Assetto Corsa Competizione’s Next-Gen Update Looks Crazy Real | XSX/PS5 Review
If you didn’t know by now, I’m a huge racing fan, and especially watching F1 and GT3s. Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC for short) is essentially the official game of the GT World series, one that I was lucky enough to spectate at the Spa 24 Hour in 2018 – including full pit-access thanks to the fact that I attended with one of the drivers (That’s their car in the header image – lucky me!).
A Day At The Spa
Since then I’ve also attended the Kyalami 9-hour in South Africa, which forms a part of the Intercontinental GT series, and so by now, it’s easy to say that I’m a pretty big fan, and when combined with my knowledge of all these things over time, I have a fairly good grasp of what a GT3 should look, sound and feel like.
Assetto Corsa Competizione is all that. While it’s been out for quite a while already, the next-gen release and/or free update pumps visuals up to 4K and 60fps, to make the GT3 sim racing better than ever before on consoles.
The visual update can be very impressive, or nothing special depending on the time of day and weather, and since that’s how prettiness works in real life – it gets a pass for the less-impressive moments. The truth is that when everything is just right, it can look (and feel) real.
Corsa Lite
The real bummer is that while it’s… okay at best on a controller, ACC isn’t a game that can be enjoyed without a wheel, or by casual fans wanting to have a go. ACC is a sim, a proper one – which means that it feels really good, and really impressively real, but it’s not the kind of thing that can be translated to controller all that well.
Another reality is that while I love the different series and seasons that are included in the game, it is still just an official GT World game, and so there’s little in terms of variety.
There’s also none of the fancy stuff story, progression or fan stuff that you’d find in a Gran Turismo of Forza game, so just understand that this isn’t that type of game.
Once you’re in the car, on the track and sticking into the corners through some of the world’s most famous corners, surrounded by some of the most famous race brands and GT drivers – everything else melts away. I witnessed a few strange moments in the AI and physics (the video above shows some cars bouncing over kerbs in strange ways at times), but aside from that, the motion of the car and the communication to the driver provides a visceral experience.
Verdict:
Assetto Corsa Competizione isn’t for casual gamers. It’s a sim-racer through and though, and it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) apologise for it. With this move to next-gen, the visuals look great – even real sometimes, and the handling of the cars really feels like you’re doing the real thing. GT3 Bliss.
Assetto Corsa Competizione Press Release:
As the official game of the GT World Challenge, Assetto Corsa Competizione sets the gold standard for sim racing on consoles, allowing players to compete across 11 GT3 championship tracks, each painstakingly mapped with Laser-Scan technology for unparalleled realism. KUNOS Simulazioni’s dedication to authenticity has been applied to every aspect of the game, encompassing everything from photorealistic weather conditions, dynamic night races, motion capture animation, and multi-channel audio sampling. Assetto Corsa Competizione’s debut on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S also embraces the enhanced visual fidelity of each system, offering an unrivaled 4K/60FPS GT3 experience unlike anything seen before.
In addition to the existing vehicle roster, drivers can also master the recently released BMW M4 GT3, bringing the number of licensed cars to 25. Each vehicle boasts fully adjustable setups, 60+ additional liveries from the 2021 season, and more. These unique creations can then be used across single and multiplayer modes like Sprint, Endurance, and the 24 Hours of Spa race, whilst Assetto Corsa Competizione’s immersive solo experience offers Career, Championship, and Free Play modes.
Competitive drivers can test their mettle against up to 30 players thanks to the increased next-gen grid numbers, whilst the multiplayer experience can be completely tailored thanks to the fair-play ranking system (rewarding virtuous racers!), solid matchmaking, regular challenges, real-time online leaderboards. Private multiplayer matches will also allow players to race with friends. Assetto Corsa Competizione also supports a vast range of hardware, from gamepads to professional steering wheels to add even greater physicality and realism to the experience.
Assetto Corsa Competizione is available today worldwide for PlayStation 5 and Xbox One X|S in digital formats, with the physical version coming to Europe on the 24th. The game will retail at R699.99, whilst fans who already own the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can upgrade for free. Order the physical retail Day One Edition to receive the 2020 GT WORLD CHALLENGE PACK DLC, which includes:
- Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari – Imola
- Two cars: Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO 2020 and Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO (2020)
- 60+ additional car liveries
- 2020 Pirelli “DHE” Tire Model
- 2020 GT WORLD CHALLENGE SEASON BOP
Assetto Corsa Competizione is rated “E” for Everyone by ESRB and PEGI 3 for All Ages and is also available on PC (Steam), PS4 and Xbox One.
Assetto Corsa Competizione on PlayStation 5 is published by Oizumi Amuzio in Japan on 24 February and by GSE in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia on 23 February. For more information, please visit the following official websites: Assetto Corsa, 505 Games, and KUNOS Simulazioni.
