Assetto Corsa
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Kunos Simulazioni
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Racing
Release Date: PC: 2014, PS4 and Xbox One: 2016
Assetto Corsa is a racing simulator that was developed by Kunos Simulazioni for the PC. At the 2015 E3 it was announced that 505 Games was going to be publishing a version of the game whose name is Italian for “Racing Setup” to the Xbox One and PS4. The current generation console version of the game is due to release sometime in 2016. The game has been built as something that is as realistic as possible and relies heavily on the ability to mod the core game as well as customize the cars that are able to be driven in the game. Because the game was first released on PC, the developers and publishers have had a decent amount of time to see what works and what doesn’t since the early access version hit in 2013.
Development
Kunos Simulazioni relied on the construction of Assetto Corsa thanks to the experience the developer acquired with the creation of other racing games like NetKar Pro and Ferrari Virtual Academy. While those were driving simulators of a different ilk, their construction played a rather large role in how the company went about putting together Assetto Corsa for the PC and in turn allowing them to take the next step in bringing the game to consoles in 2016. The company actually has it’s headquarters close by one of the top Italian racing locations. They’ve allowed this location to help them put renditions of international circuits (surveyed using both traditional and laser scanning technology), as well as global car brands, racing prototypes, historic cars, single seaters and iconic cars.
The game was officially announced for PC through Steam in 2010 working alongside a driving school project for Automobile Club d’Italia. In 2011, the game took a significant step forward when the developers decided to use Unity Engine 3 but eventually found there were severe drawbacks to the same. Eventually the firm decided to make its own in-house engine. They completed that engine and started polishing the work they had already done by the end of 2011.
Because they went in-house they were also able to make a kind of hodge podge of developing languages in order to come up with the finished product. C++ is used for the simulation portion of Assetto Corsa, and Go for its multiplayer networking. User interface and launcher core is coded in C#, but the interface itself in HTML to allow users to create interface modifications. Python can be used for developing plugins for retrieving simulation data in real time. APIs used are DirectX 11 for graphics, FMOD for sound and ODE for collision detection and rigid body physics.
In February of 2013, Kunos Simulazioni released a playable demo, which offered one car, Lotus Elise SC, and one track, Autodromo dell’Umbria in Magione, Italy, as well as two playing modes, free practice and time attack. The purpose of the demo was to allow players to get a look at the engine, as well as report back any problems that came with this early version. In November of 2013 the game went into early access. Part of this early access offering meant that the developer was offering an update with new cars, tracks and features about every two weeks. The team was also working to add new content and improving existing parts of the game. In December of 2014 the game was officially released as a full game. In May of 2015 the developer officially announced it was bringing the game to the Xbox One and PS4.
Tracks & Cars
Because Assetto Corsa strives to be a simulator of real world racing, the game has put in a number of different tracks and cars that truly exist. The PC version of the game has had different cars and tracks added after it was first rolled out. It’s a safe bet that the company will be able to include a great number of these cars and tracks into the release version of the game that comes out on the Xbox One and PS4. All in all, there are now more than 210 cars that can both be drived and heavily customizable by players. Of those 210 cars, there are a number of companies that provide quite a few of the vehicles in the lineup. Those companies are Abarth, BMW, Classic Team Lotus, Ferrari, KTM, Lotus cars, McLaren, Mercedes, Scuderia Glickenhaus, Pagani and Tatuus. When it comes to tracks, there was a version one release of the PC game that came with 17 different tracks:
- Drag strip
- Drift test circuit
- Nurburgring GP
- Nurburgring Sprint
- Imola “Enzo & Dino Ferrari”
- Magione
- Autodromo di Monza
- Monza historic 1966
- Mugello
- Silverstone
- Silverstone International
- Silverstone National
- Spa Francorchamps
- Trento Bondone hill climb
- Vallelunga
- Vallelunga Club
More tracks have been added to the game since that original release. It is not yet known if all of the tracks will be added at launch or whether the company might have a launch day version of tracks available with more content being added through DLC.
Gameplay
Assetto Corsa features a third person point of view, but also has a first person approach that allows players to see the car and the track from behind the wheel. The game includes a career mode, a list of special and unique events and challenges, and fully customizable, single player and multiplayer modes. These modes feature quick races, race weekends including free practice session, qualifying session and race. Other modes allow for players to try out Drag races, and drift challenges. Four driving assist profiles (gamer, racer, pro, plus a fully customizable profile) allow any kind of player to play the simulation at a level where they are comfortable and can actually enjoy the game.
Advanced setup options and telemetry for data analysis; dynamic simulation of the tire rubber deposited on track, depending on the car laps; an adjustable time of the day mode, featuring sun position calculated in real time, depending by geographical coordinates of the track and by the sun curve according to time and date, in order to get the same light conditions of the real tracks. The modding in the game will allow users to create their own cars that can then be run on the tracks and can even make the tracks they want to run the most.
Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game
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