In the preliminary design stage, maneuvering assessment is a prerequisite based on IMO regulations. Traditionally, maneuvering assessment activities are conducted using physical boats and pilots. Such practice is tedious; requires more time to complete, suitable weather conditions, and costly. To overcome such obstacles in conducting maneuvering assessments, it may be hypothesized that simulation methods are more efficient. At present, the autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) is a hot topic within the maritime industry. Therefore, this paper shall review the state-of-the-art applications of ASV for maneuvering assessment. Also, the factors that contributed to the impact of ship maneuverability performance are discussed in this paper. Additionally, the safety aspect is also reviewed concerning COLREGS requirements.