Sometimes a race series will make a revolutionary technology jump between seasons. Formula One’s move from the 2.4 liter V8 to the 1.6L V6 between the 2013 and 2014 seasons could be considered one such example. Other changes reflect gradual evolution, combining subtle changes into an updated package. WRC 9 offers the latter type of change to their tried-and-true rally racing formula. Modest all-around improvements are the order of the day.
WRC 9 once again places players in the driver’s seat of a wide variety of current and historical rally cars in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Players can enter a variety of single races or multiplayer challenges. The meat of the game, however, lies in the career mode. There, players can take on the role of team manager and try to lead a team from the Junior Championship all the way to the ultimate podium at the top of the World Rally Championship.
This Year’s Model
As noted above, incremental improvements are the order of the day in WRC 9. Car handling, for example, feels smoother than the previous game. Cars now handle a bit more crisply when matching the proper tire to the conditions. Some optimization seems to have also gone into PC performance. Many of the same courses from WRC 8 make a return in WRC 9, however areas in which this reviewer’s frame rate suffered last year were noticeably smoother this year. PC has not received any upgrades since the sim review last year, so it’s definitely not something that can be chalked up to hardware changes.
How It Looks
Graphics continue to be a strong point of the series. Blasting through a narrow, tree-lined dirt path provides a distinct sense of claustrophobia. Topping a ridge near sunset reveals both a gorgeous vista and a moment of brief panic as the setting sun blots out the view of the road just as the co-driver announces a sharp turn ahead. On the other hand, rain splatters the camera while mud and dirt coat the windshield during long stages. Unlike in many games, the windshield wiper button is actually important.
How It Sounds
Audio, particularly engine audio, remains excellent. WRC 9 is a game best played while wearing a pair of positional headphones (or in a surround sound equipped gamer cave) to appreciate everything that’s happening with your car. Rocks ping off of the undercarriage while traversing a dirt road. Superchargers whine as the engine is pushed to the limit. Turbocharger blow-off valves pop when coming off the gas. With damage enabled, the car begins to rattle and creak as it protests its ham-fisted mistreatment.
Additional Perks
WRC 9 shipped with full online multiplayer support. Since Rally is significantly more popular in Europe than in America, it may be difficult to find servers during evening American game times. That does not make it impossible, though. Is are also a series of rotating time attack events to participate in. Top drivers will likely be interested in the eWRC online race series which is slated to begin in January 2021 using WRC 9.
Bumps In The Road
Some track obstacles do need to be reworked. While car-stopping rocks and trees make perfect sense, wooden slat fences or grapevines acting as immovable car smashers is becoming less acceptable every year. Obviously WRC 9 is no Forza Horizon 4, where players can expect to merrily combine their way through fields of obstacles, but an object physics rework really should be on the development list for the next release.
Don’t sneeze, the wall is completely unforgiving.
The career tutorial remains largely unchanged from the previous game’s iteration. It is serviceable enough, yet this reviewer would like to see some of the common rally terms explained better. For example, understanding the co-driver’s call outs is absolutely critical to navigating a course. However, nowhere is it explained in-game what terms such as “Left 5” or “Right 3” actually mean. While this information is available elsewhere online, it seems a bit of an oversight to ignore such an element when introducing new players to rallying.
The Finish Line
Future development plans are in full swing.
With its extensive single-player campaign, full online support, and an eRacing season officially sanctioned by the FIA, WRC 9 packs a lot of value and racing fun into its price. Gamers who already own WRC 8 and aren’t interested in multiplayer or eRacing may balk at the pricetag. After all, the new game only amounts to a few new tracks, cars, and incremental performance upgrades compared to WRC 8. However, for players new to the franchise or returning after a longer break, WRC 9 provides both great value and a lot of enjoyment.
WRC 9 is available now on PCs, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. A PC copy of the game was provided for this review.
