Yes, yes. And you still need pedals. And be sure to wear a helmet – where would you be without it?.

Similar statements can often be heard when discussing at least some realistic racing. I am of the opinion that if the process brings pleasure, then I’m playing correctly. Either on a gamepad or on the reels. And if the developers have provided several types of controls, then why not use the most convenient one for yourself??

And now, after spending more than 30 hours in Assetto Corsa with a gamepad and with casual settings, I want to share my thoughts, because there is something to talk about.

The fact that is before us not a second-rate arcade game, but a serious simulator, brings several nuances to the gameplay that you can’t help but pay attention to.

First of all, all cars are different in handling. The difference in “characters” is felt very clearly – on the first run you often have to get used to the car’s braking system and its cornering.

Those who like to delve into the performance of a car, its statistics on the road and other tables with graphs have room to roam, but for me during the Career process, the standard settings were enough for every car.

All racing tracks are real-life tracks, https://nogamstop-casinos.co.uk/review/bubbles-bet/ recreated with high accuracy in the game. And if their quality does not raise questions, then the quantity does not spoil too much – by the end of your Career you can remember every turn and every straight line. This, on the one hand, develops reflexes, but at the same time makes you sad.

Map learning allows you to use small shortcuts, but only if penalties are disabled. Otherwise, we will receive a requirement to slow down for cheating. I don’t know if this is a bug or a “feature”, but at the beginning of the Career penalties are enabled, and from the middle to the end they are disabled by default.

In the process of a stubborn struggle, cars can fly off the track, but return back, as the classic said, not only everyone can. Few can do it. What can you use when the moment is right?. Fortunately, if mechanical damage is disabled, you don’t have to worry about the integrity of your “swallow”. True, if you overdo it and roll over, you can end up straight at a pit stop, a whole lap behind from opponents. You can also “match” the fences if the bots suddenly decide to eliminate competitors themselves.

In general, the level of “intelligence” of computer opponents can be adjusted from 100 to 80%. On maximum difficulty it is difficult to fight even for third place, and on minimum difficulty you can often overtake the most lagging ones twice. So it’s quite easy to customize the bobbleheads for yourself. True, in some races they seem to forget your level and display skills that do not meet expectations.

The duration of the race in the Quarry, on average, does not exceed 8 laps for 15 minutes in total. Optionally, you can participate in races of 20–30 laps with preliminary practice and qualification, which will take several hours of real time. And if you miss the qualifiers, then the competition itself will have to start from last place. Even with such concessions, controlling the speed and road for tens of minutes will become a very serious test.

Unlike most other races, the race does not end after crossing the finish line. The player, like a respectable racer, awaits the results of the other participants in the competition, wondering why he arrived so early.

Excellent detailing of the interior and exterior of cars will not leave indifferent anyone who is at least somewhat interested in cars. And the moment when, at the beginning of the race, the car doors open slightly, as if inviting you to take the wheel, is just the icing on the cake.

But what could use more work is the audience in the stands. I thought that all the “cardboard” fans in games were still there in the 2000s, but no – they just switched from football to motorsport. It turned out quite in the spirit of today. But since their static nature does not affect the weather, but even vice versa – kills the atmosphere, it would be better not to add them at all. Thank you, although the track staff has many more training grounds.

A separate pillar is the excellent implementation of vibration feedback. I can’t speak for other devices, but on the DualShock 4 you can feel a decent range (with the possible exception of the most powerful vibration). And not at random moments, but precisely when necessary – when hitting limiters, a collision or skidding of a car.

Also deserves praise HUD customization. In addition to the fact that you can switch a dozen useful and not so useful indicators and sensors, it is possible to set their location and size on the screen. I only saw something remotely similar in NFS Porsche Unleashed.

It would seem, a cheerful soundtrack is an integral part of any racing game. But in Assetto Corsa, music meets us only in the Career cutscenes. In general, the lack of any songs is not a big problem, because you can always pick up your favorite playlist or the latest news podcast. Or immerse yourself in your own thoughts to the sounds made by steel horses. What is the “voice” of Ferrari LaFerrari worth?. True, in such a “trance” it is easy to move away from driving the car to soul-searching, which is fraught with consequences in the form of last place in a half-hour race.

It’s sad that when there are different types of competitions, Only some of them are found in Career mode: regular race for several laps, time trial at checkpoints and race for a large number of laps with preliminary qualification (according to Formula 1 rules). At the same time, I was very pleased with the presence of retro competitions on classic cars – with image filters they look just like a broadcast of that time.

Outside of the Career, several challenges are available both in regular races and in drag drifting. Also feels very good online, but that’s a completely different story.

Official DLC, adding dozens of iconic cars and several tracks to the total number, does not bring anything new to the gameplay. “People’s” additions are of greater interest. Yes, exactly “add-ons”, and not the usual fashions. After all, in Assetto Corsa everyone can replenish the garage and expand the geography of competitions with their creations without modifying the original game. Thus, a purely anecdotal trinity can gather on the track in Barcelona: a Formula 1 car, a “penny” and a bus. It can take a very long time to choose “what else to drive and where to drive”, because the number of works by enthusiasts is very impressive. If you put everything that is available together, you will get something like Gran Turismo on PC.