WRC9 is the racing game I didn't know I wanted.

[Oneself]

If i didn't find WRC 7 and 8 very compelling - I kind of bought them mainly on era recommendations + eurogamer - will 9 change my mind? The 60fps will be a nice boost on ps5...

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Controls were imprecise in WRC8 (with a controller), 60fps changes that a lot. Also, physics were a bit janky, especially in 7, now the car behaves correctly in crashes, jumps etc. Weight transfer is much more realistic too. The rest is similar (career mode is pretty much like WRC8). But yeah, a locked 60fps makes it much more enjoyable. New stages are also very well done.

 

[Iron Eddie]

Can't play with a controller, definitely need to play with my wheel.

 

[chespace]

So Dirt 5 or WRC9?

I don't mind arcade physics if the game is tight and an intense representation of rally racing. Dirty Rally 2.0 comes to mind but it's sometimes too punishing for me. :D

I grew up on Sega Rally 1 + 2, RalliSport Challenge 1 + 2, and the Dirt series.

 

[Achtung]

I really enjoy the series but WRC9 really hits it out of the park. I have bought every one since 4 and it has been fun watching them get better and better every year. 9 is my favorite Xbox Series X game.. looks and runs amazing.

 

[ghostcrew]

So Dirt 5 or WRC9?

I don't mind arcade physics if the game is tight and an intense representation of rally racing. Dirty Rally 2.0 comes to mind but it's sometimes too punishing for me. :D

I grew up on Sega Rally 1 + 2, RalliSport Challenge 1 + 2, and the Dirt series.

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They're totally different games. Dirt 5 is super arcadey and very Sega Rally-esque. But with more jumps and fireworks.

WRC is closer to a Colin McRae or something a little more sim-like than that. Have you played the Dirt Rally games? It's that.

 

[Ryengeku]

Game is worth playing at 120 fps. Make the leap people, for anyone that can.

 

[woolyninja]

The rally parts of Gran Turismo are my least favorite part of this game. But I decided to try WRC9 when it went on sale, and I've loved it! Everything about it is great!

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

It's currently 50% on the Microsoft store, so I bought it after dabbling with WRC8 (or 7... whichever one is on Game Pass). The 60FPS mode is quite welcome (on the Series S). The 120hz mode on the Series S is... not worth it.

 

[Ryengeku]

It's currently 50% on the Microsoft store, so I bought it after dabbling with WRC8 (or 7... whichever one is on Game Pass). The 60FPS mode is quite welcome (on the Series S). The 120hz mode on the Series S is... not worth it.

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Too much IQ degradation or sizeable frame rate drops?

It's smooth on the PS5 and I don't quite notice too much of a drop in IQ from 60 to 120 fps.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

Too much IQ degradation or sizeable frame rate drops?

It's smooth on the PS5 and I don't quite notice too much of a drop in IQ from 60 to 120 fps.

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On Series S, 120fps mode has very noticeable IQ degradation. There's quality mode which is 1440p at 30fps, but it's not worth the reduced frame rate. The balanced mode (1080p at 60fps) is the goldilocks mode -- just right.

 

[mentallyinept]

Just finished my second play session.

Still loving it.

Started career mode and I think I messed up going with the team specialization. I am not keen on doing a whole bunch of people management, considering that's my job in real life. Not sure if it is possible to restart and choose another one, but I'll look into it. I've only done 2 rallies so it's not like I'm losing much.

Did some challenges and some historical races and my god these beasts are hard to control. I need way more time with them to have a chance in hell of keeping the on the track. 100% throttle on a turn with any of them is a dance with the devil and so is doing hard left/right corrections.

 

[Naner]

I think WRC8 was a Game with Gold a while back. If I play that will it give me a good feel of what to expect from 9 or is it a completely different game?

Kinda funny that the new consoles released with two very different rally games.

 

[Tappin Brews]

I think WRC8 was a Game with Gold a while back. If I play that will it give me a good feel of what to expect from 9 or is it a completely different game?

Kinda funny that the new consoles released with two very different rally games.

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.

This is definitely an iteration on 8. It's basically the same base game but with new locales and improved physics/handling. If you didnt like 8, you probably wouldn't like this (though 60 fps is a huge benefit itself!)

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so yeah, it'll give you an idea. if you can see a good rally game behind the semi-sloppy and twitchy controls, i'd recommend wrc9 as the handling is far improved and the move to 60 benefits the controls as well

 

[Karlinel]

Got today Dirt5 for the segona festa holiday (a balearic festivity) so I can finally give a comparison:
- Dirt 5 is basically a Sega arcade racer with drifting and twitchy controls, waaaay too loud music and strange graphic performance.
- WRC 9 has a very austere look, with good performance but almost no flourishes. Controls well but it's so fucking hard!
in summary: get both!
Sorry for not being helpful.

 

[Naner]

.


so yeah, it'll give you an idea. if you can see a good rally game behind the semi-sloppy and twitchy controls, i'd recommend wrc9 as the handling is far improved and the move to 60 benefits the controls as well

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Thanks, I'll give it a shot tomorrow :)

 

[Deleted member 17289]

Is this 4k/60 on ps5? What about the 120 mode?

 

[Kaji AF16]

I got this given it´s extremely cheap on the argentinean Xbox store (some $2).

I love Dirt Rally 1 and 2, I despised Dirt 5, and IMHO the WRC series has been slowly getting better, particularly at tracks. I remember than WRC6 and WRC7 beat Dirt Rally 1 in that regard: the scenarios were more organic, more realistic.

I skipped WRC 8.

WRC9 is another small step in that evolution. Technically, it is rough: on my Xbox One X, it looks humble and doesn´t run smoothly, particularly compared to Dirt Rally 2. But the carreer mode is very interesting, there is a lot of content (even legendary cars!), and I plowed through Junior and WRC3 during the weekend. Fun, well made game.

I wonder about the future of the series now that Codemasters aquired the official WRC license...

 

[yalk_dx]

does this game have HDR support? i've had a lot of issues with the image being too dark and simultaneously blown out to see well and there are no brightness or gamma options in the game on PS5. i love the game, but i dont know how people are managing.

 

[TeenageFBI]

Thread got me interested so I looked around and saw that it's an Epic Games Store exclusive. Maybe next year.

 

[Yuuber]

You sold the game like no review did, OP. Now I want it!

 

[Adamska]

I have played WRC4 on the Vita and had the same feeling as OP. I might try 9 down the line to see how well it works on the PS5, though I hope the online trophies aren't too time consuming.

 

[Transistor]

does this game have HDR support? i've had a lot of issues with the image being too dark and simultaneously blown out to see well and there are no brightness or gamma options in the game on PS5. i love the game, but i dont know how people are managing.

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Shouldn't all PS5 games have HDR support by default? I'm pretty sure it's a requirement not.

 

[Ruruja]

All this positive talk about WRC9 has me hyped for TDU3. I was worried when this dev studio got it but it seems they've really upped their game.

I should give this a go.

 

[yalk_dx]

Shouldn't all PS5 games have HDR support by default? I'm pretty sure it's a requirement not.

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well i ask because i'm trying to improve visibility. the way the game looks now on my set doesn't seem right, both in HDR and SDR

 

[Transistor]

well i ask because i'm trying to improve visibility. the way the game looks now on my set doesn't seem right, both in HDR and SDR

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Is it just this game? Or is it any game?

 

[fade]

Loving dirt 5 but I regret not getting WRC9 When it was on sale over black Friday

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What was the BF sale price?

 

[yalk_dx]

Is it just this game? Or is it any game?

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definitely a WRC9 specific thing, and from some light googling it seems to be a problem other people have had also, i just hope it gets fixed next month/ASAP

 

[Colfari]

What was the BF sale price?

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You did not ask me, but It was down 50% I think, was 35€, don't know the dollar price.

 

[fade]

You did not ask me, but It was down 50% I think, was 35€, don't know the dollar price.

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Cool, thanks. It's $31 on Amazon for ps4 with Im assuming free upgrade to PS5 version. Tempting.

 

[Jimrpg]

Let me tell you, WRC 4 was terrible in ways that couldn't be described. For example there were 6 tracks per country, but they would recycle many sections to make the 6 tracks. The handling was completely off and boring. It was a bad game I played an hour of and was done.

Fast forward to WRC7 where I got it as part of a humble bundle for like $1 and it's night and day. I'm a big fan of Dirt Rally so this had a lot to live up to. This isn't as technical as Dirt Rally but it's pretty close. Handling is very fun. And it's not as ridiculously hard as Dirt Rally but still have to drive well to place. I won some and lost some too, but in Dirt Rally, one mistake and it's almost impossible to catch up.

Anyway haven't played WRC8 or 9 but I do want to, and I believe its most likely a good game. Just thought I'd throw that out there as a fan of rally games.

 

[Colfari]

Cool, thanks. It's $31 on Amazon for ps4 with Im assuming free upgrade to PS5 version. Tempting.

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You assumed correct, update is free. I was tempted myself back then, but did not pull the trigger, heading over to amazon myself...not available at the moment. Damn. PS5 version is, but still at 70€.

 

[Jamesways]

I got this given it´s extremely cheap on the argentinean Xbox store (some $2).

I love Dirt Rally 1 and 2, I despised Dirt 5, and IMHO the WRC series has been slowly getting better, particularly at tracks. I remember than WRC6 and WRC7 beat Dirt Rally 1 in that regard: the scenarios were more organic, more realistic.

I skipped WRC 8.

WRC9 is another small step in that evolution. Technically, it is rough: on my Xbox One X, it looks humble and doesn´t run smoothly, particularly compared to Dirt Rally 2. But the carreer mode is very interesting, there is a lot of content (even legendary cars!), and I plowed through Junior and WRC3 during the weekend. Fun, well made game.

I wonder about the future of the series now that Codemasters aquired the official WRC license...

Click to shrink...

I should really pick it up. I used to love the accessibility of the WRC games (even the rough WRC5), but then Dirt Rally hooked me. I stopped playing after WRC7.

I hate to say it, but I'm kind of a graphics whore these days, obviously handling matters big time, but I preferred the look of DR of WRC in the past. WRC looked a bit muddy compared to the clean crisp look and great lighting of Dirt Rally. The cockpit view wasn't my favorite in WRC7 either. I know 9 plays similar to DR2.0 now, and I did love the career modes. I should really give it a shot on the PS4 Pro. And I'll get a 5 pretty soon and I've heard there's a nice bump in graphics for it too.

 

[fade]

You assumed correct, update is free. I was tempted myself back then, but did not pull the trigger, heading over to amazon myself...not available at the moment. Damn. PS5 version is, but still at 70€.

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Lol its unavailable in US now too. Lurkers in here probably!

Edit: Never mind, still up https://www.amazon.com/WRC-9-PS5-Pl...d=1&keywords=wrc+9&qid=1609338905&sr=8-2&th=1

 

[crespo]

Did some challenges and some historical races and my god these beasts are hard to control. I need way more time with them to have a chance in hell of keeping the on the track. 100% throttle on a turn with any of them is a dance with the devil and so is doing hard left/right corrections.

Click to shrink...

My first reaction when I saw the Alpine A110 classic race was "Yes! I love this car!"

Could not wait to get the f*ck out of that car, what an unpredictable handful. That was my first non-first place finish.

 

[kubev]

I purchased Dirt Rally 2.0 and WRC9, since they were both pretty heavily discounted recently. I haven't played a ton of either yet, but I've spent more time with Dirt Rally 2.0 and generally prefer it. I've heard that the routes are better on WRC9, but the physics seem like they can be really wonky during certain types of collisions, and something feels a bit off performance-wise, as well. I'm playing on Xbox Series X.

 

[Kaji AF16]

After some 20 intense hours with the game, I like it a lot. I even reinstalled WRC8 (which I almost didn´t remember I had, since it was given with Games with Gold some time ago) and I was surprised at the similarities. They are essentially the same game, sans some content (New Zealand, Japan and Kenya; some historic cars; some QoL adjustments). I even plan to start with WRC8 once I wrap WRC9 up.

Playing with an Xbox One controller, I found the bonnet cam to be the best, and even more so after setting the FOV to 16 to get a literally more laid back perspective. Even at 30fps the game is very comfortable and manages to look great at times, particularly at dawn / dusk / rain. There are some beautiful lights here and there.

Most cars (particularly the older ones) feel more "ferocious", as you imagine they should, than even in Dirt Rally. Some sound great (the Alpine A110), others not so much (the Lancia Stratos).

The 18-20-21 km long stages are among the very best tracks I have ever played in a racing game. Limping to victory in Monte Carlo with my almost destroyed Fiesta was unforgettable.

Now I´m somewhat frustrated that Codemasters got the WRC license. Competition has probably been good for both series.

 

[chrominance]

Regarding WRC4, note that that was made by a completely different developer. WRC4 is the last in the series developed by Milestone, and they didn't have a great track record with the WRC series. WRC5 and everything after was developed by Kylotonn.

 

[Puroresu_kid]

Thanks OP. You sold me on the this. Getting on series x now. £24.99 seems good!!

 

[VanWinkle]

I can't get into simulation rally games as much as I respect them. I'm just not good at them. Dirt 5 is much more up my alley.

I just wish Dirt 5 had better haptic feedback like this game seems to have (from what I hear). It basically just flat binary rumble with variations in intensity depending on the surface you're on, but very basic. It's not changing in intensity within the same surface like this game apparently does (like a gravelly surface). I would love that.

 

[Casper]

Looks like this was added to the PSN Holiday Sale for anyone looking at it but waiting for it to drop a bit. Now showing as 50% off for me in NA.

 

[Rosol]

I picked up dirt 5 on PS5 over the break, and boy I was really disappointed. I think VR racing +wheel has spoiled all non vr racers for me for good, it's like there's no going back.

 

[Tappin Brews]

we're buried in the hangouts forum, but join us in the OT!

WRC 9 |OT| You Ott to be playing this

I'm not an OT kind of guy, so I apologize for the bare bones official thread (and stupid pun title!) for what very well could be my favorite racer of all time, WRC 9. I wouldn't have bothered, but it really deserves more love - and no one else seems to want to. Platforms: PC, playstation 4...

www.resetera.com

 

[SuperOctopus]

How is the difficulty for someone who is used to play arcade racer? Is WRC9 newbie friendly or is it downright brutal?

 

[Tappin Brews]

How is the difficulty for someone who is used to play arcade racer? Is WRC9 newbie friendly or is it downright brutal?

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hard question to answer, but in general i'd imagine it'd be pretty brutal. if you have any experience with dirt rally 1/2, this is in a similar boat.

 

[Ciao]

I was super disappointed by Dirt 5, should have gone for WRC 9. Does it have a VR mode? Just got my PSVR yesterday and racing games are super cool with it!

 

[Puroresu_kid]

This game rocks. So good!!

Once you start to get to grips with it, it's so damn satisfying.

 

[Zach19593]

hard question to answer, but in general i'd imagine it'd be pretty brutal. if you have any experience with dirt rally 1/2, this is in a similar boat.

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Is it more difficult than old WRC games like 5-6? I used to play those ones, and was pretty good at them too.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Is it more difficult than old WRC games like 5-6? I used to play those ones, and was pretty good at them too.

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i couldnt tell you, jumped in at wrc8

 

[Ryengeku]

Is it more difficult than old WRC games like 5-6? I used to play those ones, and was pretty good at them too.

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I played 5 on the PS3 when it was given through PS Plus a couple of years ago. I remember getting the platinum without much issue but this one is a different story. So I'd say yes, it's less forgiving.

 

[Zach19593]

Thanks for the answers guys, usually Kylotonn's games are on a Milestone-level of accessibility, where you have a lot of options to personalize gameplay. Guess this time it's different.