHz. My simulator setup includes a Simagic Alpha Mini wheelbase, Fanatec Clubsport Pedals, a Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter, and a homemade wooden DIY cockpit, creating an immersive and highly responsive driving experience.

Given that my setup is located away from my monitor, I play exclusively in VR using an Oculus Rift S, though I have also experimented with gameplay outside of VR. While I am not a professional race car driver nor would I consider myself a top-tier sim racer, I bring substantial experience to the table. With over 700 hours in the original Assetto Corsa and hundreds more in iRacing and other simulators, I have developed a solid understanding of what to look for and how to evaluate the overall experience.

At launch, Assetto Corsa Evo features 20 unique vehicles and 5 tracks, which can be enjoyed either in solo practice sessions or in customizable races against AI-controlled opponents. Returning to the series is the detailed showroom mode, allowing players to closely inspect their vehicles and admire the incredible craftsmanship the Kunos Simulazioni team has put into these stunning models. According to the roadmap displayed upon launching the sim, future updates will introduce multiplayer, a story-driven mode, and the highly anticipated free-roam feature, promising even more depth and variety for players.

The vehicles released with version 0.1 are as follows:

• Abarth 695 Biposto

• Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm

• Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce

• Alpine A110 S

• Alpine A290_β concept

• Audi RS3 Sportback

• BMW M2 CS Racing

• BMW M4 CSL

• Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ferrari 296 GTB

• Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo

• Ford Escort RS Cosworth

• Honda S2000

• Hyundai i30 N

• Lotus Emira V6

• Mazda MX-5 Cup (ND)

• Mercedes-AMG GT2

• Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992)

• Toyota GR86

• Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8 Clubsport

Most vehicles listed above have different packages available to drive the Toyota GR86 has Premium Standard (Red Leather package), Trueno Performance, and a Hakone Edition Performance Package variant. Each spec of the cars gives you unique looks and handling making the experience for each trim package unique and a slightly newer and different experience. Another large detail that was a modded feature on the original Assetto Corsa has made its way as a native feature to AC Evo and that is a fully interactive infotainment center for the vehicles allowing you to change driving modes, cluster styles, as well as fully interactive lights for modes and assist. These small details add so much more life to the vehicles, making you feel like there are no limitations to how you choose to drive and interact.

Of course, what is a racing game without race tracks? There are only 5 tracks with this initial release, but don’t let that number fool you. These tracks are highly detailed and laser-scanned. The quality absolutely overwhelms the quantity here. Many more tracks will continue to come with all the future updates, as well as multiple different layouts for those tracks. Listed below are the 5 tracks you can experience with this early access release.

• Imola 

• Brands Hatch

• Laguna Seca

• Mount Panorama, Bathurst

• Suzuka

This time kunos has built AC Evo from the ground up using there own new game engine, straying away from the once-used unreal engine. The Kunos engine may be in the infant stage but the visuals that have been already accomplished are nothing short but spectacular. Not only are the vehicles stunning, but each track’s atmosphere is so immersive and high quality you really get the sense of where you are.

Now that you’re familiar with some of the features Assetto Corsa Evo has to offer, let’s dive into the details of my experience and evaluate whether it’s worth your investment. Like any game, AC Evo has its share of strengths and weaknesses, and in its current state, there’s a fair balance of both.

The force feedback in this game feels so smooth and responsive, putting together all they have learned from both previous Assetto games giving you the ultimate feeling when driving. This is already one of the ultimate experiences on a wheel (Direct drive in my case) you can feel every dip in the road, the corner rumble strips, the grass, wet roads, etc. That being said, it isn’t perfect still, i found sIme of the FWD driving felt abit numba bitll, but i have hiIh hopes that will evolve with time.

As mentioned the vehicles are detailed and absolutely stunning visually, but i felt that some of the sounds sounds were lacking and honestly didn’t feel like they were meant for the vehicles, like the ford escort cosworth sounds kinda flat and almost weak, yet the Camaro sounds aggressive and strong like a big American v8 should be.

The tracks are a significant boost from previous years, you can tell alot of time and care has gone into ensuring the closest experience to the real track as possible. The weather interacting with the tracks is a huge feature that plans to add so much more to your driving experience, but with the current version I felt it was abit inconsistent with the wet patches.

The new tire physics are a major upgrade as well this time, based on which compound you choose the car will drastically change its driving behavior. I did have a few times where I was trying to slide a car and the side grip was abit high and would push me straight, i assume with time the tyre’s will get better and better as well.

One part that is very hit or miss is performance in game. Playing on a single screen in 1440p on medium/high settings i was getting 70-90fps but once introducing some Ai my fps began to drop drastically. Soon as I switched into vr the performance was basically unbearable. Some cases going under what felt 10fps at times with alot of weird shadows and freezes. They mention vr will be getting another big update in the coming weeks, but for now if you are stuck playing only vr like i usually do it’s very hard to enjoy in it’s current state.

A big issue i always had with the Assetto Corsa games is the Ui, i feel as if the ui is always clunky and slow and this versions ui is in my opinion one of the slowest. The settings are kinda confusing the navigate, because of positioning of where everythings laid. I hope this is something we see a change with in the near future.

AC Evo is the start of the next best simulator to date, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be the new industry standard. Currently this feels more as a demo of the future, with the promise of better to come, and i am all here for it. Early access launches are more likely to be rough than a full release and that’s for good reason, but supporting a company like kunos and this community giving hundreds and thousands of different types of feedback and point of views we can help kunos grow AC Evo into the machine it’s on track to become. Purchasing AC Evo to me feels like an investment in good faith, knowing kunos is on the right track to produce nothing but absolutely quality, and with the roadmap available it shows they’re far committed to give us the absolute best possible. Do i recommend it to anyone? Well that’s entirely up to how you perceive early access. Some choose to enjoy every step of the process, growing with each update offering feedback and advice. Some choose to wait for the final release, skipping the bads and going straight to the goods and that is also a totally fair and realistic outlook for some. If you believe in kunos, this is a must pick up. I strongly believe you won’t regret investing into the future of AC Evo, as i have and will continue too.

In its current state, I will have to give AC Evo a Solid 7/10 as a full experience, but once they unlock more features including the free roam and multiplayer I anticipate that score to go up significantly.