Assetto Corsa is a sim-racing colossus, with many gamers swearing by this title. Between realism, immersion, compatibility with sim-racing peripherals on both consoles and PCs, and the fact that the modding community adds numerous elements, Assetto Corsa is the go-to for sim-racing, and understandably so.

Whatever type of racing you enjoy, you’ll find something to suit you with Assetto Corsa and/or one of its mods. The studio behind the title has taken the opportunity to release ACC, or Assetto Corsa Competizione, which specializes in world GT racing and competition, much to the delight of GT fans.

Riding the same wave, the studio has just announced the release of Assetto Corsa Rally, a title that focuses exclusively on this competition, and I think it’s a good thing, because there aren’t that many rally games out there, at least the realistic ones.

Assetto Corsa Rally will therefore be a kind of spin-off, like ACC, and should be available in early access by mid-November. The studio’s asking price is quite reasonable at €30, as ACC can be found on various online stores.

Under the hood, Assetto Corsa Rally uses Unreal Engine 5, which is a guarantee of high visual fidelity. What’s more, realism should be top-notch on Asseetto Corsa Rally, thanks to the fact that the stages and circuits have been laser-scanned, and even the cars have benefited from this treatment. The result: high-fidelity, highly realistic images.

Another point mentioned during the announcement was that the weather will be dynamic, introducing a real challenge on certain stages where it can rain. Also, the changing weather conditions will allow the ground to display different levels of grip, further enhancing the realistic behavior of the cars, as well as the treachery that can descend on you after every turn. Rallying is a dangerous mechanical sport, even if cars have been very safe for some time now.

It all sounds very promising, as well as immersive. Speaking of which, the studio has announced that drivers will be entitled to a co-pilot to help them tackle the world’s special stages, adding an extra layer of realism. No longer will you be on your own to take the curves, as you’ll have someone by your side to tell you what’s approaching, what to do, and most importantly, when to do it. And if you don’t want to be alone, you can launch yourself into a YOLO-style race without paying any attention to the co-driver’s instructions. In fact, I believe that many drivers and world rally champions don’t understand a word their co-drivers are saying. Juggling turns, curves, jumps and trees, not to mention surprises on the stages, it’s quite normal to focus on what’s ahead, and the car too, while ignoring the co-driver.

According to the studio, Assetto Corsa Rally will have 10 officially licensed cars at launch, including the 1972 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior Gr.2, the 2021 Hyundai i20N Rally2 and also the 2001 Citroën Xsara WRC.

A trailer is already available if you want to see it, with breathtaking images for Assetto Corsa Rally. Early Access is expected to last between 12 and 18 months, and that’s enough to provide the game’s studio and developer with enough data to fine-tune the experience and give us a sim-racing title to add to our collection. I’m really looking forward to testing the title’s Early Access to tell you what I think.