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[VisualFidelity]

I was hesitant to pick WRC 9 up because from the videos I saw, it looked nearly identical to WRC 8 (which I loved), but decided to buy it after noticing the PC version sells super cheap ($25 cdkeys). After playing for the last 6 hours, I am loving this game, way more than I thought I would. My fav rally racer of this gen.

Some highlights over WRC 8 and why this is the best rally game to date

• Greatly Improved physics and handling. Floaty glitchy feel from last year is gone. Youtube vids wont do this justice, this game handles as well as the best of them now. WRC 9 is the perfect blend of sim level control and arcade style speed and fun.
• Over 100 tracks. Best in class design with tons of variety and uniqueness. Japan, Kenya, and New Zealand are new and they look and play amazing.
• Best Dynamic weather and day/night cycles with better transitions. Better particle effects.
• Improved damage model
• Improved lighting, reflections, track surfaces, and overall sharper and cleaner than predecessor. Not a huge step forward, but enough to notice and appreciate.
• Plenty to keep you busy, from season mode, team management career mode, challenges, multiplayer and more
• FREE DLC updates promising 3 new countries, new game modes, and photo mode
• FREE next gen console upgrade promising 4k native 60fps and better textures (30fps on current gen enhanced consoles)

Good video review and compares xbox and PC
Night snow showing improved lighting video
New Zealand vid
80 on Metacritic https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/wrc-9-fia-world-rally-championship

Some pics I took from PC version @4k max settings. On i56600k 2070gpu, getting about 45-55 at 4k max settings. Some minor stutter, but not distracting.

 

[GHG]

Billy Strange's also likes it along with a few of the other more popular sim racing reviewers in youtube:



Will definitely pick it up at some point.

VisualFidelity are you using a wheel? If so which one and how does the FFB feel?

 

[Entroyp]

Ok, is there a PS version?

 

[chilleverest]

Have always loved the Rallying scene. This game honestly looks great...but one thing that grinds my gear is how much they are bad at replays.

Rally games are so satisfying when you pull a smooth drift inside and out of a tight turn, and even more satisfying is to see them in replays. But modern rally games are so bad at realistic replays its no joy at all. Richard burns rally, as good as it was for its time, its replay still holds to this day. You can feel the physics move and every angle were placed to give you the real feel.

I hope the devs going forward will look into it.

 

[scalman]

amazing ? not sure. with controller is so easy to control cars. why they even put those slower cars there. i went to training and chose most powerfull ones legends, turned all abs and tc off and went to try them allon some gravel. is just so easy to control them most times dont even need to use brake, just release gas pedal before turn and then turn and floor it , thats it it just have some much grip that its just easy to drive. i wouldnt call that fun or exciting, dirt rally 1.0 was exciting and hard and cars there could go all over in high speeds, here its very safe i duno why. again at least with controller.
and about it looks on 1080p not all maxed out but treack details and car details are maxed and when you in cockpit it just looks old i duno why, cockpit lighting weird , sun never comes to it no matter how many you turn, so its just looks bad compared even to horizon 3 lighting in cockpit. looks more like some previous gen game when you in cockpit, all lines just jaggied, grass outside is terrible looking too.
if thats how grippy and glued to road real rally is these days then its kinda boring i would say but i dont believe thats how it is, car is not that easy to control as here. no matter how much simulation games go they must be fun to play too and exciting and maybe not too realistic in some areas so they would be just cool to play. i wouldnt go into careers here , maybe will play more on training and then see how its compare to good old dirt rally 1.0 as i think that was much more fun .

 

[Fart Knight]

Yeah, Im not falling for it(again) I sold WRC8 because the handling and physics still sucked compared to Dirt. 30fps on console doesnt help either.

 

[hariseldon]

No VR, no buy.

 

[Barnabot]

Can it be played offline? Does it feature split screen co-op?

 

[EverydayBeast]

Would be cool to play but I’d lose interest 10 seconds in tbphwy

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

How realistic is it? I didnt like Dirt Rally because it was like battle royale of rally for me. I understand the need for a serious sim but it was no fun at all. I hit a tiny rock and off i go into the trees, game over.

 

[VisualFidelity]

Billy Strange's also likes it along with a few of the other more popular sim racing reviewers in youtube:



Will definitely pick it up at some point.

VisualFidelity are you using a wheel? If so which one and how does the FFB feel?

Using Xbox controller. I def need a wheel in the future

 

[Reindeer]

Naaaaaaaah

 

[VisualFidelity]

Yup

Ok, is there a PS version?

Yes

How realistic is it? I didnt like Dirt Rally because it was like battle royale of rally for me. I understand the need for a serious sim but it was no fun at all. I hit a tiny rock and off i go into the trees, game over.

That's exactly what killed dirt rally 2 for me. Not fun at all, and didn't feel realistic either. Wrc-9 is the complete opposite. You have complete control of your car and it's more forgiving when you hit stuff. It feels 10 times more responsive than dirt rally and you can actually feel a difference in the various terrain conditions. Anytime I crash in WRC 9, it never feels cheap, instead a clear mistake on my driving.

 

[VisualFidelity]

Yeah, Im not falling for it(again) I sold WRC8 because the handling and physics still sucked compared to Dirt. 30fps on console doesnt help either.

Well the physics and handling are the most improved aspect of wrc9. It's a huge improvement, I agree wrc8 felt floaty and that's been fixed now. Wrc9 feels like a balance of Wrc8 and Dirt Rally. If you plan on getting a next gen system, you get a free upgrade which makes it 4k 60fps

 

[Guileless]

This is on sale for half as much as Dirt 5 now. Think I'll try it first.

 

[Fart Knight]

Well I bought it *sigh* But its pretty good actually. 4K60 on Series X is nice. Handling has been improved alot imo. Finally decent rumble too.

 

[OutRun88]

Well I bought it *sigh* But its pretty good actually. 4K60 on Series X is nice. Handling has been improved alot imo. Finally decent rumble too.

Would my assessment be correct in saying it’s like a more forgiving Dirt Rally?

This series flew off my radar a few iterations ago.

 

[GymWolf]

Can i turn 180° and play some ol' frontal crash test with other cars that comes from the opposite direction to test the damage system? it was the only fun thing to do in the only rally game i ever played (demo of toca 2 on psx)

 

[Denton]

Screens in OP look great, but post by scalman about the cockpit view is worrying, I only drive from cockpit.

 

[Fart Knight]

Would my assessment be correct in saying it’s like a more forgiving Dirt Rally?

This series flew off my radar a few iterations ago.

Yeah. It's a bit more serious than Dirt5 obviously.

 

[Skifi28]

I'm tempted just to see how it feels with the dualsense, I hear good things. It's also on sale on ps store.

 

[UnNamed]

I have WRC8 on Switch, yes that console with horrible pads with too much deadzone, and I find it very appealing. It's terrible in terms of graphics, but overall is a solid game with a very good track design.

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

How does WRC compare to what is or was the ultimate rally sim Richard Burns Rally?

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I keep my eyes on it

 

[buenoblue]

I tried various wrc games and they all have horrible stuttering issues and graphically they look so dated, this is on a 2070 super so not my hw. Hard pass.

 

[acm2000]

Dirt Rally 2.0 says hi

 

[Rubik8]

I grabbed it and played a little. I’m terrible at it. The graphics are nice, nothing mind blowing. The DualSense implementation is quite good.

 

[starch0n]

NO steam, GOG!!!