It's a translation from Italian, but I hope the article is nice to read although not perfectly translated
Original article in Italian on drivingitalia.net: LINK
Four years after the debut of Assetto Corsa, last winter Kunos Simulazioni announced Assetto Corsa Competizione, and considering the previous title has been updated and evolved up to December 2017, we wonder if "Competizione" represents an evolution, or something new and unrealeased. I went to Misano World Circuit, the second Italian stage of the Blancpain GT Series Championship, to discover it, since after the hell of a presentation made at E3 in Los Angeles a few days ago, the Italian team finally gave the European public the first taste of a title that seems destined to make people to talk about it.
Arrived early on Friday morning at Misano race track, challenging a rain and wind storm that had fallen down on the Adriatic track since early afternoon, which to define as unusual is not to say much, I had the opportunity to try for a long time the new official simulator of the Blancpain GT Championship, also having the opportunity to listen to the enthusiastic comments of the real drivers who carried out a simulated test, exclaiming then: "Incredible feeling, it's the same reaction of my real car! I can testing at my home now", then being partly disappointed when someone from the Kunos team explained to them that the game was not yet available!
But let's get started:
In the stand specially set up by AK Informatica with the collaboration of Sparco Gaming, it was possible to try out Assetto Corsa Competizione, with the important added value given by the presence in forces of Kunos, with the possibility of chatting, giving feedback and opinions directly to Stefano Casillo, Marco Massarutto, Aris Vasilakos, Luca Sodano and others. The software is a tech demo customized for the Misano event, updated however compared with the version used at the recent E3 in Los Angeles, with the possibility to test four different events: a session of fast laps in dry conditions with a Ferrari 488 GT3, one in partial wet conditions with the Lamborghini Huracan, a race in heavy rain with the Mercedes AMG and a race with the day - night cycle (with accelerated weather of course) aboard an Audi R8.
The choice of the 4 different cars has not only allowed to try different experiences, as the cars are naturally different in many aspects, but has allowed Kunos Simulazioni to let the real drivers of Blancpain to try their cars in the simulator, to receive valuable tips to further refine the physical model. The video below shows us Dries Vanthoor Racing, Audi R8 LMS driver, who used the event for a real training session, staying at the wheel for almost an hour, while at this link (in English) you can read what David Perel thinks. The race track used was, of course, Misano, which was built for the first time using laser scanning technology in a product designed for the general public.
As soon as I sat in front of the monitor, the first impact with the new menus is definitely pleasant: as you can see from the picture, they have naturally been completely redesigned both in terms of graphics and layout and have the great advantage of being clear from the very first moments. The only active menu was the one dedicated to Special Events, but I assume that even with the final game there will be no radical changes in style. You will immediately notice a very pleasant innovation of AC Competizione: you do not need to use your keyboard and mouse to navigate the menus and make your own choices, because you can use the special keys mapped on the steering wheel. Conveniently in place, with just a few clicks on the steering wheel (a Thrustmaster Sparco TS-XW Racer) I arrive at the first event.
I choose the Hotlap Event on a dry track with the Ferrari 488, because I want to realize the differences with Assetto Corsa and after the click comes the second pleasant surprise: the loading time is very fast, almost lightning fast! This is one of the innovations, they explain me, of the new graphic engine (UE4). An opening video starts, and it looks like watching the real Blancpain on TV: my "Rossa" (Ferrari) is ready on track with the mechanics intent on the last checks. All around it is full of "life": there is a photographer taking pictures, I know the public, the pit wall, the race marshals watchful at the edge of the track. Clearly a new approach to game design that aims to create an immersive and racing atmosphere not only when you are behind the wheel, but in every moment of the experience. It seems clear that, if the simulative soul of ACC remains intact and even improves, what has changed compared to previous Kunos productions, is the care used to present the secondary elements, at the level of interface and presentation of events: the appearance is no longer minimalist, but projects you into the atmosphere of the Blancpain Series!
I start off calmly, I don't know the Misano track well and I'm still carefully admiring everything I see around me, the asphalt of the track, the landscape, the curbs, the burning sun and its reflection annoys me a bit, blimey everything seems so REAL. I do not dare to think about the level of immersion that can be achieved with a VR system.
The new hud is very clear, pretty big, and with a quick look I see all the most useful informations: gear, speed, timing, gaps and now, by default, even the slides that indicate the pressures of the pedals. I ask for adice about the informations on the tyres (temperatures, pressures...) and they explain me at the moment they are not yet available in the interface, but obviously they will be included when they release the first build.
I decide to focus on driving, what the hell it's a simulator and it's driving that counts! I have to stop to look around me... First gear, I start. The sound of the Ferrari 488 GT3 envelops me, full-bodied, but there are many new effects that hit my ears, the sound in release is fascinating. I finish the first lap strolling, with a delicious feeling of déjà vu, I feel at home: Assetto Corsa. I start to drive faster and... It's NOT Assetto Corsa, there's much more to it!
The feeling and feedback of the tires are higher than in AC, you "feel" much more the grip, you can clearly perceive what the tire does and then the car, for example when you trigger an understeer or oversteer you receive it on the wheel directly, quickly, cleanly, everything is natural. You will also feel the tire lateral grip when you're driving a long curve. I arrive at the first tight hairpin, but I exaggerate, I go a little in lock and I hear clearly the tires that suffer, even in the exit of the corner I have big problems and I struggle to keep the car on track. In no time I'm at the next curve, I have problems in braking, the front tyres vibrate, I don't keep it, I go wide off the track... luckily Misano has a wide way out! Calm. I remember what Stefano Casillo told me shortly before: we have already implemented brake temperatures and many other nice things... I have noticed this!
You can't drive like crazy without using your head, especially in endurance races like Blancpain. What a show! AC Competizione will probably be sweeter in the first approach for novice virtual drivers, because the cars have so much grip and you feel it perfectly, but driving really fast will require experience, concentration and intelligence. With such refined physics and dynamics it is not possible to drive with the brain and concentration turned off for a second. And if this is the dry what will be the wet?
It rained during the night but now it is good weather, the track is only wet but it still has very tricky puddles and, as if that weren't enough, my Lamborghini GT3 is fitted with slick tyres! I start on the straight of the finish line, down gas, all right. I was on the dry side. At the same time as hearing the unmistakable sound of a "SQUISHHH" from the passage over the water, I can distinctly hear my tyres floating over the water on the steering wheel! But by now it's late, suddenly my Lamborghini turns, scary spin, aquaplaning with no chance of salvation and hit against the wall. I start again with the correct calm, attention and above all dosing the gas and the brake in the critical points. I have to be careful about puddles. Some THOUGHT is required. Imagine what will happen in online races with all these variables. Driving on the water is a great. However, the track is a condition of no grip, not rubbered, besides beingt wet.
The third event of the race was in heavy rain, full wet asphalt and the Mercedes AMG GT3 with rain tyres (fortunately). The first thing to note is what Aris Vasilakos explained to me: not only the amount of rain and the water conditions on the track should be considered, but also whether and how much the track is rubberized, because in case of heavy rain like this, avoiding puddles and driving along the outer sides where the track is dirty and therefore with more grip in the wet, makes a huge difference! All these parameters influence each other, so actually the possible combinations are endless, every time we are on the track we have to understand the situation quickly, driving accordingly. Driving under such conditions, with a limited view, the water flowing on the windscreen, the water clouds raised by the cars in front of us and dangers at every metre, is a great eye-catcher, but requires the driver great concentration: perhaps, for the first time, racing in the wet will not simply mean driving on soap, generally giving up a bit of grip as seen very often in driving games, but will be a representative driving experience of what it means for real drivers driving in bad weather conditions, but with the knowledge that the tires designed for the wet actually provide a grip that allows excellent performance and a consistent driving feeling.
The fourth and final event is dedicated to a race with day - night cycle, driving an Audi R8 GT3 and an accelerated time that concentrates everything in 9 minutes. After the flying start I was immediately in the fight with a lot of opponents. The AI is not bad, it defends itself and it attacks in a believable way, committing also some mistakes, even if the AI is set to a low level and it is actually quite easy to extend the braking point and enter inside to overtake it. After a while, however, the dangers arrive, with the sun red like fire setting and beginning to bother me, then the scene turns to dusk and you start to notice the lights of the track and the headlights of the cars. Graphic emotions. The night is terribly fascinating and you have to drive with great attention, the view is limited to the beam of light of the powerful headlights and street lamps located on the track. And when a car behind me flashes with reflection in the mirror... I don't dare thinking of a race at night and in the rain!
Precisely the races, the Online Championships. As for Multiplayer, this demo didn't reveal anything, but a chat with Stefano Casillo made me particularly happy and anxious to get to the availability of Assetto Corsa Competizione: "We're working on several things for the online. - Stefano explained: "We want a driver to go on the track taking care of driving well, carefully, staying on the track, without mistakes, with respect for the other drivers, with intelligence, so that he can make progress and move forward in challenges higher and higher. We want to make sure that even an enthusiast without experience in simulation and racing online makes his way to ever better performances, we have to guide him along a path as happens in real motorsport. You must always be able to race with opponents at your level and the software must show you where you need to improve". The materialization of these words with AC Competizione could clearly represent a real turning point for the entire panorama of competitive simracing already.
The Kunos has confirmed that Assetto Corsa Competizione will be available on Steam in beta version by the summer, we just have to avoid fixing weeks of holiday at the beach and wait confident.
