Renato Simioni of Reiza Studios, best known for the Automobilista titles, sat down for an interview to talk about the origins of Reiza, the state of Automobilista 2, and even an exclusive teaser of what's coming in the near future.
I recently had the chance to sit down remotely with Renato Simioni of Reiza Studios to discuss the history of Reiza, the development process and current state of Automobilista 2, and what's coming in the future. for AMS2.
Renato was very candid about the challenges he and his team face as a smaller game development studio, while at the same time proud of the work they’ve produced in the past and more recently. He spoke about the journey from being an employee of a well-known racing game developer to having a major platform as an independent studio.
We also spoke about the utilization of the Madness Engine for Automobilista 2. The move to use the gaming engine that Project CARS 2 used was a surprise to many, as Reiza had deep ties with the ISI / rFactor engine and had even collaborated with Studio 397 to release a DLC pack for rFactor 2. We discussed the rationale, challenges and advantages of the deal that was reached with Slightly Mad Studios for the use of the engine.
Another hot topic Renato opened up about was the polarizing nature of the driving experience in AMS2. Many in the sim racing community has expressed frustration with the feel of driving in the title while others enjoy it. We discussed why this could be and whether Reiza Studios has plans to make improvements on this front.
Be sure to check out the full interview on the RaceDepartment YouTube channel or watch via the embedded player above. A huge thanks to Renato for taking the time to chat with us.