Motorsport games are often seen as only for the hardcore fan, but that is changing.
Both F1 2019 and MotoGP 19 have dropped this year with accessibility and fun in mind as well as realism.
Games like Gran Turismo have always offered players the chance to bang wheels while Codemasters are looking to take that even further with the release of GRID later this year.
Mixed in with all that is the individual challenge of rally driving that WRC 8 will bring.
Loose surfaces, cliff edges, and pace notes are the name of the game with WRC 8. You won't be getting your elbows out to make a pass, but instead fighting to keep out of the trees.
What can you expect from this new game?
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WRC 8 Release Date
WRC 8 will drop on PS4 (£49.99), Xbox One (£49.99), Nintendo Switch (£44.99), and PC (£49.99) on 5 September 2019.
48 hours early access will be available via the digital deluxe edition. What else do you get with the different editions of this game though?
WRC 8 editions
If you pre-order the base game you will get access to 2 RWD icons of the sport. The Lancia 037 (1983) that won the Group B manufacturers championship and the Porsche 911 GT3 RGT (2017).
Those that pre-order on the Switch will also receive a WRC travel pouch.
The digital deluxe edition, as well as including 48 hours early access, includes a boost for your career mode (we'll get to that) and a legendary cars pack that includes the Ford Escort MkII 1800 (1979), the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione (1992) and the Renault Alpine A110 (1973).
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Finally the collector retail edition includes a steelbook for PC, PS4, & Xbox, the same career mode boost and legendary cars are the digital deluxe edition and 3 free months access to WRC+ All Live which will provide you with access to watching the WRC wherever you are in the world.
WRC 8 Career Mode
So what is that career mode boost? Well this year developers Bigben and KT Racing are revolutionising career mode to more accurately represent the progression of a rally driver. and the senior team members boost relates to the race crew you need to build to help you rise up the ranks.
The new career mode in WRC 8 mimics the real world and allows players to become a driver for a WRC team for the first time. Players must progress from season to season to compete in the WRC category and ultimately become world champion. By following several teams in different rallies, the developers managed to capture the key aspects of a successful season. Players must excel in three major areas that have been included in the game:
- Planning the calendar to decide which events to do in between rallies: training, manufacturer challenges, rest, classic events, etc.
- Managing a whole crew comprising six different and interconnected job roles. Players must consider each of their unique characteristics and use them strategically in each rally.
- Upgrading the crew through R&D and a skill tree, which evolves depending on player choices. Every decision has an impact on progression and on the morale of the crew (performance, reliability, etc.).
The statistics available at the end of each rally also help players to refine their strategy, compare themselves to competitors and adjust their set-ups as necessary to climb the rankings, upgrade their car and recruit the right people for their team.
This promising renovation of the game mode looks set to pull together all the best bits of other career modes, like the R&D of F1, while blending them with the unique challenges rallying presents.
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What else is new?
WRC 8 has promised new off-road physics for all surfaces on top of the completely redesigned career mode. New extreme weather conditions as well as a dynamic weather system will create changable conditions for racers to battle. There will be 52 teams, 14 countries, and over 100 special stages to race on along with weekly challenges and an esports mode.