Assetto Corsa Rally, the Italian simulator also conquers the dirt – PC Preview

I admit I greeted the announcement of Assetto Corsa Rally with a certain skepticism. Assetto Corsa EVO came out less than a year ago, is behind schedule, is making some questionable business choices, and the brand is already back with a new project, also in early access.

However, another team, Supernova Games Studio, is at the helm, with Kunos Simulazioni providing support. The adopted graphics engine is the usual Unreal Engine 5, which should make optimization easier compared to the series' proprietary engine (although recent AAA "exploits" don't bode well). And then, let's be clear: there's a need for a new standard for rally games. A modern standard, which for many is still stuck at Richard Burns Rally. Do we trust it? Oh, go on then.

Ten cars, four tracks. A bit little considering the entry price, but then again, Assetto Corsa Rally is little more than a template to show the world that the franchise can hold its own even when it leaves the safety of smooth asphalt and curbs. On paper, early access will last about 18 months, during which the title will feature over 30 cars, with new tracks, new environments, additional modes... I don't know the release pace, but until then we have to make do with this frugal appetizer.

It's fortunate, then, that what Supernova Games Studio has offered has been crafted with meticulous care. The car roster is small, but boasts numerous legends of the sport, ranging from the '70s to the present day, and they are all extremely detailed. Both aesthetically (interiors, exteriors, and engine bay) and practically, from performance to sound, not forgetting their "temperament."

Similarly, the locations recreated with laser-scan technology have a plausible and refined look, which perfectly matches the lighting and scenic effects for palpable atmospheres. Every single screenshot is impressive, and in motion, it's certainly no less so. The undisputed protagonist, however, is the uneven road surface, which, together with the precise simulation of tires and suspensions, offers a truly realistic driving experience.

Browsing online, you can find dozens of professional sim racers and even real rally drivers praising it, but if a more "casual" opinion like mine is enough, both in terms of racing games and sports driving on the road, Assetto Corsa Rally is a joy to experience. Each vehicle is a beast in itself that requires practice and dedication to tame, and it only takes putting a wheel out of place to crash into a tree, but I don't regret any of the countless times I had to restart a stage to properly tackle that chicane and gain a couple of tenths on the clock.

You don't just drive the car, you "feel" it. In weight transfers, changes in grip, jolts over bumps and humps, you can almost always anticipate it, and not once when I went off-road (and believe me, it happened often) did I blame a bizarre interpretation of the physics engine. Concentration and millimeter precision are needed to climb the rankings, but five minutes are enough to get in tune with the vehicle and spend hours shaving off times.

There are still numerous aspects labeled as "work in progress," from the rendering of some compounds to entire cars, but what works delivers a lot of satisfaction. What didn't convince me was the sense of speed, which is quite low despite the circumstances (at a hundred miles an hour through mountain passes, you should feel pure terror, but instead, it feels like a stroll), and the grip in wet conditions, which isn't very different from dry.

The title supports a wide range of options for customizing controls. The preferred and recommended peripheral is, of course, the steering wheel and pedal set, but if you don't want to assemble the entire rig, you can fall back on either mouse and keyboard or the classic controller. The latter, in particular, works decently (I've won more than a few gold medals without too much practice), especially after adjusting sensitivity and dead zones, but if it's your only solution, do yourself a favor and save your money. Assetto Corsa Rally is a simulator and requires a "serious" setup to perform at its best.

As for performance, optimization is not bad at all. On my 2070 Super, which is even below the minimum requirements, it consistently runs above 60fps with everything set to at least High. True, it has to use an upscaler as a crutch, but no artifacts are noticeable in the image, except in the rearview mirrors (which ironically provide a better idea of the speed you're traveling at). No bugs or anomalies to report, except for the server connection occasionally dropping, preventing comparison of times with the rest of the community. Load times are a bit long.

In short, to review Assetto Corsa Rally's current repertoire, a couple of hours are enough, but if you like to challenge yourself, your stay will be much longer. The driving model is excellent, the presentation is great, and the potential to become the new benchmark for genre enthusiasts is all there, provided Supernova Games Studio stays on track. Will they succeed? Let's hope so. In the meantime, if the premise inspires you and you're confident, get it now while it's on sale.