Assetto Corsa Horizon 6: The Launch

With only a week left before the release of one of the most eagerly awaited titles in the Assetto Corsa franchise, the closer we get and the more statements we hear from the developers, the less certain we are about what to expect from this game.

When we hear about an open, drivable map featuring models from every era, with towns, local and regional roads, and even dirt tracks through forests, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to the recent titles developed by Playground Games for the Forza Horizon series.

For those unfamiliar with the Horizon saga, this Forza spin-off aims to deliver a more arcade-like experience, breaking away from the seriousness of the main Motorsport title. It features story modes and other types of gameplay, generally revolving around driving from one point to another within a massive map inspired by real-world locations.

In Forza Horizon 4, this was the border region between England and Scotland, including areas like the Lake District, Edinburgh, and snippets of the Highlands. In Forza Horizon 5, the focus shifted to Guanajuato, incorporating many of Mexico’s diverse ecosystems.

In Horizon, driving is laid-back, with real traffic but very little human activity. In a game where cars take center stage, the developers chose not to allocate resources to something as “non-essential” as populating cities and towns with life. While this is hardly noticeable most of the time, traversing ghost towns detracts from the free-roam experience.

Assetto Corsa Evo has promised to include maps of real-world locations like Eifel. Anyone fortunate enough to have visited the Nordschleife area knows it’s far from lifeless. To achieve true realism, the game will need to incorporate not only vehicular traffic but also human activity and possibly more.

Sticking to Horizon’s simplified approach would be the easy route, but Kunos has promised a level of realism that includes local businesses, which will reportedly show signs of life. Achieving this will require considerable resources and time.

Once we’re behind the wheel, the topic of off-road driving becomes tricky. Horizon gets away with making it completely unrealistic but wildly fun, while Assetto Corsa Evo must adhere to a realism where every rock could damage your suspension, and every rut could destroy your car’s front end.

How do they plan to balance fun and realism across 1,600 square kilometers of terrain? How will they handle vehicles not designed for gravel paths or open fields?

These questions raise many doubts, and as the days go by, the Early Access launch seems less enticing. Twenty cars—most of which we’ve already driven—and five tracks are certainly not insignificant, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before in other titles that struggled to gain traction, like Rennsport. While this new direction takes shape, the original Assetto Corsa remains, with its mods and updates, a nearly unbeatable product—and practically free.

Exploring kilometers of roads in Ireland, Portugal, Italy, or cities like Fukuoka and Tokyo with a wide variety of cars, accessing impeccably recreated and updated circuits compatible with VR and triple screens in 4K quality, all through a straightforward and efficient interface like Content Manager, with stunning graphics (thank you, CSP)—these are challenges difficult to overcome.

For simpler, more polished options, there’s still the fifth installment of Forza Horizon or its already-in-development successor.

That said, considering the miracles Kunos has pulled off before, we trust in their abilities. They managed to achieve something special despite the rocky start of Competizione (even if it didn’t win over everyone), and their 10-year-old masterpiece continues to capture our hearts.

So, we’ll be there, hopeful about what’s to come, but aware that the road ahead will be long and that no one—perhaps not even Kunos—fully knows what we’re about to experience this time.

See you on the track!