If you're anything like me, you enjoy casually driving open roads just as much as you enjoy racing others online. The ability to sit back and go on a relaxing cruise swerving through curvy roads and small towns is something I am a big fan of and I am always on the lookout for games and mods featuring open-world maps. If you're even somewhat familiar with Assetto Corsa, you have likely heard or even played on either the LA Canyons or the Shutoko Revival Project mod. But today, I want to introduce you to a lesser-known open world mod for Assetto Corsa: Brasov Romania.

This free mod, created by the people at Sim Traxx, brings the hill climb experience of Romania to the sim world. The track itself was "created with aerial laser-scanned references, high-resolution pictures and constant advisory from Romanian real rally drivers." Surprisingly, this track came out back in 2018 and I never heard of it until recently when I discovered it while browsing the Racing Department. 

Driving on it was nothing short of a blast! The map features an abundance of curvy roads and long straights and it also features small towns and houses with some very cool architecture. The scenery is highly developed and you really get the hill climb experience. The map features 3 realistic layouts as used on real rally competitions in Romania. The first one is 11.1 km long, the second 11km and the hill climb itself is 5km. I drove the hill climb and after about 20 minutes I still hadn’t reached the end, so there is a definitely significant amount of content for you to spend some time on.

There were a few things that really surprised me about this mod. First was the level of detail. All buildings and houses are heavily detailed and driving around there is always something new to discover.

The second thing that surprised me was the number of tricky corners scattered throughout. This added a level of excitement and realism and had me on my toes while cruising. The scenery of this mod is also incredible. The mountains out in the distance, the vegetation, and just the overall natural scenery look extremely realistic and refined.

Whilst I haven't had the time to check them out, the mod also features a real, multistory parking lot, two roundabouts, and a large ground parking lot for those who are into drifting. Sim Traxx also offers a paid version of this mod known as “Brasov Ultimate”. For just under 8 euros, the mod also features a working multiplayer option, race layouts working with AI, and 3 additional stages. I have not personally tried these out either but they are definitely on my to-do list.

Overall, I found the Brasov mod to be extremely underrated and an incredibly relaxing past-time for those who like to take a break from racing and simply enjoy the ride. And coming in at the low cost of free, I truly cannot recommend it enough. This was not sponsored nor endorsed by the creators of this mod, this is just 100% my own opinion and I really think you all should check out this mod.

Download the free mod here: https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/brasov-romania.28239/