Assetto Corsa EVO has just started

It took around a year since KUNOS Simulazioni announced without fireworks that a new Assetto Corsa project was in the way, and while the name has changed from Assetto Corsa 2 to Assetto Corsa EVO, the idea of what is the first stage of early access stays the same, which is a return to the roots to be able to offer even more than the predecessors, mostly because of feedback from the past titles.

As with every early access release by KUNOS Simulazioni, Assetto Corsa EVO gives access to a relatively crude state of the simulator while the community returns with feedback to iron out the bugs and errors that no studio can get rid of in its entirety. With an initial package of 20 cars and 5 tracks with 8 different layouts, the idea is to have as multiple scenarios possible in this early stage and to test how the new driving academy, in-game economy and car customization will fare.

Problem is, with servers overloaded and KUNOS still trying to find a fix, you will be stuck with the single player sessions available, and to not limit the experience, all 20 cars were unlocked to experiment in practice and quick race instead of the ideal six, with the other needing to be acquired via licenses and special events.

In the car department, the 20 models are spread through 16 manufacturers, with only Alfa Romeo and Ferrari having more than one model available. The race car offerings come from KUNOS’ previous history, with the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup, BMW M2 CS Racing, Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo and Mercedes AMG GT2 broadening the range, but overall it is almost entirely a single make cup field.

The major part of the lineup is obviously composed of road cars, but the variety is also there, with more reasonably powered cars like the Abarth 695 Biposto, Honda S2000 AP1, Toyota GR86 and also the fun supercars like the Ferrari 296 GTB, BMW M4 CSL, Lotus Emira and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

What might not be the cup of tea of everybody and even for KUNOS is kind of uncharted territory is electric cars and their powertrains, with the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce bring the obligatory utility car while the Alpine A290 Beta takes the role of the concept car.

The circuit offering in ACEVO doesn’t go away from KUNOS past, with Bathurst representing Oceania, Suzuka being the Asian one, Laguna Seca being the only American venue and Brands Hatch and Imola representing Europe. All tracks can be used with full 24 hour cycle and full weather, be it static or dynamic, varying from clear skies to downpour with puddles everywhere.

To put this beast running, Assetto Corsa EVO was made in an engine developed in house after the complications they had with Unreal Engine in Assetto Corsa Competizione, in special with VR and triple screen setups.

Along with the launch, some of the immediate plans were revealed, with one of the multiple content drops expected to come soon with two cars and the debut of Fuji Speedway as official content in the Assetto Corsa ecosystem, while the second build will bring five cars and the CIrcuit of the Americas, along with custom race weekends to complete the single player options and gallery and replay management.

As Assetto Corsa EVO is in early access, it is for the moment limited to PC on Steam.

IMAGES: Assetto Corsa EVO screenshots