WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship

WRC 9’s incredible stages make it easy to recommend to series first-timers, although it's not a huge leap from WRC 8.

WRC 9 is a step up from its prequels and it does exactly as advertised. The game has tons of content that you can immerse yourself in. There are tens of cars, dozens of tracks, different countries and championships, giving a huge replayability value. While there are ample positives, there are also some major negatives. The main issue is with the control scheme which seems to favour wheel users over gamepad/keyboard. It's not a deal-breaker but it was definitely a frustrating experience for me to master the mechanics using a controller. But once I was comfortable with WRC 9 on a controller, there was no looking back.

WRC 9 proves that there’s a good reason to own more than one rally sim. It’s an exciting game with tons of options, and its training courses make it more accessible to newcomers. Wrapping your Volkswagen around a tree has never been so much fun.

WRC 9 is best game in the series and is getting closer the king of the genre: Dirt Rally 2.0.

Subtle visuals and audio improvements are welcomed, the handling model makes for better car control, and the Club feature is going to be great for people who want to put on events for their friends and fans, but the lack of new stages for returning rallies and no big advancements in its career mode is a bit of a bummer. WRC 9 might not be able to shake off its déjà vu, but there is no doubting that once again the series brings a great rally experience.

WRC 9 is a mean, brutal, no-nonsense racing experience that will have you both feeling like a driving artist and peasant all at once.

WRC 9 is yet another step ahead for the WRC series from KT Racing and Nacon. However, unlike last year's outing which was a massive leap, this seems to be content to simply refine. In keeping with that, the visuals, audio, and general racing have seen improvement, as have the physics, and although there are a few bugs here and there, they're fewer and further between. There's no doubt that WRC 9 is a strong contender and should certainly be on the list for anybody who wants a great rally game.

While it's not exactly a kick in the pants, WRC 9 manages to build on the solid foundation of WRC 8 and simply give players more to do, which is never a bad thing. The WRC license is a big deal and the roadmap for post-release support looks promising with new rallies slated to arrive by year’s end. It certainly won’t win any beauty contests and rough edges abound, but when things come together, it can turn your knuckles white with fear. Isn’t that what we want from a rally experience in the first place? 8/10 hay bale chicanes.

WRC 9 does not stand out from its predecessor.

WRC 9 checks nearly all the boxes for a racing game and most importantly excels in the areas of rally racing and fun. For WRC 8 owners, having to pay the full game price for small improvements will probably seem steep. The differences between the two games adds up to the amount of content often found in a DLC. Especially as is often done by other racing sim games. For new players, however, WRC 9 is an easy purchase.

WRC 9 finds itself in a healthy position with a fantastic driving model and a broad range of awesome rally stages. With pleasing visuals and a decent team management component, there are only a few issues that keep it from overtaking the competition.

WRC 9 driving model is demanding and devoted to simulation, but unfortunately not free from imperfections, mainly attributable to the physics engine, which makes it artificial at times.

It may not be the coveted next leap forward given last year’s highly-satisfying rendition, but WRC 9 provides a satisfying-enough reminder as to the heights this series has finally achieved.

WRC 9 will come with the racing sim action you’ve come to expect from the franchise. This also means that it’s not for everyone and can get bogged down in micromanaging in its career mode. It’s not for everyone, nor does it sell itself for the uninitiated. But if you enjoy the cars, the managing, the challenge, WRC 9 will be your cup of tea. Everyone else should find something enjoyable but nothing that’ll hold your attention for long.