レビュー

• gamedeal user

  Aug 25, 2020

  I have been playing this game for three months now, and I've been hesitant to write this review. Why? Well, I liked the fundamentals of this game, and I wanted to give something back, but even a few weeks ago, a recommendation would have been somewhat dishonest. That has changed. Now, with the update 1.2.5., the time has come to buy Automobilista 2. Why? First of all, because of the developer. Reiza Studios are relentless. Four months ago, on April 1st, the physics were weird and carried many Project CARS 2 characteristics. None of that remains anymore, the cars feel lively, slides can be saved, and when you spin, you will know why. Driving in this game is simply fun in a way that's hard to describe. Back to April 1st: Multiplayer had massive synchronisation issues. Crashes without touching anyone and weird launches were the norm. As of this update, that is simply gone. Racing on multiplayer is now quite brilliant, especially because of one thing we're going to be tackling in a minute. First, however, let's go back to April 1st again: The AI could barely be called such and was somehow worse than Project CARS 2's disastrous AI. Now, they are very lively racers, fighting each other for position, giving you space at all times, but still very much trying to beat you. What I'm saying with this comparison is this: Buy AMS2 now, and you'll make a long term investment. Reiza have proven to deliver on their promises, and deliver quickly - which is rare in the sim industry. If you buy it now, I'd say most will be satisfied with the game they're getting. However: You simply know that, just a few months from now, you're going to have an even better game. Selling point #2: Multiplayer. The bad thing about the multiplayer right now is that it's not very populated (more information on that, and why it probably won't stay that way, will be given later in this review). However, the multiplayer has one perk no other sim except for Project CARS 2 has: Pick up and play. You do not have to fiddle with setting up servers, you can simply set up your own lobby to your liking within a minute, and have great races with friends. No connection issues remain. Selling point #3: Obscure content. For many people, many weird Brazilian race cars that look like fantasy cars, and many Brazilian tracks that most never heard of, might be a turn-off. However. There are real gems in between. The Stock Cars are pretty exciting to drive, just as the small ARC Camaros make for brilliant cars to battle with. The Sprint Cars are basically rear-powered TCR-cars, which, for me, is an ideal compromise. And for the tracks ... if you have never driven on Guaporé, or Ibarra circuit, or on Cascavel, or on Curitiba - I'd say you've missed out on something. These don't sound quite as mythical as Nordschleife, or Spa-Francorchamps (both of which, incidentally, will come to this game), but I assure you that doesn't stop them from being just as fun. Selling point #4: VR-support. If you own a VR device, buying is basically a no-brainer, because there is no comparable performing sim for VR on the market. Selling point #5: F1 cars. If you're an F1 fan, this has F1 cars from nearly every era you might think of. Most aren't licensed, but they still, at least to me, feel like proper representations of their respective area - and fitting skins can be found on RaceDepartment. Also, there are some interesting details in here - like the '97 McLaren, which had an additional brake pedal that is recreated in the sim. Selling point #6: Again, the developer. Go visit the Reiza forums. I've yet to see a lead developer as communicative, polite and actually trustworthy as Mr. Simioni - nearly every concern that's been voiced on these forums has received a measured and thoughtful response, and the promises he's made have been delivered on without exception as of now. I personally feel like I'm in good hands with this sim. Now we have tackled AMS2's strengths, it's time for the weaknesses. The game does have some, and I don't want to hide that it does. First of all, yes, multiplayer has only few players. I hope it'll change, and I've got grounds to hope. Within the following months, two of the most raced tracks will be coming to AMS2 as DLC (Nordschleife and Spa-Francorchamps). Even more importantly, Group C/GT1, Touring Cars and GT3 cars are going to be added to the game for free in the next few months. Additionally, the most glaring flaws of the game that initially pushed people away from it - they're just gone now. However, things like multiplayer population are difficult to predict, so I can't be sure it'll get better. The next issue is AI consistency. When you managed to get them roughly to the speed you're at, you're going to have excellent races most of the time. However, you might have to fiddle a bit - the ARC Camaro AI on 100 difficulty is just a second slower than me, whereas I leave the Formula V10's in the dust by four seconds on the same difficulty. You can adjust difficulty from 70 to 120, but a bit of fiddling is required most of the time. As with everything about this game, this will be significantly improved by Reiza (see selling point #1). But you might have to wait a few months. In general, the offline experience doesn't have a career mode as of yet. The included championship mode is going to be vastly improved over the coming months, but as of now, it's basically just a placeholder. Finally, the game does not support modding. I'm not sure it makes a difference, though, because the track list is pretty impressive (~40 locations, and many of these have very different historical versions). The car list is as of yet a bit unbalanced (somewhat biased towards formula cars (25) and historic Brazilian touring cars (12)), but according to the development roadmap, that will have changed by December (when the aforementioned touring cars, GT3 cars and Group C/GT1 cars will have been added to the game). Actually ... off the top of my hat, that's it. There are a few minor gripes. For example, the Formula Retro's (70's F1 cars) driving behaviour isn't quite to my liking yet. Some cars (especially the Sprint Car) like their lock-ups a bit too much in my opinion. A few car/track combinations don't work, because the car bounces too much on the track, which can lead to a bit of dizziness on the player's part. Seat positions do not save. Several of these are a bit bothersome. However: Are these factors that keep you from buying? And if they are: Do they also prevent you from buying if you know that, a few months from now, they aren't goint to be issues anymore? For me, AMS2 has been the most worthwhile sim game I've purchased. No part of it is truly broken anymore. There's much exciting content looming on the horizon, and the speed of the improvements remains staggering. Join now, and watch as a (not-anymore-so) ragged diamond is carefully carved to perfection. It's quite beautiful thing to witness, I assure you. Wholeheratedly recommended.
• gamedeal user

  Jul 5, 2020

  “Reiza made a mistake”. That was the general consensus when they let us know that Automobilista 2 would be sporting the Madness Engine, from the Project C.A.R.S franchise. It was expected that they’d go for the new IsiMotor engine from rFactor 2, which is considered by many as the most accurate simulator out there in terms of raw physics, aerodynamics, ambient simulation (how the climate interferes with the track and car and so on). Yet they went with a rather questionable option, derived from Need for Speed Shift, a simcade at best, which also defines the pCARS franchise. Could it be that Reiza wanted to broaden their public and adopt an arcadey approach? Or maybe they would try and build a solid simulator out of it? After 30 hours of tinkering with all the content and under different weather conditions, I can safely say it’s the latter. And it doesn’t surprise me one bit. To understand why it’s not a surprise to me, we need to go back in time, before the likes of Assetto Corsa and even Automobilista for that matter: 2013. That was when the then crowdfunded Project Cars had its first public builds to supporters. It was - back then - a full blown simulator, eventually dumbed down to fit the arcade agenda and sell more copies. SMS wanted money, and the simracing niche wouldn’t be able to splash enough cash. By catering to a wider audience, they could get a lot more copies sold, thus making a lot more money. Reiza, on the other hand, could care less about the money. They know very well that the mainstream public would rather watch paint dry than buy a game that features obscure brazilian racing series. If it doesn’t have Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, world renowned tracks, they don’t even bat an eye. And even so, Automobilista 2 is a thing. Which proves, once and for all, that it’s a love testament rather than a wannabe blockbuster. And what a love testament it is! By embracing the rather different and unique brazilian categories and tracks, Reiza brings something “new”* to the table. It’s all about the love for motorsports. With amazing visuals, informative FFB, realistic tyre deformation physics and above the average sounds, Automobilista 2 made its way into the absolute pinnacle of racing simulation. Reiza did an amazing job with the rF1 engine* (Automobilista 1) and made sure to do it again with MADNESS. Despite being labeled as a bootleg pCars by many (wrongly, of course), it has nothing in common with the previous other than the graphics engine and a few UI elements which are eventually going to be replaced. It drives and sounds completely different. If anything, Automobilista 2 is the Project CARS that people wanted to see in 2013/2014. The simulator that didn’t happen to see the light of the day. Reiza could care less about millions of copies sold and pleasing the mainstream market with dumbed down physics. The community was desperate for a proper next-gen sim - VR compatible - and they duly delivered. A sim from racing lovers to racing lovers. Therefore, you should be wondering why haven’t you bought it yet rather than if you should buy it. It’s absolute madness.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 1, 2020

  AMS 2 is a bit of a mixed bag right now. The quality of the experience depends heavily on which car you drive. Some feel like a great step in the right direction, and others feel completely unpredictable, even unfair in how they respond. The main stock cars, the modern F1, and the Formula V10 are all some of the better drives in the game. That said, no car truly outshines the previous game, and the game certainly still feels in development. While AMS 2 is leagues ahead of Project CARS, sprinkles of that game remain. The worst offender, in my opinion, is under braking. The brakes lack nuance, and often feel too powerful, with any touch of 100% brake power likely to cause a lock-up no matter how brief. Cars also seem skittish in the middle of the corners still, and a slight adjustment is likely to cause a spin despite feeling well within the limits of the car. But when AMS 2 is good, it's fantastic. Reiza have created a very strong foundation, and if they can keep improving, AMS 2 has the potential to be one of the best of all-time. Graphics are an obvious improvement, but I have also found the AI to be leaps ahead of the gMotor 2 AI in the previous game. They are very reactive to the player, but not as much to give up positions without a fight. They also make very human-like errors, which helps the race feel more alive than ever. So who is it for? AMS 2 is not a replacement of the first game yet. If you are looking for the next step, a full-featured masterpiece, certainly don't discredit this game - but it's not quite for you yet. If, however, you are an enthusiast, someone who's willing to put up with some lackluster experiences in order to follow the game closely - this sim will make some impressive first strides. Think of this game not in terms of how much you will spend for it, but rather, how much time you will invest. Not recommended for those who want a completed masterpiece, but easily suggested to any who want to see it grow.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 14, 2020

  Bought rFactor 2, Asseto Corsa and Automobilista 2 for VR sim racing. I enjoy Automobilista the most of the three. Edit: Since so many people find this comment helpful I'll elaborate a bit: rFactor 2 - Great driving, the most realistic, quite a bit of content, crappy everything else (user interface, cost of content...) Asseto Corsa - The worst driving of the three by far, the most amount of content, the most online activity Automobilista - Best driving (although maybe not the most realistic), smallest amount of content (still enough for me), good VR polish (interface, visuals, performance)
• gamedeal user

  Aug 28, 2020

  Now THIS IS PROJECT CARS 3!
• gamedeal user

  Dec 28, 2021

  Want a sim you can actually play with your friends out of the box? Without paying $12.00 per car or track? or $2.00 per hour for a private session? Without downloading 84 mods and following a guide on youtube to install or run a server? AMS2. The Devs are working really hard and producing great content - all off the back of a sim engine that was poorly leveraged by its original creators.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 21, 2022

  Who needs iracing anyways
• gamedeal user

  Apr 1, 2020

  Don't fall for these annoying knob-heads who've played a mere 30 minutes and left a negative review and possibly already refunded AMS2. This game is a work in progress, we're lucky to even have It realised now as it is underdeveloped for early access. (I say that because people assume early access means = fully completed). Unfortunately, this is why developers choose to delay releases, because of morons harping on about how great iRacing or some other sim is when compared to an early beta game like AMS2 which literally several car's physics are being reworked as we speak. For crying out loud, some reviewers complain there's no "Porsche or Ferrari!". This is a small time development team. Where do you expect they have the money for those types of licensing? Clearly these people have never heard of mods or DLCs. And if people would do some research, you'd see Reiza has been affected by COVID-19 lockdowns and still have the passion to work on AMS2 and release it as is. Reiza studios as a whole is a very passionate company, you can see that evidence reflected in the DLC collaboration they did with RF2 and all the AMS1 DLC. Anyways, as for the game, I'm happy to say that the iconic AMS1 handling/FFB has made its way to AMS2. If you're not familiar, AMS1 has some of the best handling of any sim out there. AMS2 promises just that and now with stunning visuals from the Project Cars 2 engine. Overall it's decent. It hasn't blown me away, but I've thoroughly enjoyed several cars like the AJR. It's important to note, several car physics are in the works now too. My only complaint about the game is that the sound is kind of underwhelming and not that immersive. It lacks content too, I would like to see more international content in the future that is free to entice users to buy it. But I understand that's not entirely possible with the situation around the world and the dev team size. If there's one thing I hope for just like AMS1 is full on modding support. The only way I see AMS2 being a real competitor is having some workshop modding capabilities. The sooner people can get iconic race tracks modded over, the better. (FYI, Project Cars 2 has car mods, there's also several modding teams who've made cars for PC2 recently as testing grounds for AMS2). And to those eager to be negative about this sim: no is forcing you to buy, It's funny most of them own rFactor 2 and it's DLC content which is severely overpriced compared to other sims. If you want to buy it, look at SimRacing604 or SimRacingCorner on youtube, buy it, play it, make your choice and keep it or refund it. Simple. If you liked project cars and wanted better handling, you'll like this. If you liked AMS1, you'll like this. If you're a general sim degenerate, you'll probably like this. To conclude, there's tons of potential for this sim and I'm happy to support it. I didn't buy it in Alpha stage as it was too expensive.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 26, 2023

  i have many hours in various sims and this is the one that i just keep coming back to. It is by far the most fun. Excellent well optimised graphics especially in VR, top notch physics and FFB. The dynamic track and weather conditions are the best there is at the moment. A great variety of car and track combinations, many not available in other sims. The AI is quite good and improving with every update. Multiplayer can be limited at times but thriving at other times, but setting up a peer hosted lobby is easy without the need of a complex dedicated server. Plenty of leagues available for a more consistent multiplayer experience. The time trial leaderboard is a nice addition that allows for competitive hot lapping at any time whether there are online lobbies available or not. The UI is a little dated and buggy on occasions. There are random gameplay bugs from time to time but the dev team is highly dedicated and the bugs are getting few and far between. To sum up, its just too much fun.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 22, 2023

  It is a beautiful game, works good with my G27 setup but I am a slow old man in sim racing and it is impossible to turn the A.I. speed down slow enough for me to compete in the middle of the field so I start last and try to finish before I get Lapped LoL. Like I said great game for a younger guy who can still get gud :)