This weekend we had the opportunity to play RENNSPORT. A game that has been in early access for some time, and as a fan of sim-racing games myself, I have been looking forward to trying it out for a while.
At first glance, the game looks good, the initial car selection is sparse - but satisfactory. McLaren, Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Ford Mustang, Audi, Praga. Definitely enough to find a few car variants that you will like.
Setup
My setup is Moza R9 with KS wheel and Fanatec pedals (3 pedal). The pedals have a rumbler, but at this moment they were not working, meaning the game did not show compatibility with that part of the pedals. It's more of a gadget, but it's cool when that thing works and adds a bit of realism to the vibration of the gas or brake pedal during hard braking. However, the problem is not that. The problem is that it took me a solid two and a half hours to set up the wheel itself.
Tinkering with the steering angle and steering speed is, in itself, a nightmare. Although I must admit that I didn't have a problem with recognizing the hardware, my issue was exclusively of an "angle" nature. It seemed to me that the game was independently changing (or rather increasing) the maximum steering angle, which created additional confusion. In the end, I managed to set up the options so that driving could begin.
Over the weekend, a multiplayer session was organized, and I must admit it was quite fun. Although the game has its problems (I'll mention a couple later in the text), the multiplayer component of the game works surprisingly well. The netcode seems to be excellently done. There was no rubber-banding or phantom collisions with cars due to lag or similar issues. The race simply started and ended without major problems regarding the multiplayer itself.
Force Feedback
Where the game definitely does not shine is - force feedback. The force feedback is terrible. To the extent that it feels like you are sliding on ice in the corners, rather than on a track. It seems to me that the force feedback sometimes tries to be too detailed. This kills the sense of immersion and unfortunately turns into noise. While at other times, especially in corners, the force feedback provides too little input, giving you the impression of "sliding." Therefore, force feedback is definitely an area that is lacking in RENNSPORT, and it seems to represent a significant problem. For anyone with a somewhat serious setup - this will surely create a problem and kill the desire to drive.
AI
Another obvious problem is - AI. The artificial intelligence is so bad that for a good part of the race, you have to weave through AI-controlled cars to avoid suicidal AI drivers. They zigzag on the track, move unpredictably, and handle corners very poorly. At one point, a car in front of me crashed into the side of the car ahead of it and then flipped upside down from the force of the impact. A good part of the race comes down to "just don't let the AI hit me," but despite my prayers - the situation occurs in 90% of cases.
It is said that the AI was set to a lower level of capability until at least the first part of the career is completed - but this basic AI was simply a nuisance on the track and ruined the impression. I hope they will change this policy and improve the AI in the foreseeable future.
The positive thing is that RENNSPORT is really a beautiful game. It has potential, and once you get used to the issues the game has - it becomes fun. The physics are not bad; in fact, at times I forgot I was in RENNSPORT and that it was an early access game. Especially when I played multiplayer. Besides that, the tracks are quite well done. I didn't have many major complaints, except for the awful Rennsport track shaped like an R, which is TERRIBLE. So, the game has its positive aspects, but they are rare.
Also, it is important to note - the game has a store. Currently, only colors or car appearances are available. Cars will also be available. However, the initial idea of offering cars exclusively through the in-game store has been abandoned. So, RENNSPORT has decided that new cars will also be offered through DLC, as well as through progress in-game. When exactly that will be - at this moment I'm not sure. For now - the prices of skins seem steep, at least to me.
First Impression
For a first impression, RENNSPORT did not leave a very positive impression. It is a game that requires a lot more work and effort to reach a state that can compete with titles like Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa, or iRacing. For now - that is not the case, and it is more likely that you will choose to play any of the other titles rather than RENNSPORT, at least until things are further polished. The community on Steam is currently quite critical of the game, which is not surprising - given the current state of the game. The impression and rating are predominantly negative, players expect more. Much more.
What I must admit is that RENNSPORT is really trying to capture all feedback and they were very accommodating during testing. Help was provided to everyone who asked for it, and they welcomed feedback with open arms. That part gives me hope for future development that could dramatically improve the state of the game after its release.
More about RENNSPORT will be available in our official review of the game which we will publish soon, and we will also release the first video with a review of the game to give you insight into the topics we are writing about.
A copy of the game was provided by the development studio Competition Company
