You progress by getting new sponsorships and building manufacturer relationships, managing a core team, planning vehicle repairs and rest periods, and unlocking perks via a very large skill tree. But this is not a complicated game to play once you have your season mapped out. It can be at times very intimidating because there are so many variables to consider before you’re even able to set off. Whereas DiRT prioritises the experience of racing cars, WRC 9 is the full package of racing, team management, administration, and career progression. Though with that said, the game is still one of the most comprehensive racing simulators out there. But despite new content additions, this game is too similar and does not propel the franchise in a forward direction. WRC 8 was a welcome return to form for the franchise that had lost ground to competitor Codemasters with its DiRT franchise. The biggest criticism one can lay at the feet of WRC 9 is that it’s too similar to its predecessor. So does it translate well on this different hardware? Something old, something the same I’ve been going along smoothly, only to get to the end and bin my car straight into a tree.Racing simulators on the console are few and far between, most likely due to its limitations and heightened senses which are needed to play these games. The longer the stage, the more frantic things get. There are, of course, a few longer stages. Every rally stage is somewhere between 2 and 6 minutes of bare-knuckle driving. I can beat the computer handily in snowy Sweden, only to finish 30 seconds off the pace in other places.Īll of this is just the wrapping for the behind-the-wheel action. The sliding difficulty scale helps keep things competitive in career mode, though there are some courses I’m just better on than others. When I upgraded my car’s brakes, I could immediately feel the difference on the course. The game does a good job of making it feel like everything matters. As you progress through your career, you’ll choose one event per week, rotating between Rest, Training, Manufacturer Tryouts, Historic Rally, and then the actual rally schedule. The upgrade tree is about as deep as any light RPG system. You’ll start in juniors, and you’ll hire a limited staff and improve your team. The main mode I’m interested in is career, and the game does a good job of taking you through the deep career mode. There are new online challenges weekly, and there’s always something new to do. In terms of game modes, there’s plenty to do in WRC 9 as long as you like rally racing - and why would you be playing if you didn’t? You can fire up any stage, take part in challenges, or hop online and try to post your fastest times against others. The smooth gameplay is, obviously, a huge factor as well. Reflections appear realistic on the car dents, dings, mud, and snow build-up throughout each stage. The game’s beauty goes beyond the environments. ![]() Flying through the air in Finland is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, knowing that as I land, my car might fall apart. ![]() It’s easy to get distracted by the beauty of the Japanese mountainside the snowy Swedish terrain the rocky Argentinian landscape and more. The environments in WRC 9 are lush and varied. (Side note: Tetris Effect Connected is also awe-inspiring, though in a different way and I haven’t yet played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Gears 5. I’ve played a handful of Series X-enhanced games so far, and WRC 9 is the first game that’s wowed me visually. ![]() On Series X - and, I assume, PS5 - the game runs in an extremely smooth 4K/60fps. But with DiRT 5 leaning into arcade racing this year, I decided to give WRC 9 a go. I’ll be honest - I’ve largely avoided the series because Codemasters’ DiRT games have generally been fantastic. WRC 9 is the fifth game developed by French developer Kylotonn, which also makes the Isle of Man TT games, as well as a couple of other racing games. World Rally Championship games have had a long history, going back to the original Colin McRae Rally on PlayStation in 1998. Every time it happens in WRC 9 on Series X, I shift forward in my seat and try my darndest to hit each apex without careening off an edge and down a cliff. The time pops up at the checkpoint and you’re either a second ahead or behind the pace heading into the last stretch. I’m not sure there’s a more intense single-player racing experience than coming to the end of a long rally stage as the rain starts to spit.
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