The feeling of a Ferrari V6 screaming at 8,000rpm right behind your head as you barely stay on the track is exhilarating. Is what I would say if you weren’t fighting for your life to stay on the road at speed.
Assetto Corsa Rally published by 505 Games is currently only available on PC punishes you for thinking you can drive, and it’s better that way. Assetto Corsa Rally can only be understood once you experience it..
Assetto Corsa Rally isn’t for the easily frustrated. You’ll find yourself constantly getting challenged at the lack of guide rails. Once you get that first good run however, that feeling of triumph comes through all the pain. You’ll find yourself falling in love with the thrill of rallying.
One of the biggest reasons Assetto Corsa Rally is such a good game is the attention to realism, especially with features like pace notes, the directions your co-driver calls out during a race which warn you about upcoming turns, jumps, and hazards. This is important because it would be impossible to memorize every track; it’s pivotal to trust these calls just like real rally drivers do to avoid becoming one with a wall.
On the visual side, the game uses “laser-scanned tracks.” created with a special laser scanner tool to meticulously make a 3d model of every inch of a rally stage. They use this in conjunction with Unreal Engine 5 graphics to recreate lifelike environments with incredible detail, making every road, forest, and pile of snow feel like you would expect.
The damage model is one of the few misses with AC rally. It’s relatively simple when compared to more in depth physics simulators like in BeamNG Drive and is mostly cosmetic, meaning your vehicle looks beat up after hitting things without drastically changing how it drives. Even so, seeing your car slowly peel apart adds fun tension.
Each car feels distinct; this is in contrast to arcade-style games that generally use simplified performance systems like in Forza Horizon 5 that can cause most vehicles to feel mostly the same except for power. But in AC Rally, one car might easily manage a high-speed power slide on gravel, because its more modern all wheel drive system allows it to maintain power and grip. while another might spin off into a fence if you look at it wrong, because of its 70s rear wheel drive setup. Spending the time to learn each car’s quirks can be so rewarding when you put in the effort.
Unfortunately, with the complexity of each model it causes there to be a smaller amount of options for the time being, but even with that, the car selection is superb. You won’t find yourself surrounded by hundreds of different cars, but it feels like you are. From the WRC champions to the 70s Alpine Rally heroes, each car makes sense; there’s no questioning why they added a car.
If you got a racing wheel this last holiday season, you should genuinely be considering picking this up. From casual drivers to experienced racers, strap in and get ready to wrap yourself around a tree.
