<
The World Rally Championship is one of the most challenging and exciting motor racing events in the world. The off-road time trial format tests its drivers with the harshest of conditions, and over the years has received a number of video game adaptations such as the extensive WRC 10. Next in the list is WRC, with EA Sports and Codemasters taking over the mantle.
It’s going to be big shoes to fill, with Kylotonn doing a solid job with the official World Rally Championship games since 2015. However, Codemasters has proved its mettle with rally games before, such as the phenomenal quality of DiRT Rally 2.0. Now, a preview build gives a first glimpse at what’s in store – and signs are pointing to something positive for fans of rally racing.
Rough and Ready Driving
It’s immediately clear based on the preview build that Codemasters’ ability to create strong driving experiences will once again be on show. Handling feels crisp and sharp, and the game maintains a strong sense of pace in spite of the relatively low speeds in comparison to what players of the likes of the thrilling Forza Motorsport might expect.
Placing this preview build against the aforementioned DiRT Rally 2.0 does lead to some interesting comparisons. It perhaps feels a little bit more fluid than Codemasters’ rallying magnum opus, straddling the line between realistic driving and something more easy-going. It’s a fine line to walk, but it does seem well-structured based on this preview.
Most importantly, WRC recreates the most essential feel of any rally driving game. It successfully creates a connection with your co-driver, which sees the driver recognising which turns are coming up almost telepathically. It’s absolutely vital for rally racing, providing something exhilarating that no other form of racing game can quite reach.
A Fresh Career Mode
The core single player option in WRC is going to be its career mode, and looking at this preview build it’s clear that Codemasters is taking cues from its own F1 games. The career mode looks to be rather comprehensive here, and it will clearly be something that players will be able to sink their teeth into once the game releases.
Customization seems to be a key part of the structure within the career mode. WRC leans heavily into creation through its Builder Mode, where the player can design their own rally car and develop it over time. Together with things like selecting engineers and keeping financial backers happy, it means that the career mode will be blending together a mixture of team management and driving.
If WRC does manage to emulate the career mode of the F1 series, then rally fans will likely be in for a treat, as in spite of the other issues with the F1 games the single player My Team remains the most effective part of the game. It’s not a shot-for-shot replacement, with tweaks to feel more suitable for rallying itself, and there’s some real scope for this to be very successful.
Other Options
Outside of the career mode, other elements are also shaping up nicely. There are the usual examples of flexible and varied play at show, with the option to create personal championships of the player’s own choice. Meanwhile, the Moments game mode gives drivers the chance to jump into historic moments from rallying history, which is a neat touch for fans of the sport.
The variety of what’s available at launch will hopefully be enough to sate the appetites of rally fans, and provide the authenticity that they crave. The worldwide tracks look and feel varied, tying into the game’s dynamic handling system, and its garage of different cars will hopefully provide a similar feel.
As such, there’s the possibility of longevity to be found here between its various modes. But of course, this will entirely depend on the final product, the post-launch commitment to continue developing new content, and the strength of the game’s community at large.
Where WRC Stands
src
Looking at this preview build of WRC, everything seems to be shaping up well. The moment-to-moment driving feels exciting, and Codemasters’ experience of creating strong racing games looks like there’s another good structure here. Time will tell with the full release, but hopefully the move from Kylotonn won’t be a painful one.
WRC releases 3 November 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this preview.
