Assetto Corsa is a Driving Simulator developed by Italian game developer Kunos Simulazioni. The game, which made using a custom game engine, attempts to capture the realistic driving physics and adapt them into the game mechanics, while also having extensive support for various Game Mods.
Released on Steam during December 2014, Assetto Corsa received console ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during August 2016.
A GT3 and E-Sports-oriented spinoff powered by Unreal Engine 4, Assetto Corsa Competizione, was released in 2018. A sequel, Assetto Corsa EVO (previously known as Assetto Corsa 2), is slated to be released in 2024.
This game provides examples of:
- Anti Poop-Socking: In free race modes, you can have your driver be controlled by AI through shortcut keys.
- Artificial Stupidity: Certain AI drivers can potentially run out of tracks, bump into walls, or intentionally not overtaking their opponents. This also applies to the player's driver when being controlled by AI, and this is even more so on imported tracks depending on how good the tracks were outlined, and how good your computer was equipped with.
- Brand X: For cars whose major sponsors were not licensed, their wordmarks or logos are being altered, replaced or even censored with generic equivalents.
- Cast from Lifespan: As you drive your cars for too long, they progressively get worse on handling over time and you have to pit them as soon as possible. In addition, there is also a chance you can blow your engine if you push it too hard. These options can be turned off, fortunately.
- Cool Car: There are wide range of licensed cars in the game from city dwellers, sedans, to even Le Mans racers and open-wheel racers. The PC version allows Game Mods, which ostensibly adds more cars to the roster as well.
- Creator Provincialism: While the track and car rosters are assumed to be predominantly Italian, it's surprisingly downplayed since there are more German cars than Italian cars with the Downloadable Contents installed, and many of the officially-included tracks are European as well.
- Dream Match Game: In non-career modes, expect overlapping car classes to happen. Have a Nissan GT-R Nismo duking on the Ferrari 488 GTB and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray? Shelby Cobra 427 pitting against Toyota Supra? What about Porsche Cayenne Turbo S giving Ford Mustang GT a run for their money?
- Effortless Achievement: One achievement is earned for driving at 100km/h, which can be accomplished in any car within seconds of driving in the vast majority of cases.
- Expy Coexistence: The game features both Porsche (as a separate DLC, released after the EA exclusivity deal ended) and RUF (the very common stand-in for Porsche due to the same body). Both are real-life manufacturers though, which overlaps with Massive Multiplayer Crossover.
- Game-Breaking Bug: The game is quite prone to a few of these. For example, some races can cause the mouse cursors to not work in-game unless the players press Escape key.
- Game Mod: Despite being a driving simulator with real licensed cars and tracks, the game is intentionally designed to support various mods from tracks, cars, to even user interfaces. Only in the PC version, though.
- Among tracks you can add, there are also completely fictional tracks from games such as Gran Turismo or Mario Kart. For even added hilarity, de_dust2 can be added into the game's track roster.
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Nintendo Hard: Due to the game's realistic physics being tailored towards steering wheels and pedals, controller and keyboard users have harder time to get used to it.- The career mode is doubly so.
- Removable Steering Wheel: The PC version gives players the option to hide their driver model's hands as well as an additional option to completely hide the steering wheel in the driver cam, in order to prevent seeing duplicate wheels for players using wheel peripherals.
- Shown Their Work: The studio worked hard in attempt to capture the realistic physics, Scenery Porn around the tracks and vehicular details. Given their experiences in previous games such as online-only netKar Pro, their effort doesn't come off as unexpected. Their studio being located near a real-world racing circuit (Vallelunga Circuit) helps.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: In free race modes, you can pick a Le Mans Prototype for yourself and run gamut in your selection of opponents with slow city hatchbacks. This is just one of many examples.
