Is the WRC series any good?
- Thread starter ICEYOU3
- 20 comments
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- 437
- Merseyside
- merseyxshore
Definitely. At the very least the current game (9) is excellent, but the revamp started with 8. I do dabble in circuit sims like ACC etc, but rally sims are absolutely my thing, and I love WRC 9. There's inevitable comparisons to Dirt Rally 2.0 of course and there's a lot of people out there who've never tried WRC 9 but claim that it is inferior to DR2. It definitely has its flaws, as most games do, including DR2. I actually find the physics in WRC 9 more enjoyable and intuitive than DR2 though, especially on tarmac where WRC is light years ahead. The current-gen WRC cars are also the fastest rally cars ever made, and the sense of speed in the game is incredible. I've got high hopes for WRC 10!
MagpieRacer
Premium
- 16,545
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- MagpieRacer
Very good, especially if playing on next gen.
- 6,344
- Nantes
- P308R
Yes
I'm the opposite, having never been willing to scoop up Dirt Rally or DR2 yet being convinced (only from every other game Codemasters has made) that it cannot possibly qualify as a sim in my book.
And I'm pretty lenient with the "sim" label. But I admit that I cannot really know for sure.I skipped WRC9, but I found WRC8 to be a real solid rally sim and I'm looking forward to WRC10 -- particularly for its classic content (Subaru in a non-Codemasters rally game, finally!!!), so I don't have to spend so much time behind the wheel of modern WRC cars.
I echo the above statements that the recent WRC titles are indeed good.
- 1,434
If you already own DR2, then you should also get the WRC games, as they do have their virtues. However, if you own neither yet, below are my thoughts on the two games. You decide according to what matters most to you.
Physics: In terms of abrasive, grippy surfaces, WRC has the edge, with the car being more connected to the pavement. In terms of loose surfaces, DiRT Rally 2.0 is the best. Although it should be said that I find there to be a larger gap between their tarmac physics than there is between their loose surface physics.
Graphics: This is, honestly, a toss up. WRC is comparable, in most aspects, to DR2.0. The exceptions are car models, particle effects and damage effects. Car models in DR2.0 have fewer inaccuracies (and better 3D materials) than WRC car models, the way dust behaves and hangs in the air is more believable in DR2.0 and there's more crumpling and more parts falling off DR2's cars, while WRC's cars seem to be made of more inflexible material upon impact.
Sound: DR2 here, hands down, especially in the cars department. Through the entire rev-range, to the turbo wastegate flutter, to the backfire of the anti-lag, it has excellent audio design that Kylotton hasn't quite matched yet, with some of their cars sounding too "mosquito-like" at high revs.
Career Mode: I'll say it, I'm not a career mode man but, from what I've seen, WRC is the best one here, also hands down. There seems to be a lot more depth.
Car selection: What are you looking for? If it's current-spec World Rally machinery, then WRC is your pick. If you're more of a classic car fan and/or you enjoy a larger variety of cars and categories, then DR2.0 definitely. WRC 10 will, sort-of, rectify this with more classic cars, but I doubt it will catch up to the selection of DR.
EDIT (one more category)
Stage design: WRC's stages are very well made and capture the feel of each location well. The same can be said for DR2. The big difference is: DR is more based on real roads/real stages, while WRC takes quite a bit more creative license with their ribbons. So, you have to wonder what is your preference, in this regard.
Physics: In terms of abrasive, grippy surfaces, WRC has the edge, with the car being more connected to the pavement. In terms of loose surfaces, DiRT Rally 2.0 is the best. Although it should be said that I find there to be a larger gap between their tarmac physics than there is between their loose surface physics.
Graphics: This is, honestly, a toss up. WRC is comparable, in most aspects, to DR2.0. The exceptions are car models, particle effects and damage effects. Car models in DR2.0 have fewer inaccuracies (and better 3D materials) than WRC car models, the way dust behaves and hangs in the air is more believable in DR2.0 and there's more crumpling and more parts falling off DR2's cars, while WRC's cars seem to be made of more inflexible material upon impact.
Sound: DR2 here, hands down, especially in the cars department. Through the entire rev-range, to the turbo wastegate flutter, to the backfire of the anti-lag, it has excellent audio design that Kylotton hasn't quite matched yet, with some of their cars sounding too "mosquito-like" at high revs.
Career Mode: I'll say it, I'm not a career mode man but, from what I've seen, WRC is the best one here, also hands down. There seems to be a lot more depth.
Car selection: What are you looking for? If it's current-spec World Rally machinery, then WRC is your pick. If you're more of a classic car fan and/or you enjoy a larger variety of cars and categories, then DR2.0 definitely. WRC 10 will, sort-of, rectify this with more classic cars, but I doubt it will catch up to the selection of DR.
EDIT (one more category)
Stage design: WRC's stages are very well made and capture the feel of each location well. The same can be said for DR2. The big difference is: DR is more based on real roads/real stages, while WRC takes quite a bit more creative license with their ribbons. So, you have to wonder what is your preference, in this regard.
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- 437
- Merseyside
- merseyxshore
Physics is a tricky one I think, because the focus with WRC is of course the top-flight WRC cars, which DR2 doesn't have. I guess the R5 cars are a decent direct comparison, although I'd wager that more time and effort went into the top flight cars in WRC 9, and watching the onboard footage from Sardegna today, the cars seem to move extremely close to how they do in the game.
The better stages, for me, is WRC 9 absolutely hands-down. I like that DR2 have used full real stages, but if you watch onboard footage from real events, there is a lot missed out, especially surface changes. This is actually one of the best things about WRC 9, even on tarmac events, the surface is constantly changing, with the feel and handling of the car changing with it. Blasting through those narrow German stages in a WRC car might just be the finest sim-driving experience I've had to date.
Overall though, I'd say they were on equal footing. Beyond excited for the next installment of both series!
The better stages, for me, is WRC 9 absolutely hands-down. I like that DR2 have used full real stages, but if you watch onboard footage from real events, there is a lot missed out, especially surface changes. This is actually one of the best things about WRC 9, even on tarmac events, the surface is constantly changing, with the feel and handling of the car changing with it. Blasting through those narrow German stages in a WRC car might just be the finest sim-driving experience I've had to date.
Overall though, I'd say they were on equal footing. Beyond excited for the next installment of both series!
- 1,434
Are you not the user who completed their first rally, IRL, in a MX-5? (congratulations for that, by the way) And you credited DR for how it taught you to handle your type of car? That's certainly a statement of DR's physics credentials.
For me, the look and feel, of the location, is roughly the same for both games. The tie breaker, for me, is that I get to drive actual roads that are tackled by the great drivers of the world of rallying. Sure, DR2's roads are not perfect (sometimes due to them not wanting any legal trouble, if they can avoid it) but it's pretty amazing when you start seeing that sequence of corners in Ouninpohja, and you're already looking for that yellow house that indicates incoming airtime.
EDIT: About surface changes, both these games are trying to make things interesting, not necessarily going for absolute accuracy, I find.
You could have had that experience in DR, if they had chosen Mittelmosel instead of Panzerplatte as the real-life stage.
Me too! We've already had a peek at WRC 10, and something tells me we'll see DiRT Rally 3 at the EA Play conference (July 22nd), hopefully for an October/November release window.
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- 437
- Merseyside
- merseyxshore
Haha yes that's me! Oh, I'm absolutely not slating DR2's physics at all, they're brilliant. The rear wheel drive aspect of Dirt Rally 2.0 is scarily accurate I have to say! To the point where after an hour or two on our first event, I found myself initiating a slide with the handbrake and then catching the slide with the throttle and powering out of it, which I'd only ever done in a game
I'd never even driven a RWD car until I bought the MX5 a few months ago. Video games are mental.I feel that the surface changes in WRC are definitely part of the experience and helps make it interesting though, rather than an accuracy thing.
I'm dying for DR3 news, really hoping you're right about EA Play!
- 437
- Merseyside
- merseyxshore
- 2,133
- Milan, Italy
- paulpg87
Good news!! In 8 and 9 on ps4 they were pure killers.
However just bought yesterday ps5 just for wrc10.
- 6,047
- Simcoeace
Initial impression: the graphics are surprisingly primitive, although, as always, it usually takes a while to get accustomed to a "new" graphic look. Only did a couple of stages - seems less realistic, less challenging than DR2. Went back to DR2 - impressed again with how visceral the driving experience is. Also, how much fun it is to watch the replays - there are aspects of the graphics in DR2 that are really nicely done & the car sounds are really convincing. I'll have to mess around with WRC10 a bit more to see how it holds up.
Both good games but wrc is better as the stage design and layouts are more rewarding than dirt.
Dirts roads are very flat and wide where as wrc really challenges you to concentrate on the road and the co driver.
You could turn the co driver off in dirt and still do alright.
Dirts roads are very flat and wide where as wrc really challenges you to concentrate on the road and the co driver.
You could turn the co driver off in dirt and still do alright.
- 1,681
- Mtl
Also dr2 has surface degradation depending on your starting position, which can affect greatly.
And graphic optimization is much better generally. And many accuracies, and feel, like clutch etc.
Edit:
Even feel and ffb from all i read, seems different depending on the platform, and maybe wheel, and of course if you use a pad.
And would seem better on ps4.
You feel gravel more.
For me, even on tarmac, i prefer dr2 mostly. Also prefer older cars usually though.
Also find wrc gamey, gimmicky, with many aspects, especially wear, damage, silly restrictions etc.
And bad balance of ai.
Cockpit view and feel too.
There's actually a lot to like in dr2 in comparison.
My 2 cents at least..
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