The essential French publisher of racing games, as he describes himself, Nacon (WRC, TT Isle of Man, RiMS, Overpass) is preparing to deliver WRC 10 to us as of September 2, 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series, as well as on top Switch a little later by the end of the year. I have to say that the FIA World Rally Championship will soon be celebrating its 50th anniversary (the 50th season will launch in 2022) and that it would have been a shame to miss this, especially since the rights have now been acquired by Codemasters for 5 years from 2023 and that WRC 11, already announced by Nacon, will therefore be the last opus of KT Racing next year. As before, it is indeed under this label of the French development studio Kylotonn that we find this off-road racing simulator taking place within the framework of 2021 World Rally Championship, with the 12 rounds of the season, including those from Croatia, Estonia, Ypres (Belgium) and Catalonia (Spain). A little early, we were able to get a taste of what to expect by accessing a demo of the game which we suggest you take a tour of while waiting to see a little more during the Nacon Connect of July 6, 2021.
50 years of legends
WRC 10 or FIA World Rally Championship 10 therefore offered us a demo allowing us to try our hand at new iteration of Kylotonn’s rally racing game fittingly sequel to WRC 9, released in September 2020, exactly one year before its successor. If the final title will offer various activities, offline and online, including daily and weekly challenges with supporting classification, training on closed circuits and other test areas to adjust the car’s parameters in real time to make it more efficient, we only had access to has a content limited to WRC mode Quick Games and driver card.
Only the WRC category, offering the best performance in the championship with its 1600cc engines, was offered to us here.
We will quickly go over the latter, which allows you to choose your nationality and title (different possibilities are available when climbing the levels), to receive advice on what to do and to see your history as well as your achievements. Partly fast, alone 3 official destinations for the 2021 season were accessible (Croatia, Estonia and the Costa Daurada of Catalonia in Spain), each with two paths, one in the normal direction and the other in reverse. Access point therefore to events that have built the legend of the WRC that we will find in the 50th anniversary fashion, nor to the bonus events of the other seasons which will be offered in the final version of the title.
Partly fast, it is of course possible to choose thetime of day when the race takes place (at dawn, in the middle of the day, at sunset or at night), weather (clear, cloudy, very cloudy, rains, thunderstorms, clearings) as well as its car category and model. Only the WRC one, offering the best performances in the championship with its 1600cc engines, was accessible to us here, and we could opt for 4 cars (Hyndai i20, Toyota Yaris and 2 Ford Fiesta), each vehicle having its own official pilots to choose from.
An i7 for an i20
Once on the field, we find the classics NPCs a little ax-cut and stiff as justice that we are used to in this kind of production. That’s not the essence of the game, you might say, who cares a bit, and you’re right, but it’s still remarkable. The main thing lies in the sensations we will come back to and the vehicles to drive which, without being exceptional either, are honest. Note that for this test we put all the stops to the bottom for the video settings and that it was also running smoothly with an i7 and an RTX 2080. The rendering at the level of the environments is also of good quality without tearing the retina. The effects of light, dust and all these little extras that accompany us, on the other hand, do their job quite well. and allow to improve the visual feeling.
We feel a real difference depending on the surfaces on which we drive.
The co-pilot seated next to us is responsible for informing us of the rest of the route but for the moment we do not propose to do it in the language of Emmanuel Macron (only in English, German, Spanish and Italian). A French option is there for the text but without apparent effect, probably a feature to come. From screen indications sufficiently meaningful should, however, address the problem that this could generate among Anglophobes. Technically, the game did not pose a problem for us and the sensations of speed and power are very present., the sounds of the engines and the vibrations of the joystick further increase this feeling. Work on aerodynamic forces, turbo and braking was created to bring even more realism to the physics engine. In any case, we feel a real difference depending on the surfaces on which we drive.
Although it can be classified as a simulator, the title nonetheless remains accessible to the greatest number. Mistakes are rarely forgiven, however. Better to avoid biting on the baas-side, failing which spins, falls over precipices and barrels await you. We may regret the lack of realism at this level, it sometimes seems a bit exaggerated and we systematically land on our wheels. In terms of damage suffered, these may not be only visuals or become realistic depending on the choice you make in the settings. For purists, it is also possible to deactivate semi-automatic gears, ABS, TCS (the Traction Control System aimed at avoiding drifting) and starting assistance, as well as keeping the obstacles of damaged vehicles on the road. roadside and pass the AI difficulty (for career and championship season) from 50 to 150%. Much to complicate things. And before starting each stage, you can also have fun adjusting all the parameters of your car (suspensions, brake differential, transmission, tires).
Left 121 you dive back 60 m right 130 to the bottom
The game offers 6 different views and it must be recognized that the one behind the wheel is rather effective and even more immersive. At any rate, you will need to know how to juggle effectively between the accelerator and the brakes, and sometimes even use the handbrake sparingly. The weather effects, which we welcome in passing, will also modify your experience. and should be taken into consideration. And even if, thanks to its various settings, the software is aimed at both novices and old backpackers of rally simulators, in any case, you will have to learn to know the route and practice driving your machine before setting off. hope to shine in competition, especially if you aim for eSport where competition will certainly be present.
The view behind the wheel is rather effective and even more immersive.
We will end by talking about what we could not see but that the game will offer, starting with the historical mode that will relive 19 events that marked the history of the WRC since its first title awarded in 1973. It will thus be possible to gain access not only to all the rallies on the 2021 calendar, but also at 6 historic tracks including Acropolis and San Remo, and 20 legendary cars from the classic group B to modern vehicles like the Alpine A110, the Audi Quattro, the Lancia Delta Group A and many other brands like Subaru, Ford, Citroën, Mitsubishi, Toyota…
the career mode will obviously be again present and even improved. It will ask you to manage your whole team and all the points concerning a stable. You can even create your own team with its own colors thanks to the livery editor that will be proposed. In single player mode, and outside of any career, you will of course have the opportunity to take part in the 2021 season of the championship. In multiplayer, it will also be possible to create clubs offering tailor-made championships to the community., but also to participate in quick games online or in co-pilot mode emphasizing teamwork. We are also quite curious to see what the latter will give. Note thata split screen mode will also be available to challenge your friends locally. Finally, a showroom should allow you to admire your car fleet.
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