WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship
Celebrating 50 Years Of WRC
The WRC, or World Rally Championships, first debut in the early 1970s although rally racing existed long before then. The events didn't become sanctioned until the 70s and 2021 marks the 50th season of the WRC. WRC 10 marks another milestone for the long-running WRC racing series. The year 2021 is also the 20th anniversary of the WRC games. With two celebratory anniversaries back to back, the pressure was on for Kylotoon to go above and beyond their usual entries.
WRC 10 is the sixth game in the WRC series developed by Kylotoon or KT Racing, a French game development studio. Aside from the WRC series, they were also responsible for developing V-Rally 4 and other motorsports titles. KT Racing, like Milestone, is one of the largest simulation racing developers in the business. Unlike Milestone's arcade Hot Wheels Unleashed success story, KT Racing's WRC 10 is a safe simulation to the series.
WRC 10 Is Challenging Even At Its Lax
Before the player can explore all that WRC 10 has to offer, they must complete a tutorial and a trial race. The race determines the proposed user settings the game will set automatically. Depending on how fast or how slow the player completes the course, the game will add and remove assists accordingly. The player can make the settings as lax as possible. Damages can be purely cosmetic, the difficulty can be dialed down, and the car handling can be simplified. Even with these settings, WRC 10 is not an easy game and you'll have to work hard for your wins.
One of the first events that the players participate in career mode is an anniversary event. Exclusive to Career Mode, players replay iconic moments throughout the 50 years of WRC. One event is the Monte Carlo rally representing the Audi team in the 1970s. The Monte Carlo rally's conditions in the 1970s featured rough, winding roads and deceptive speeds. Conditions that the player is expected to complete in a certain amount of time. Needless to say, after many retries, I was a full minute behind the required time.
WRC 10 Is Packed With Content Spanning The Years
Outside the career mode, WRC 10 features online multiplayer, challenges, and split-screen multiplayer. Despite the intent of celebrating 50 years of WRC, several car manufacturers are noticeably absent from the game. The two main culprits are Mitsubishi and Subaru, leaving fans of the iconic Lancer Evo and Impreza cars stranded. Despite the missing manufacturers, the game includes both the roster and the stages of the 2021 WRC Season.
Legendary cars including the Lancia Stratos and Toyota Corolla from modern classics such as the Ford Fiesta make up the roster. Various liveries, including a livery editor, also grace WRC 10. Courses from various countries range from Japan, Spain, Italy, Corsica, and many others. Classic stages from previous seasons including the Acropolis rallies also exist. While the game is meant to celebrate 50 years of WRC, it's still grounded to the 2021 season.
Here's To 50 More Years In WRC
Each of the stages is unique and brings out the most in WRC 10's graphics. From the arid deserts of Kenya to the streets of Barcelona, each environment is not just a marvel to look at. They are also interesting to drive through, as no two stages are tackled the same way. In motion, the game is beautiful with dynamic weather effects in real-time. The cars are difficult to control and are prone to sliding, but this is expected for a rally simulation title. Hard to master, yet simple enough to grasp.
Overall, WRC 10 is more than just another addition to the yearly WRC series. It is a celebration of 50 years in the World Rally Championships. It's a celebration of 20 years in the WRC video game series. For a title that reflects both the real-life and video game franchises, WRC 10 is middling at best. It's a fun endeavor, but it doesn't feel as much different as any other rally title that KT Racing had done in the past. It's still a worthwhile investment for rally enthusiasts.
WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship is now available on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S. The Nintendo Switch version will release at a later date.