Assetto Corsa EVO’s latest keynote presentation revealed several new details about the game’s upcoming free-roam mode, the first part of which will form the game’s V0.10 Early Access build.
Kunos Simulazioni Co-Founder and Executive Manager Marco Massarutto presented an overview of the game’s new open-world features ahead of its SimRacing Expo Frankfurt showcase, revealing several key features (and reaffirming a few more).
Below, we’ve listed the most important free-roaming features Massarutto revealed from the developer’s swanky new headquarters.
Multiplayer at launch
Perhaps the most important aspect of AC EVO’s free-roaming mode is that it will be playable in both multiplayer and single-player from the outset, featuring changeable weather and time-of-day settings.
So, players can join an online server as soon as V0.10 drops and meet up with friends. It’s not clear whether players will be able to create their own hosted servers using the Eifel free-roam map, however.
Players will be able to get out of their car and walk, according to the keynote, with realistic NPCs lining the streets around the Nordschleife.
Judging from today’s teaser, we can tell that the Eifel region’s verdant scenery will be replicated beautifully in-game, but its fauna will also be present. Kunos showed off a deer’s elegantly detailed movements in the video, alongside moths and butterflies.
Although refuelling has been mooted before, the keynote confirms that players can stop off at petrol stations ot top up their tanks with super unleaded (and presumably electricity, too).
What’s new is that you’ll be able to wash your car in AC EVO’s free roam, helping wipe off the various bits of road detritus. You don’t want to turn up to an online car meet with a manky car, after all.
Tyre fitting centres will also be a thing, but it’s unclear whether this means multiple rubber manufacturers will be represented outside of Pirelli (BF Goodrich branding also appears in the keynote).
Off-roading
This has been previously showcased, in particular at last year’s SimRacing Expo, when a Ferrari Purosangue was driving across a field.
Once again, to reiterate, the Mercedes-Benz G63 (see below) was now seen doing something similar, emphasising that all of the map is explorable, not just the roads.
Time Attack
Building on the leaderboard features already seen within EVO, there will be Time Attack challenges within the free roam area too.
A point-to-point route, with the challenges list on the map user interface (more on that below, too), forms a Time Attack. So do start, end and checkpoint banners, and a post-event online leaderboard.
Navigation and teleporting
It’s long been expected that there must be a way of navigating around the German countryside, but this hasn’t yet been showcased in full.
A navigation system has been confirmed, although still not shown here.
What was briefly showcased, however, was the world map menu, with on-screen icons.
Here, you can see the option to highlight a location and hit a ‘navigate’ button. You can also teleport too (perhaps sometimes known as ‘fast travel’ in other games), allowing for quick excursions around the location.
It is not known how big or small AC EVO’s Eifel free-roam map will initially be, but Massarutto assured fans that they would be 1:1 replicas of the real location, including authentic buildings, landmarks and businesses.
The Italian also stated that Kunos would add ‘new features, content and game modes over time’ to free-roam. It has previously confirmed a total, eventual size of 1,600km2.
Perhaps intriguingly, LA Canyons and Transfăgărășan mods from Assetto Corsa were name-checked during the keynote. Could Kunos be working on further regions, or is it simply a nod to what the future of EVO modding could look like?
New cars
During the presentation, we spotted a few new vehicles. All but one are from the Three-Pointed Star.
The Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 (C192) and A45 are once again previewed, seen in prior trailers but not yet in the early access simulation. Meanwhile, the Lamborghini Temerario was seen in motion for the first time, following its confirmation yesterday (6th October).
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