The official WRC video game series has been developed by Kylotonn for the past seven years, with various degrees of success. Now, with the WRC license going to EA-owned Codemasters beginning in 2023, it seems this will be the last WRC game from Kylotonn for the foreseeable future. Does this veteran racing developer bid the franchise adieu in sporting fashion, or should they left well enough alone with WRC 10? Read our WRC Generations review to find out.

Graphically OK

The KT Engine drives the show, and it is mostly up to the task. You’ll be hard-pressed to notice major differences between this and WRC 10, but subtle improvements to lighting and audio have been made to result in the best-looking version of WRC to date. On the PS5, there are two graphics rendering options to choose from: 4K resolution at 30fps, and 2K resolution at 60fps. Even if you’re on an older 1080p screen, these remain your options as the system will be more than happy to supersample and downscale things to fit a full HD display. Personally, I think the Dirt Rally series has an edge in presentation, but there’s only so much detail you can extract out of car models. Load times are pretty quick when you consider some of the Power Stages are around 20kms in length.

Sony’s DualSense controller is used in a couple different ways in WRC Generations. The speaker is used to play back abnormal engine sounds such as backfiring, and anytime you’re rolling over loose gravel or the tires otherwise lose grip. Of course, slamming into an obstacle or railing plays out of this speaker as well. The co-driver’s voice comes out of the TV, or headphones if you’re using them, but never out of the controller speaker. Considering how many other sounds it’s used for, this makes sense. The adaptive triggers are used to indicate grip whilst braking or accelerating, and at times the brake trigger can sound like a machine gun with its rhythmic clicking. Finally, simple vibration is used while racing, though its intensity should probably be turned up within the settings in order to get the most immersion out of the feature.

As usual for any racing game which releases on a nearly-yearly basis, the big question for WRC Generations is what’s changed since the last game? The biggest change is in the inclusion of the latest Rally1-type cars: the Ford Puma, Hyundai i20 N, and Toyota GR Yaris are all represented here. Before any stage is participated in, the player can choose which hybrid mapping they wish to use: Map 1 affords the quickest acceleration for the shortest amount of time, while mapping 3 offers less of a boost but for a longer span of time. The hybrid system recharges as you brake, just as in real life, and this is an interesting mechanic that adds to the strategies involved in shorter stages and at a higher difficulty, where winning or losing can often come down to just a few seconds.

Almost Like Another Language

Other staples of the series are here, such as co-drivers who read out the pacenotes as you race through them. These co-drivers are crucial to the success of any team, as they let the driver know what’s coming up on a given stage of a rally. For instance, a callout of, say, “left three narrows don’t cut into right six over crest” tells the driver that a fairly sharp left turn is coming up, where the road narrows while turning, and something is on the road of that corner so they should not try and turn too far into the corner or risk hitting their car. After that turn, the road opens up into a slight right while climbing over the crest of a hill. It’s a lot of information packed into just a few words, and the voice work on this is smooth as usual. A convincing effect makes it sound as though the co-driver is bouncing around if they are speaking as you are driving over any particularly bumpy section. By default, these drivers will comment if you take a particularly harsh hit to the car, such as exclaiming “ouch!” or “I don’t have any notes for this” if you respawn your car. There is an option to turn this banter off, however, if you’d rather they stay in strictly business mode.

Rally racing is one of the most stressful things you can do to a car, and WRC Generations has a realistic damage model that can be tweaked to be more or less realistic, or off entirely. Wear and tear stays on irrespective of the damage mode, though, so tires and parts must be swapped or maintained between rally stages. The car’s handling does noticeably change when certain parts are damaged: as an example, in the newer Rally1 cars, if enough damage is done to the hybrid system, the acceleration boost will only work for one third of what it normally lasts for, until it gets repaired. Driving riskier has its rewards of a faster finishing time, but runs the very real risk of disabling your car entirely if you slam into a few too many rocks or trees.

Other single-player options include the traditional campaign, where you choose which league you wish to compete in, and either choose a team or make one of your own, and then get to the business of running a team. You have to manage your relationship with your manufacturer, as well as the morale of your crew. Though, these are not so much managed as they are rather maintained by performing well in the various events that you participate in. Nothing is free, either, as finances are something you also have to keep track of – finish any month in the red, and your career comes to a screeching halt. Thankfully, the game’s difficulty can be modified before each event, so if you find yourself struggling you can dial things back to give yourself a bit of a breathing room, or you can ratchet things up if you’ve been winning by a country mile.

One Mistake and It’s Over

While this campaign is fine enough on its own, it’s more of the same from earlier WRC games. While there are perhaps more courses and cars available than has ever been seen in a WRC game, that’s got more to do with the developer’s seven years’ experience with the series than anything else. There’s not a lot of innovation going on here, and WRC Generations still suffers from a lack of real accessibility options. Scaling back the difficulty makes it easier for all but the sloppiest of drivers to have a shot at a podium finish, but that’s about it. Where are the rewind options seen in so many other games? This is a feature that is sorely needed for races that can be fifteen minutes or longer. Missing one turn and ending up on the side of the road can completely ruin an otherwise flawless run, and while those going for realism would never dare to touch such a feature, those of us who want to live the fantasy that they just barely escaped gravity’s clutches are left driving a bit more conservatively than we’d like because one mistake means either living with your mistake or restarting the stage entirely.

Outside of the regular solo campaign, there are also challenges available to partake in, and start off quite easy but ramp up in difficulty as progression is made. This is similar to the Anniversary mode seen before. Some challenges take place using iconic cars from the sport’s storied history, and most are pretty short challenges that can be done in a few attempts. Split screen can also be played, which is always a great thing to see. A full-featured livery editor is also included, and the various primitive shapes and designs available to the user no doubt means that the more creative among us will have no problem creating exactly the design envisioned in their head.

There is a good selection of online modes to try out as well, for both solo racers and teams. Daily and weekly ranked events are updated each weekend, and the top-ranked players in each league get promoted into ever-tougher brackets. This main mode is asynchronous, and clear timers let you know how much longer you have to put in your three attempts at each event. This mode is likely where you’ll spend most of your online time, because at least in our experience finding live games is a bit tougher, perhaps because of a lower online population.

Verdict

WRC Generations is a nice ride into the sunset as the WRC license transitions to Codemasters. As with most retirements, this one isn’t perfect. The campaign is cookie-cutter, and the presentation is still quite lacking. But the racing, the pure, unadulterated speed and brutality of rally racing, remains. That may be Kylotonn’s legacy for this series, that of making an uncompromising simulator which makes you earn a spot on the podium. At this last venture, WRC Generations deserves its own spot up there as well.

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• A good collection of rally courses
• Online leagues let you play on your own time
• Split screen for offline racing

Cons:

• Same campaign formula
• Graphically just okay
• Missing some modern racing mechanics

WRC Generations review code provided by publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.