Assetto Corsa Competizione is a racing game for the PC, which replicates the Blancpain GT series. The Blancpain series races across Europe and includes many famous car manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini.
Now let’s get one thing straight before we dive into the rest of the review. If you are not a fan of GT racing, then you probably will not like this game. It only features cars and tracks from the Blackpain series, so if you are looking for a game that features a huge assortment of cars like Project Cars 2, then we suggest you buy Project Cars 2. If you like simulation games that concentrate GT cars then continue reading.
Although trying to be a full simulation, the game sits somewhere between Project Cars 2 and iRacing. You can pretend its a really good simulator, but then there are little issues which break the illusion, such as the AI hitting the back of your car and full repairs back to 100% when you pit. But for those that find iRacing a bit of a struggle, this will fit the bill perfectly.
the sound is the best there is in racing games
You can race in a single race, Championship or career, as well as online against other players. There is a strange, and partly frustrating safety system that tries to get you to drive smooth, fast laps, but it can be a little annoying when you have to get through the tests in order to continue with your career game. The driving is best enjoyed with a wheel and pedals and you can even configure buttons for the starter and ignition of the car. Which is fun to begin with until you spin off, then you have to start the car again.
The racing is enjoyable and you can set the AI percentage skill, which is idea as you can increase it slowly until you find the perfect race pace. The AI do offer a challenge and it is run to chase down an opponent. The graphics are good but not spectacular, but you will need a pretty decent PC to get this going well. If your running triple screen or wanting high FPS, then you will need a ninja style gaming PC. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The cars all have different cockpits and you can alter the settings to change FOV, remove the hands & wheel etc.. which is good. Sadly you can only race against genuine cars & liveries from the real series, which is annoying if you want to add more Porsches or Lamborghinis, or set up your own series. You can alter your own livery if you are prepared to dig a little deeper as its not straight forward, but possible.
The sound in ACC is excellent and one of the best aspects of the game. You can tell when a Lamborghini is screaming up behind you and watching the races back in replay mode is a joy to hear. The rain also deserves a mention too. Its one of the best rain effects in a racing game to date, to the point where you cannot see your own bonnet, but it can bring the PC to its knees.
One area that could do with improvement is the pitting during a race. Not only do the AI cars go through your car (this may be by design to stop crashes on pit lane) but the pit boxes are a nightmare to get into. Once in a pit box, you have to use a pit menu that was designed by someone on a friday night after 17 pints, as it’s almost impossible to use. Many races have been lost due to pit stops going badly wrong and you then just want to throw something at the monitor.
Overall ACC is a fun game to play and there is still work going on to make it better. It’s a step between arcade and full simulation and for some people that do not have hours to master their craft, it sits in the right place. There are some DLC updates coming that will add some more content, but just ensure you are happy driving GT cars before you part with your money.