#Wrc 8 pc best buy series#
WRC 9 is successful in its quest to take the series up a notch, even if it regularly feels like it’s literally one notch. But I still went back, because WRC 9 has the same grip on me as its predecessor did. Part of the reason this review arrives a little later than planned is it once happened three times in a row to me, and I was legitimately concerned about the welfare of my Xbox One X. Speaking of heavy crashes, WRC 9 is prone to hard-resetting your console at the end of certain events, notably training courses. Any significant turn flips it onto its roof, as if it’s filled with helium.
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The all-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS RGT (997) is utterly hilarious to drive (and inevitably destroy), but not half as mad as the Proton Iriz R5, which appears to be completely free from the laws of gravity. The Ford Escort MkII and Renault Alpine handle like shopping carts. Non-WRC rallying is still a game of chance. The Ford Escort MkII is an absolute deathtrap.
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Super Special Stages are particularly galling: you can literally see your competitor beat you to the finish by five seconds, but you’re still apparently ten seconds ahead of the fastest driver on the weekend. You’ll be near-perfect across two sections of a race but nine seconds behind the leader you’ll then spin out and flip onto your roof during the next stretch, only to make up the gap–and then some. Setting your personal difficulty is a guessing game, especially because competitor split times are bafflingly inconsistent. Any view other than on the bonnet makes even the most powerful WRC cars sound more like Vespas. During the introductory stage, my car’s engine sounds cut out entirely, to the point I thought my speakers had failed. Needless to say, these names are randomly assigned.Īnother thing that hasn’t been remedied is the poor sound, which almost feels worse this time around. I’ve employed a Norwegian Mohamed O'Connell, a Portuguese Mikkel Jacobsen, a Chinese Lacie-Mae McKnight, a Belgian Pixie Burgess, and a South Korean Monique Walker. These restrictions are especially ironic given the incredible diversity in WRC 9’s universe–at last with the pit crew.
You and your twin, Caucasian brother are the only characters available.
You’re still forced to look identical to your co-driver. Even if, like me, you are male and white, the only customization you’re given is your name and nation’s flag, which go on the side of your car. When you’re initially tasked with creating your driver in career mode, WRC 9 still forbids you from being female. Its cursor-based selection still doesn’t work well on consoles, and it makes some menus a true pain, such as your skill tree and the crew recruitment section. Zero UI problems have been addressed, save for the welcome addition of a difficulty adjuster between events. Bumps in the roadįor all of the hard work that KT Racing has put into fine-tuning the graphics and mechanics of its WRC series, it still seems to overlook a lot of simple, fixable issues entirely. Wales, too, is a rain-soaked hellscape where unpredictably deep puddles can hit your car like landmines. Finland is faster and more furious than before–if you’re using a racing wheel, it’s best to bring a change of clothing, or at least sit on a plastic bag. Rally Turkey is horrifically brutal, and you feel every massive piece of gravel and, more often than not, huge boulders in head-on collisions. Newcomer New Zealand is WRC 9's high point. Meanwhile, the Safari Rally is certainly challenging, but a little boring–if only damned by direct comparison to the other newcomers. Japan’s quiet fields, colorful villages, and Pikes Peak-like climbs and descents are as welcome as they are unique they certainly draw inspiration from WRC 9’s German courses, though they’re thankfully far less punishing. New Zealand is by far the most exciting of the bunch, offering incredible gravel tracks across rolling, treacherous and stunning vistas. Responsiveness to road surfaces is better than ever transitions between tarmac and dirt are realistic snow seems to have been overhauled in the last 12 months, making it way more predictable and enjoyable to drive on.įor many, the biggest draw of WRC 9 will be its new rallies: New Zealand, Japan, and Kenya. The Scandinavian flick is perfectly implemented. The handbrake isn’t as comical as before, making hairpins a dream to navigate. FWD cars, in particular, are predictable and responsive, finally making Junior WRC an enjoyable way to start your career. Thankfully, this is no longer a problem with WRC 9 (once you’ve adjusted the dead zone, at least). Last year, I criticized WRC 8 for requiring endless tinkering to make cars drivable. Japan's colorful roads are a welcome addition to WRC 9.
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