A Rally of the Gods, a test of endurance, and some fresh new content to boot. Assetto Corsa Rally’s latest update takes us into the beating sun, the rough rocks, and the Mediterranean breeze of Southern Greece.
The Rally of the Gods Arrives
The Acropolis Rally, known in the WRC as the Rally of the Gods, is one of the most iconic tests from the world of rallying. Rough gravel tests all of your components to breaking point, whilst the sweltering heat creates a challenge where the driver can break down before the car does.
The Loutraki test is situated just across the bay from the city of Corinth, and has been a constant in the history of the Acropolis whenever it ventures South. Familiar to some of those who experienced it in EA SPORTS WRC, this car-breaker winds between trees and between mountains with a plethora of twisty and technical sweeper sections. Much like the Col de Turini test that is also present in both titles, it is situated at quite the altitude – the peak being around 750m above sea level, in fact.
Meanwhile, the Elatia test is a bit further north than Loutraki – near the old Service Park in the city of Lamia. This test can feature up to 500m of elevation changes, with a steep climb at the start and a steep descent at the end. Expect a blend of a fast blast over the mountaintops and a slower, twisty section of hairpins at both ends of the test.
Multiplayer Arrives
A long-promised feature for Assetto Corsa Rally, the first phase of multiplayer rollout is now live.
As of right now, the online lobby functionality is working in single-stage mode. You can host your own lobby, controlling settings such as cars, stages and conditions, or you can join any of the lobbies that are open to public players as well as developer-managed Official Lobbies. And if you don’t want to drive, no problem! Supernova Games has provided you with the ability to spectate a lobby.
AC Rally currently supports lobbies of up to 16 players. It’s up to you how you wish to explore it, whether you’re looking to host the action or join in on someone else’s fun. To add extra variety, the Official Lobbies will feature two regular slots that change every week and an additional Weekend event that runs from Friday to Sunday.
A Physics Overhaul
Supernova Games have been promising regular physics updates and overhauls with AC Rally. And now, thanks to a collaboration with Italian firm MegaRide, the early phases of this overhaul are here to enjoy.
The updates in the physics department are both deep and vast. The tyre model is overhauled, with changes to how the tyre interacts with the stages as well as how tyres carry the various loads associated with weight transfer. The way that camber affects the car is also changed, as is a change to how the contact patch itself is calculated. This is just the first step though, as more updates are promised in the future as the collaboration deepens with MegaRide. In the meantime, you can get used to how the various surfaces affect car grip, both in terms of gravel vs tarmac vs snow as well as in terms of the varieties within the different surfaces – it takes different skills to be good in Greece when compared to Wales.
Some of the smaller changes will be noticed by those who are already up-to-speed in AC Rally. The re-introduction of stick-slip vibrations on high-grip surfaces and dig-dependent vibrations on low-grip surfaces will add an extra layer of immersion, whilst the all-new Ideal Line feature shapes how the stages rut and how lines form as the stage deforms. Whilst the latter feature is only available on the new stages in Greece at the moment, it will be rolled out to all other stages in the future.
Other New Updates
In addition to these updates and overhauls, there are various small changes which enhance the quality of life in the sim.
On the audio side, the Subaru Impreza S3 and Peugeot 306 that were added in Version 0.4 get some updates to help rebalance specific sounds in their audio mix to help immerse the driver. Further changes include the addition of different effects from the helmet mic option, as well as updates to the audio tuning in 3d specialisation and 7.1 surround sound to create a realistic experience for sim racers.
There are also some changes to graphics and the UI. Much of the graphical update revolves around how effects are generated, such as how the dust and dirt kicked up by your car behaves within the wider environment. The UI update sees the addition of the Camera Configuration Sync feature, allowing you to either carry a global camera setup across all cars or apply a car-by-car setup. You may find that an FoV that looks good in a Xsara, for example, is all sorts of different behind the wheel of a Stratos.
What’s Next?
There are still bound to be a few more updates before the full release of Assetto Corsa Rally. Expect more cars, more laser-scanned stages, and perhaps a surprise or two along the way!
We are particularly looking forward to seeing some of the features that Supernova Games Studios have previously teased as being added to the game in future builds. From VR implementation, which will amplify the immersive edge-of-your-seat feeling, to further fine-tuning to the physics that will continue to create an even more realistic driving experience, there are many reasons to be excited about future builds of AC Rally!
Final Thoughts
Assetto Corsa Rally continues to flow from strength to strength. From humble and modest beginnings to an increasingly definitive experience of modern-day sim rallying, there are many reasons why AC Rally is becoming the place to be for rallying esports and more.
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