Review for WRC 9. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the video game was released on 03/09/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 10/11/2020
WRC 9 is a rally game developed by Kylotonn Games and published by Bigben Interactive for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Like its predecessor, it will take players into the wonderful and evocative world of the FIA World Rally Championship, thanks to the official license of the entire season of the world championship. Players will be able to drive famous cars like the Ford Fiesta by Esapekka Lappi, la Hyundai i20 by Ott Tanak, la Toyota Yaris by Sebastien Ogier and many others. In addition to the top category of the WRC, it will also be possible to drive cars of the lower categories such as WRC-2, WRC-3 and the Junior WRC.
In the whole game it has about fifty selectable teams and the fourteen official stages of the world championship, with the novelty compared to last season of three new rallies: Japan, New Zealand and the legendary Safari Rally of Kenya. The historic car events are a real gem of WRC 9, during which you can experience the monsters that have made the history of rallies, such as the Lancia Delta Integrale or the Audi A2.
The legend begins
The central mode of the game is undoubtedly the Career mode where you will be called starting from the Junior WRC and then climbing the various categories. It is a very realistic and well-structured mode, in which depending on the results you will be asked to do tests with higher category teams. Let's not turn around the question, WRC 9 is a rally simulator that first examines you and then explains the lesson: if you think that the Ford Fiesta R2 is easy to drive at the beginning of your career and you would have preferred to start immediately with a powerful WRC , you will soon realize that getting off the track is very easy and making mistakes that cause damage to the car is just as easy.
Going step by step, learning the car's reaction according to the various surfaces without exaggerating, is the key to progress in a constant and functional way for the rest of the career.
Going full speed into handbrake drift and gymkhana-style driving is the best way to put your car on the tow truck and take a walk in the woods. During your Career you will be called upon to fully manage your interests, starting from budget, groups and teams e upgrade to be installed on the car. Keep in mind that participating in an event costs money and resources, so it is essential to understand which events to register for to maximize returns in terms of rewards for completion and, above all, good results.
La driving precision and constant concentration are the key to successbeing distracted can have dramatic consequences. In addition to the Career mode, the challenges mode is available where you must gradually complete the various objectives and then the Season mode, where you can choose the team and participate in the world championship.
The track forgives, the rally does not
WRC 9 is the classic game that risks sending the neophyte to the psychologist. The difference in feedback of the various types of surfaces such as asphalt, gravel, dirt or snow, combined with an improved car physics, leaves no room for even the slightest error. The difference between setting a good time at the end of a stage and parking the car in a ditch is very often very blurred. Sometimes it is even difficult to explain the reason for a rollover or a skid which then led to retirement due to the excessive damage reported by the car, so you need to approach this game with due caution and the desire to learn.
It is much better to finish a rally, gaining experience and taking home points, rather than sadly ending up with the car wrecked on a slope. The player is required to be extremely adaptable, because the surface changes are very influential on the driving pattern. In this regard, we recommend the use of a steering wheel and pedals.
Graphics and Audio
The graphics of WRC 9 are very pleasant, the modeling of the cars and of the details inherent in bodywork, wheels and liveries is valuable and perfectly reflects the real models. The development of the setting is a little less cared for, but it is perfectly justified by the fact that, in a driving game, you have to look at the road. The views and the play of light, however, are very successful and contribute significantly to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the rallies.
Audio is well done, both in terms of car engines and various sound effects, especially the collision audio, really well done.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode of WRC 9, as well as allowing the player to challenge others from all over the world in the classic time attacks on the various special stages, provides the new Club mode: in a nutshell, each player will be able to make ad hoc events available to the community, in which he will choose the tracks on which to compete, the more or less restrictive rules, the challenges and everything that makes up the gaming experience. The servers have proved to be stable and the fun is definitely guaranteed.
There is also the possibility of split screen for traditional head to head with friends locally.
WRC 9 is certainly better than its predecessor, but at the same time it is potentially worse. If you come from “arcade oriented” rally games, you will struggle at the beginning but if you have perseverance and desire to learn, step by step you will be able to collect better and better results. For those who are fans of the series, WRC 9 is an evolution of the previous chapter, with widespread and localized improvements, aimed at improving the gaming experience. Ultimately, a must-have game for fans, casual gamers may find it frustrating and soon put it back on the shelf.
► WRC 9 is a racing-Simulation-Sport game developed by Kylotonn Games and published by Bigben Interactive for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the video game was released on 03/09/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 10/11/2020
