Great visuals, but the gravel physics need serious work
My biggest issue with Assetto Corsa Rally is the lack of grip. Braking distances feel excessively long, and every car slides endlessly on gravel, making it feel more like driving on snow. I have drifted a rear-wheel-drive car on snow in real life and felt more grip than I do here in an all-wheel-drive rally car.
Many players seem to confuse difficulty with realism. A car being extremely hard to control does not automatically make the simulation realistic. Honestly, many things I attempt in this game feel like they would be easier to do in a real car than with a good wheel-and-pedal setup.
The cars also seem to lack weight. During one corner, I hit a small bump at only around 30 km/h, and it caused my car to roll several times. I can understand the bump briefly lifting the car, but flipping it repeatedly at such a low speed feels excessive and unrealistic. At times, the cars feel as if they are made of cardboard.
Changing the camera settings improved the sense of speed, but the cars still look and feel slower than they should. This is especially obvious in replays: even after a clean, fast run, the car appears to be sliding slowly through the stage. Compare that with real rally footage, where the speed is immediately obvious from similar camera angles.
This lack of grip also takes away much of the excitement. Dirt Rally 2.0 may have too much grip, but it delivers a far stronger sense of speed and intensity, and its replays resemble real rally footage much more closely.
On asphalt, the grip is slightly better, but the force feedback feels too light and smooth. The wheel is thrown from side to side too easily, yet lacks the natural weight and stability of a real steering wheel.
Visually, the game is outstanding. The cars and environments look fantastic and genuinely next-generation. Unfortunately, the handling, force feedback, vehicle weight, and overall realism are not there yet for me.
