Assetto Corsa Rally first impressions: Painstakingly precise

While this may sound obvious to fans of the genre, there’s a big difference between rally games and rally simulators. Assetto Corsa Rally is the perfect example of the latter at its prime; it’s fast-paced and fluid, with a gameplay style that demands precision from its players.

Below, you’ll find The Escapist’s first impressions of the Assetto Corsa Rally early access preview build, looking at everything from the technical style of play and the aesthetics to the wealth of information that the game offers. 

The Escapist recaps

• Assetto Corsa Rally is a rally driving simulator from Supernova Games Studios and 505 Games. Its early access launch date was November 13, 2025.
• The early access preview of Assetto Corsa Rally was comprehensive, offering a detailed look at the cars, maps, and customizations available.
• Visually, Assetto Corsa Rally was an absolute treat – each map felt lively and vibrant, and I was stunned at how good it looked, even while being played on a mid-range PC. 
• Based on the preview, Assetto Corsa Rally has a lot to offer fans of the rally simulation world. It’s technical and rich, and it features a vibrant in-game encyclopedia with all the crucial rally information that you’ll need to succeed. 

A wealth of information, paired with stunning visuals

Assetto Corsa Rally is a rally simulator from the teams at Supernova Games Studios and 505 Games, available in early access.

This game offers an adrenaline-packed, fast-paced rally experience, placing you in the driver’s seat and sending you zipping through a number of realistic courses, accompanied by a co-driver who barks instructions to keep you from taking too sharp a corner.

Digging into the preview build made me painfully aware of my lack of experience with rally sims; I’m not a sim expert by any means, so there was a steep learning curve to overcome. That didn’t stop it from being a blast, though.

Despite the game being admittedly tricky as a newer player at first – the controls are precise and there’s a decent chunk of information to digest at first – I found the introductory process to be comprehensive, with a wide variety of tips and encyclopedia entries to pore over.

Once I got the hang of the controls and gameplay style, Assetto Corsa Rally was a delight to play through. The racing experience was truly immersive, with a nice selection of maps to choose from and plenty of car customization options to tweak. 

The destruction and physics systems were both highlights of my time with the preview. Whenever I rolled the car – this happened more times than I care to admit – I found it impressive to see the physical impact this had on the car, with the windshield cracking each time it hit the ground or a sturdy branch.

A must-play for rally and racing sim enthusiasts

Assetto Corsa Rally isn’t a game that I’ll be recommending to casual racing lovers or folks looking for a breezy game to dip into after work. It’s not a “lean back” type of game, as it were, requiring precision and focus to get the best possible experience. 

Typically, when I pick up a racing game or even a racing sim, I’m looking for a fun and fast-paced experience with simplistic controls; something punchy yet casual that I can zoom through after a shift.

Assetto Corsa Rally is not that, but for fans of the genre, it’ll be a mesmerizing experience. It’s visually stunning and offers a deeply immersive style of play, with a multitude of stats and customizable elements to explore.

Performance-wise, the game was a delight, particularly considering that this review was completed on an admittedly mid-range PC. It looked good and performed nicely, without any notable glitches or quirks. 

Assetto Corsa Rally felt smooth, lively, and vibrant, with a level of precision that took a while to master. Despite the gameplay being technical and precise, it felt rewarding to get the hang of, with a vast variety of maps and a treasure trove of information on offer. If you’re a fan of rally sim gameplay, you’re bound to fall in love with this title.

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