Assetto Corsa Competizione - Tested the new incarnation of Kunos Simulations racing

Developed by Kunos Simulations, in collaboration with 505 Games, Assetto Corsa Competizione was launched last September 12 in Early Access on Steam (Windows PC). And the Official game of the GT3 Blancpain GT Series championship. The new incarnation of racing developed by the Software House required over two years of development, based on the experience gained in the field of automotive simulation in over 15 years of career. The developers have already specified that any console conversion of Assetto Corsa Competizione will be considered only at the release of the final version of the title in the PC version.

With “Competizione”, Kunos Simulations once again underlines the importance of offer an extremely simulation approach to the driving game genre. Assetto Corsa, the first title of what is now, on balance, a series, has sold over two and a half million copies. The developers now want to offer a more accessible interface, more satisfying support for special game peripherals, improved graphics and next-generation multiplayer functionality.

Reconnaissance Tour

For the sale of their new title, Kunos Simulations has studied an innovative solution that exponentially rewards those who decide to buy the game as soon as it is available in beta: at the launch of September 12, the game will be available for only 24,99 euros, and will guarantee access to the full version as soon as will be available, at no additional cost. The later you decide to buy the game, the higher the price, which for the final version will be 44,99 euros. Therefore, those who buy it at the launch in early access, will pay almost half and will be entitled to the update to the 2019 season, as those who decide to wait for the full version at full price.

Starting from September 12th, an updated version of the game will be released every month, introducing a new car and a new circuit, covering approximately 60% of the content available in the final version. The
endurance races, the driver evaluation system, the multiplayer mode will be introduced progressively. Career mode, championship mode and the rest of the circuits and cars will be available in the full version of the game.

"Competizione" is not an expansion of the first Assetto Corsa, but a new title, which relies on a totally rewritten and more advanced graphics and game engine, based on Unreal Engine 4 technology. the physical model and the sound sector, for a more refined driving experience and a more evolved and immersive gameplay.

The Blancpain GT Series includes races of different durations, from the 60 'of the Sprint to the 24-hour Endurance of Spa. Assetto Corsa Competizione will offer the opportunity to compete at different times over the entire 24-hour period and with a dynamic weather system, thanks to a highly realistic graphic reproduction of weather and visibility conditions.

The potential of Unreal Engine 4, once you get on board one of the cars available in Early Access, is immediately felt. Finally, players will be able to run at night, with variable weather conditions, all elements that were unfortunately absent in the first chapter. The real-time light and shadow management system is impressive, and the maximum of amazement is reached when you watch the rain, illuminated crashing on the windshield, before being blown away by the windshield wipers to ensure the best possible view before taking a curve.

The management of physics, already exciting in Assetto Corsa, reaches an even higher level in "Competition". According to the developers (and as it is easy to guess even by yourself, to tell the truth), the ability to focus on a specific type of car and regulations allowed the team to raise the level of realism of the physical model of the suspension, tire behavior and aerodynamics management. The cars are therefore more manageable. This is because despite what one might think, the closer a simulation is to reality, the easier it should be to understand the reactions of the car. Acting accordingly should therefore be a practically instinctive gesture, as happens, in fact, in the real world. Direct support from the Blancpain GT Series Championship teams and drivers allowed the development team to further improve the realism and handling of the cars.

Boiling asphalt

Assetto Corsa Competizione has been designed to faithfully reproduce the performance and driving feeling of real Blancpain GT Series cars, thanks to a very sophisticated mathematical model that accurately replicates tire grip, aerodynamic impact, engine parameters, suspensions and electronics that determine the balance of the cars, as well as the influence of mechanical damage on the car's driveability. In addition, advanced telemetry tools will allow you to analyze your performance in detail.

Even the secondary details are well cared for and convey the thrill of being in the cockpit of a real racing car: doors, wipers, headlights, warning lights, instrumentation and control of devices such as ABS, traction control, engine ignition and ECU mapping are controllable by the driver to obtain the better performance and offer total control of the car. Thanks to Laserscan technology, all official circuits are reproduced with the utmost accuracy: all curbs, bumps and details perfectly copy their real counterparts to ensure an experience that is as faithful to reality as possible.

Assetto Corsa Competizione includes, as for the online multiplayer mode, an extremely advanced matchmaking system, which allows you to find riders of similar performance and reputation to ensure balanced and exciting races. Furthermore, there will be a Rating system to evaluate the correctness and professionalism of each driver, in order to avoid those hateful racing situations due to incorrect behavior that are particularly frustrating.

The "Rating System" is a system, implemented for the first time in Assetto Corsa Competizione, which allows the game to observe numerous parameters while the player is driving: from the use of the steering wheel and pedals, to the way he brakes, to his trajectories, the consistency between the different laps up to the behavior in the race during overtaking maneuvers. This system will not only help Assetto Corsa Competizione players improve their lap times, but will also be used to evaluate the player's online behavior and implement adequate matchmaking.

For lovers of dented car bodies, Kunos Simulations has officially confirmed that mechanical and aesthetic damage due to impacts will be reproduced in Assetto Corsa Competizione, collisions and excessive stresses due to the continuous passage of the car on the curbs, from off-track exits and so on. In addition, it will be possible to puncture and wear out the tires. Any type of damage will be deactivated if necessary.

The Career Mode will be completely dedicated to the Blancpain GT Series competition, of which Assetto Corsa Competizione, as already mentioned at the beginning, is the official video game. The developers have promised new details on this, which will be released at the dawn of the new year. At the moment we know that the Blancpain GT Series Championship will be fully playable through this mode, which will be based on the official GT Series Calendar and rules.

The driving model of the new Kunos Simulations title is based on the feedback from the drivers of the official competition, for which several simulators have been made available. All of this helped create an even more accurate simulation than the original title. The VR mode will be compatible and at the moment the developers are working to implement all the features required to comply with the standards of e-Sport events.

Positive vibes

Assetto Corsa Competizione is currently compatible with steering wheels of the Fanatec, Logitech and Thrustmaster brands, as well as with all USB Direct Input peripherals. The developers promised one particular care for the management of the car via the controller, for those who, unfortunately, cannot rely on a steering wheel. We have also tried this solution, and at least in this phase of the game, we can be extremely satisfied. The cars do not behave hysterically and, on the contrary, curve gently even in extreme conditions. All this provided you obviously have the skills to do it.

To conclude, a brief presentation of the Blancpain GT Series:

Driven by the success of the Blancpain Endurance Series, which after its creation in 2011 quickly became the global reference for GT racing, the world-renowned Swiss watch brand Blancpain and the SRO Motorsports group in late 2013 decided to extend their partnership at the Blancpain Sprint Series. Since 2015, teams and drivers have also had the opportunity to compete for a Blancpain GT Series title, resulting in greater variety for the starting grids made up of an array of top-level GT teams and drivers at the start of each race. . The Blancpain GT Series also saw an influx of young and talented drivers, making it a world reference in GT3 racing.

With the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup now sharing the same driver and point categories, the XNUMXth Blancpain GT Series season - comprising five Sprint events and five Endurance events - the Blancpain GT Series forms the series today. Most complete GT in the world.

A Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup event consists of two one-hour races, while the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup races range from three-hour events to a 1000km race to the season highlight of the Total 24 Hours of Spa , one of the main races in the world held in 24 hours.