Sometimes, the visual and tactile elements of a sim align so well that you forget something’s missing… until your ears remind you.
I recently dove into another session of Assetto Corsa EVO, eager to lose myself in its finely-tuned physics and driving feel that, in many respects, border on excellence. But it wasn’t long before a dissonance pulled me out of the immersion.
It wasn’t the car handling, the force feedback, or even a visual glitch. It was the sound—or rather, its lack of personality.
Don’t get me wrong: the game sounds good. But it doesn’t sound alive.
A Reflection on Sound in Assetto Corsa Evo
Some models, like the Huracán or the Exige, feel more refined—there are nuances, a certain sense of restrained power. But for many others, the engine note feels more like a synthesized wave than a real machine breathing, vibrating, and exploding with every throttle input. What should be a mechanical symphony too often feels like a sustained note that barely shifts in intensity.
What’s most puzzling isn’t just the technical quality of the audio—which isn’t terrible—but its lack of evolution compared to the original title. In some ways, it even feels like a step backward.
The sound doesn’t react with the kind of dynamic richness you’d expect: changes in RPM mostly affect pitch; throttle pressure doesn’t really shape the body of the sound, nor does it convey the visceral feeling that other modern sims capture so well.
Priorities in Development?
Perhaps this is a conscious decision, a matter of prioritizing other aspects during early development. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that while things like performance, VR compatibility, and multiplayer are being solidified, sound design took a back seat. And that’s understandable.
But in a sim that puts such emphasis on realism, the absence of a soundscape with real character creates a void that’s hard to ignore.
Not everything is negative, of course. Some cars shine and offer hope. And historically, the community surrounding this series has been passionate and resourceful, often giving new life to the sim through high-quality mods. But one can’t help but wonder: what if the core team decided to take the lead on sound this time around?
Because ultimately, sound isn’t just an aesthetic layer. It’s information. It’s emotion. It’s identity. A well-modeled rise in revs can warn you faster than a tachometer needle. A realistic growl might make you hesitate before a late brake. A true-to-life roar reminds you that you’re taming a beast.
And if a racing sim should achieve anything, it’s precisely that: making you feel like you’re there—right in the middle of the roar.
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