What content should you get if you plan to make your first steps in rFactor2? Our rFactor 2 buyer’s guide has all the information you need.
Image credit: Studio 397
rFactor2 is considered as one of the best racing simulations on the market. This is in part because it comes with tons of extra content besides the main game in the form of purchasable DLCs and user-generated mods.
What to Check Before you Buy rFactor 2
To start your journey in rFactor2, you first need to buy the base game, which is the engine room of your experience. The regular price on Steam is €29.99. During Steam Sales, however, that price is usually reduced by 50 percent.
rFactor2 is a very detailed simulation which requires quite some hardware power in order to run properly. Before you add the game to your cart, make sure your PC fulfils the minimum requirements recommended by developer Studio 397. They are:
- 64-bit-processor and OS required
- CPU: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon II x2 or better
- OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10, with latest Service Packs.
- RAM: 4 GB
- Video Card: nVidia GTS 450 or AMD Radeon 5750
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Disk Space: 30 GB
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
Since rFactor2 is a full simulation, it is highly recommended to use a racing wheel and pedals for the best experience. If you plan to use a gamepad, we recommend downloading the demo and check out whether you can actually control the cars with the limited input options.
rFactor 2 Buyer’s Guide: How to Get Tracks and Cars
After you have bought the game, you can immediately dive into racing. The vanilla copy comes with more than 35 licensed cars and tracks, such as the famous Silverstone Circuit.
However, most of the game’s content lies beneath the basic version. One source of additional content is purchasable DLCs. Currently, there are 82 different additional content packs on the Steam Store, in form of cars, tracks or bundles.
Cars have a standard price of 4.99€ per piece, but there are also some cheaper options. There is a wide range of vehicles to choose from, like GT3 cars, the open-wheel Formula Pro car, the Formula E 2018 car or even karts.
Depending on which type of vehicle you want to race in, you can also add your circuits of choice to the game. Depending on the size and type of the track, prices can range between €6.99 for a track like Imola, and €11.99 for the Nürburgring and its Nordschleife.
Definitely worth a look at are the bundles Studio 397 offers. If you are a fan of GT3 cars, you should definitely consider getting the GT3 pack which includes all 14 GT3 cars in the game for a reduced price. However, be aware that the popular Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car is not included in the bundle, even though the name might suggest otherwise.
Also worth a look at are bundles which combine certain cars and tracks. For example, if you are a fan of Formula E, there is a pack which combines six Formula E circuits, as well as the Gen 1 and Gen 2 car. Formula 1 fans might have a look at the Formula Pro Pack which includes the open-wheel formula car and the three iconic circuits of Spa, Monza and the Nürburgring (including the Nordschleife).
Use Mods to Save Money
However, the world of rFactor2 truly opens up to you once you enter the world of its mods. There are tons of cars, tracks and tools to get your hands on. One way of accessing mods is the Steam Workshop. Here, you can also find 61 different cars, tracks or mods like an eHUD, made by developer Studio 397 – for free! Among the cars are diamonds like the McLaren MP4/13 and world-famous tracks such as Zandvoort. These additions are must-haves for any racer.
Besides Studio 397’s content, there is also more than 800 pieces of user-generated content to access via the Steam Workshop. But there are also other sources for rFactor2 mods on websites and fan-forums.
These mods are not only worth a look at because they add additional tracks and cars to the game. They can also be a good alternative for paid content. For example, there are several great community rebuilds of the Nordschleife out there on the internet. If you do not want to spend the extra money on the track in the official store, you might want to try out some of the fan-made versions.
rFactor2 has been a fan-favourite for years because of its high level of realism, but also because it is one of the most customizable sim experiences on the market. You decide what you want the game to be and look like. We hope our rFactor 2 buyer’s guide helped you to make your decision.
What is a must-have addition for rFactor2? Tell us your opinion by tweeting @OverTake_gg or leave a comment down below!
