WRC 9 – Xbox Series X Review

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WRC 9

Developer: Kylotonn
Publisher: Nacon
Website: https://www.wrcthegame.com
Genre: Racing, Simulation
Platform: Xbox S|X, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Age Rating: 3
Release Date: 1/09/2020
Price: £49.99

A code was provided for review purposes.

Introduction

WRC 9 is the official racing game of the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship. WRC 9 has been developed by French studio Kylotonn and had been published by long time series publisher; Nacon (formerly known as Big Ben Interactive). Traditionally the WRC features 13 point-to-point events that are held across the world. The time-trial events feature teams of two (driver and co-driver) who aim to navigate through the often tricky courses in the shortest time possible.

WRC 9 aims to replicate this real-world setting by putting you in the hot-seat. As a driver in the WRC, we aim to win the World Rally Championship by completing team and manufacturer objectives, while honing our on-track skills. To accomplish this we will need to pick the team best suited to our personal goals and aim to create a winning team. As rally games go WRC 9 is the best one I’ve played in a long time…

Career Driver

The main focal point to WRC 9 is the Career mode. The focus here is to climb the ranks of the Junior WRC, through WRC 3 and WRC 2, right up to the dizzying heights of the WRC to finally fight for the main Championship. Throughout our career we can manage our team in terms of vehicle and personnel upgrades, objectives, contract offers and naturally winning races. To break all of this up we can also take part in various events that feature extreme racing conditions (such as being set at night or driving a badly damaged car) or the ability to drive classic rally cars.

Whilst WRC 9 is a competent rally game (more on that later) what problems the game has, do start to show through in the Career mode. First of all the Career objectives can be a bit hit and miss. The biggest culprit was to be asked to complete in a certain amount of events in a 6-week window. This is impossible to do as the games calendar won’t physically let you. Another suspect was to drive a certain amount of events without using a certain set of tyres. Again, pretty pointless. Thankfully the bulk of our success comes from our driving and these often silly objectives.

Sadly, career mode doesn’t feature any customisation features in the slightest. It’s a strange thing to not include as the option has become a staple of sport simulation games in recent years. We do get an extensive upgrade path which is very similar, if not identical to the one found in WRC 8. Just don’t expect to build your team from the ground up a-lá F1-2020 style.

Handling

The breakthrough this year with WRC 9 is how the cars handle. Its a much smoother experience when compared to what we had in WRC 8. Vehicles now have significant weight to them and as we gain access to more powerful cars, the handling reflects this change. Previously, the main WRC class cars would be very twitchy and slight bumps in terrain would send them flying. Now, thanks to a leap in suspension control, they ride over bumps and corner edges with ease. WRC 2 cars also have received an upgrade. With the class now having a pliant suspension that soaks up bumps and rolls and provides a satisfying control. Just like they should.

This new style of handling inspired me with the confidence to be less conservative with my racing and be a little riskier. It’s a nice feeling to not have to fight against the handling and race. Now instead of the handling and physics being a limitation, it’s your muscle memory and knowledge of track layouts. Head down, eyes on the road and ears on the Co-Driver!

The way the cars sound has also seen an improvement with WRC 9. Noises such as transmission changes, squeaky brakes and tyre scrubbing add to the authentic vibe that WRC 9 aims to convey to the player. Couple this with the dynamic weather changes, and the Xbox Series X upgrades, it’s easy to see that making WRC 9 feel and look authentic has been at the forefront of Kylotonn’s agenda.

Horse’s For Course’s

WRC 9 features a wealth of courses for us to test our mettle on, with Japan, Kenya and New Zealand being new additions this time around. New Zealand was the most enjoyable of these new tracks and the circuits flowed from section to section. Sadly in contrast the African stages are a little bland looking and just feel flat as a result. It’s a shame as it breaks the player’s immersion when racing on these stages.

Stages that make their return from previous WRC games feel fresh due to the advances given to noises such as transmission whine, squeaky brakes and tire scrubbing add to the authentic vibe. The overall polish give us a crisp, smooth experience that’s so much fun to drive through. Lighting has also seen a vast improvement. I’ve never been a fan of night races, but due to the improved lighting, these are now a blast to play through. We’re also treated to some stunning sunrises, as we race through the snowy forests of Switzerland or the Wind Turbine covered hills of Portugal.

Checkered Flag

With vastly improved driving and vehicle handling, WRC 9 take the fight to its competitors. It’s a smooth experience that aims to keep you engaged for a fair while. Fans of the WRC will naturally chew through a lot of time experiencing everything that the game has to offer. Whilst there can be some added finesse to the core rally experience, what we do have is a solid foundation to build off of for future games.

Rapid Reviews Rating

You can purchase WRC 9 from the Xbox Store by clicking here.