We have been on this journey called Early Access for a while now, an emotional rollercoaster where sometimes the menus depress us and other times, the physics make us fall in love.
But friends, we have reached version 0.4 and, for the first time, I feel like we have to stop looking at the menus (which, spoiler alert: are still the same) and look at the track. Because what has just landed is, without a doubt, the biggest “boost” of content we have seen to date.
Let’s leave the boring technical sheets for the engineers and let’s talk about sensations. About what happens when you step on the gas.
From the German Jungle to the American Rollercoaster
First, let’s talk about where we are going to race. They have dropped five circuits on us (or four, depending on how picky you are with the variants). But there is one that takes the cake: Nürburgring. And not just because we have the Nordschleife and the GP combined, but because of the details.
There is something magical about this version. The lushness of the forest. We are used to seeing flat trees in other simulators (I’m looking at you, iRacing), but here it feels alive.
And, pay attention to this, a detail that blew my mind: when you approach the famous “YouTube” corner, you hear the crowd screaming. Literally. Those screams are only there, waiting for someone to make a mistake. It is an immersive audio detail and, honestly, it’s brilliant.
Then we have Monza, updated to its 2025 version. The good news? It is modern. The bad news? They have taken away the fun. They have removed the “sausages” and the aggressive curbs. Now the first chicane is straighter, easier. Have we lost character in favor of modernity? Probably.
But my heart, friends, has been stolen by Road Atlanta. It is glorious. That final descent towards the back straight, seeing the climb towards the finish line… it is pure poetry in motion. It easily enters my top 3 American circuits.
Boats, Beasts, and Disappointments
Here is where the talk gets interesting. They have given us 10 new cars, and the variety is so absurd that it looks like a shopping list made on an empty stomach.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, or rather, the boat in the room: the BMW M8 Competition.
Look, this car is fascinating. It is an ocean liner. It takes a lifetime to brake and it costs its soul to turn. But, surprisingly, it is the one I liked the most. There is something incredibly satisfying about shoving such a hulk into a corner and having it come out alive. It is proof that you don’t need a pure race car to have fun; sometimes you just need to fight with physics.
In the other corner of the ring, we have the Ferrari F40 LM. If the BMW is a boat, the F40 is a wild animal that hasn’t eaten in three days. It sounds beastly, but it moves like it wants to kill you. On a small straight you hit 200 km/h without realizing it, and when you touch the brake… well, say a prayer. You have to have a surgeon’s touch with the throttle because it wants to go everywhere. It is difficult, it is abrupt, and it is wonderful.
And what about Formula 1? Here comes the sour note. The Ferrari SF25. You expect abruptness, violence, a broken neck… and you find a car that spares your life. It is too kind. It loses the rear end with a strange laziness, giving you plenty of time to correct. It lacks nerve. For being the pinnacle of motorsport, it feels a bit watered down.
Oh, and a friendly tip: if you pick the Toyota Supra MK4, please have mercy with the customization. They let us put in some bright red seats that could blind your rivals. It’s Toyota’s fault for allowing us to create these aberrations, but the handling is pure silk. It forces you to be smooth, to dance with it. A delight.
The Truth About the “Open World”
Let’s lower the hype for a moment. I know you read “Open World” and you imagine driving across Europe. Stop right there.
What we have is the tourist entrance of Nordschleife. There is a roundabout, a parking lot, and a workman who lifts the barrier if you behave. That’s it. If you go outside of that, the world looks poor, unfinished, with floating roads.
Do not expect miracles. It serves to take a one-minute drive, feel like a tourist, and return to reality. It is a curious addition, but it is not a new game.
So, what do we do?
The AI is still… well, let’s say it is “trying to improve”, but it still fails miserably in pace and behavior. And the Daily Racing mode (the ranked online) is there in the menu, looking at us with seductive eyes, but still inactive at the time of this talk.
But, you know what? Despite the shortcomings, despite the F1 being too docile and the open world being a glorified parking lot, this version 0.4 is a giant leap forward.
We have circuits that look scandalous, cars that have drastically opposing personalities (from a docile Mini to a homicidal F40), and a physics system that, when it hits the mark, feels incredible.
You can buy it for 20 euros in our Instant Gaming link:
See you on the track.
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