Assetto Corsa review

Review Assetto Corsa | I was very happy to see the news that Assetto Corsa was coming for consoles. This racing mega hit on PC received incredible good feedback and is still one of the most played racing sims on Steam. But what about the console version? Let’s found out in this review!

THE GOOD

• Assetto Corsa features a laser scan technology so all circuits match the real counterpart. That’s not something new for Xbox players, Forza Motorsport has a similar technology but it’s still very nice to see and drive on real life tracks.
• I was really impressed about the car interiors, driving in the dash view camera is like opening your favorite candy. They took the time making each and every interior a beauty.
• Simply the best console game to play with a steering wheel. (check more about this at the “Mixed feelings” section)

Mixed feelings

• Please take my word for it, only buy Assetto Corsa when you have a steering wheel. The developer did many efforts making it an enjoyable game with a regular controller but clearly lacked the knowledge on how to do that. The driving with a steering wheel is unparalleled on consoles, even beating Forza Motorsport 6 and Dirt Rally.
• Graphically the game is acceptable but nothing compared with Project Cars and especially Forza 6. The cars are nice looking but the tracks seem a little lifeless and the backgrounds look too blurry.

THE BAD

• The first thing I noticed when playing Assetto Corsa was the terrible frame rate for a racing game. Hot lap is mostly issue free but everything else can become a real nightmare. From the moment you have AI cars on-screen the game struggles to keep the frame rate acceptable, even affecting the gameplay.  God forbids you get off the road the frame rate definitely falls below 20-15 frames. It’s been a while since I experienced so much stuttering. Very weird considering the game doesn’t look very stunning…
  

  Note from the Developer:  The team are fully aware that there is an issue here and have been working behind the scenes on a fix, it’s coming soon.

• You’ll never hear me say that I’m a racing pro but I can normally manage myself pretty well online or in career modes. However, to my regret (and a little ashamed) I’m having the hardest time finishing in the top 3 on … easy. That’s an issue because continuing in the career mode requires you to be in the top 3.  The AI is simply relentless and I know many gamers will get frustrated because of this.  Don’t get me wrong, after all this is a racing simulator and I perfectly understand that this game is harder than Forza Motorsport but gamers have to start somewhere and that’s not with Alien-like difficulty.
• Difficulty isn’t the only AI issue that I have, another is the blatant aggressiveness from the opponents.  These indestructible computer controlled racers frequently bump into you, resulting in spins and a forced restart because you’ll never catch up.  I’m pretty sure that’s not “real simulation” worthy.
• Lack of content is a shame too, we’re used to having big car selections, weather effects, a great selection of tracks and night racing. Assetto Corsa has none of that, besides eighty cars and that’snot too shabby.
• Overall I get a big unpolished-feeling when I play the console version for Assetto Corsa, a good example is the way a race ends. It feels unnatural and weird to quit the race when you see the result screen. Same with online sessions, you get forced to return to the main menu. This might be nitpicking but all the little things annoyed me.

Score: 54% | I’m left with a disappointing feeling, the console version for Assetto Corsa is not what I was expecting. The terrible frame rate issues and AI mistakes completely ruin what a racing simulation game should be. Previous racing games on console have proven that with time things can improve, Assetto Corse surely has that potential too but for now I really can’t recommend this game for Xbox gamers.

We promised the developer that we will review the game again with the upcoming patch that will improve frame rate issues. So keep an eye out for the updated Assetto Corsa review!