The best rally game I've played to date.
Pro:
All of the officially licensed teams are included.
Contra:
Load times... and where exactly are the Rally Deutschland and Colin McRae?
Fazit:
This is by no means an excellent game, but it's not your average racing game either. It gets 4 stars for being slightly realistic. The graphics are a bit off.
|
|
Allgemeine Bewertung:
|
 |
|
Bewertung des Verfassers
I'm a racing fanatic, and racing video games are my specialty. I'm open to playing anything from the NASCAR series to the realistic simulation of the Gran Turismo series. I've seen a lack of rally-related games available in the USA, especially when it comes to the officially-licensed product. So a few years back, when I saw WRC on clearance at Walmart, I knew I had to get it.
WHAT EXACTLY IS WRC, YOU ASK?
WRC is the World Rally Championship; a series of 17 different 3-day races against the clock that are divided into stages. The road surfaces and weather are different for each event, ranging from the snow and ice of the International Swedish Rally, to the mud and water of the Rally Argentina, to the mountain tarmac roads of the Rally of Corsica. Each event is tough, and even the best of drivers will make a mistake once in a while.
To be a WRC driver, you must not only be responsible for your own well-being, but you are also responsible for the safety of the navigator, or the co-driver as they are commonly called. This important added responsibility intrigues many spectators, wondering how the competitors do it whilst keeping their cool. It's not easy, but it's a requirement.
GAMEPLAY
Once the start menu comes up, there are a few play options available. There are Quick Rally, World Rally Championship and a two-player mode. Obviously, the bulk of the game revolves around the championship itself, so it's recommended to go right into it. Once selected, there are a few more things to do. First is the difficulty setting. To begin with, easy and normal are the only settings to choose. Beginners should choose "easy" to get the hang of the game. Next, you must choose the car and driver you will use throughout the season. I personally have been using the Subaru Impreza WRC and Markko Martin lately, but the car and driver selection is really a game of favorites. It really has no determination on whether you win or lose (that's down to your own luck), so choose whoever you want. Once you've made your selection, the only real letdown is the awful load time which will be experinced for each stage of each event. I've estimated it lasting around 45 seconds. Oh well, the game is still fun.
DIFFICULTY
I've learned through constant play that it doesn't matter which difficulty setting you choose. You still win most of the time, which has left me wanting a slightly harder game. There is no AI in WRC, because you're racing against a clock and not the other competitors (or that's how it's supposed to be). This actually takes the competition aspect of WRC virtually away, so make do with what you do have. It certainly is more fun that way.
OVERALL OPINION
If racing against a clock on every road terrain imaginable is your thing, by all means pick this up. Even though I was disappointed doesn't mean someone else will. I love watching rally on TV, but this game makes playing it just slightly boring, as I win almost every time. I think waiting a full year for Richard Burns Rally has finally caught up. Here's hoping it will be an improvement on this game, as well as the Colin McRae Rally series.
AND FINALLY, A DEDICATION
This opinion is dedicated to WRC co-driver Michael Park, who was killed in the 2005 Rally of Great Britain, and was one of the advisors in the making of this game.
