I'm quite the fan of sim rally games. The ever constant danger and thrills are a notch above what's experienced with track or road driving games. Not only do you have to perfect every turn and maximize speed, there's an additional dimension of pure survival. This is what makes rally games unique.
The WRC series has long been the official games of the FIA World Rally Championship. I've played all of them and enjoyed most, but in recent years, they have been far overshadowed by the excellent Dirt Rally series.
WRC 8 marks a significant return to form, with a completely overhauled physics and simulation system. The cars feel much more grounded, much better to drive. There is still some wonkiness, particularly with collisions, but overall the physics are now worthy of the WRC brand. Further, a new surface simulation system has been added, so you really feel the type of terrain you are rallying over. Of course, you'll have to vary your driving style significantly according to the terrain.
How does it compare to Dirt Rally 2.0? Well, it's clear to see that Dirt Rally 2.0 is a bigger budget, more polished game. Whether it be physics, graphics, and generally overall polish, Dirt Rally 2.0 simply feels better and has less points of friction.
But WRC 8 carves its own niche. Both games are, of course, challenging as rally sims go, but some of the longer stages of WRC 8 are something else. Often, to the point of frustration, but never to the point of rage quitting. Though the graphics of WRC 8 doesn't really live up to the best driving games on the market - there are tell tale signs of budget constraints - the stages are gorgeous. I haven't had the time to watch the World Rally Championship in recent years, but many iconic stages of real world rallies are present and correct, and realized with admirable detail.
Every rally is featured, but of course, you don't actually get all rally stages on the calendar. No complaints, though, as it does select the very best, and for a game, one wouldn't expect to drive through all rally stages anyway. It would take far too long and be repetitive.
Even with the selective slate of stages, the career mode is pretty long, and can get repetitive after a while. Certainly, I didn't have the motivation to complete a second season of WRC after finishing my first. No matter, at 30 hours, that's plenty enough rallying to keep me going till WRC 9.
Also added to the mix are light career management elements with off-rally events, crew management, etc. It's all standard fare, and adds a nice mix to the season. Neither the F1 series, nor WRC 8, can quite capture the feeling of events off the race, and it's never quite as interesting as racing itself.
Overall, WRC 8 is a big leap forward for the series, and a bonafide must-play rallying sim. These games are not for everyone, but with some patience and learning, I think a lot of people will enjoy what they have to offer - pure thrills! While it may not be as complete a package as Dirt Rally 2.0, WRC 8 has absolutely catapulted its way back into contention. With WRC 9 now announced for next-gen consoles, I'm definitely expecting improvements in areas where WRC 8 visibly shows budget constraints.
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Youre really at it these last few days.
Good reminder. I havent played a race game in years. In the middle of Divinity 2 atm.
Oh, that's great! Divinity Original Sin 2 is one of my favourite games.
I assumed as much. lol
Rally racing kicks ass! Love drifting on a dirt track.. Sweet review!
Cheers! Though drifting should be used sparingly in a game like WRC 8, it's often slower.