You would be hard pushed to find a developer more synonymous with rally racing video games than Codemasters. Ever since they released Colin McRae Rally for the Playstation and PC back in 1998 they have consistently pumped out both racing and rally games both of the sim and arcade variety with the majority of them receiving critical acclaim. With their last rally based game Dirt 5 being more arcade based than sim orientated this time around Codemasters are concentrating more on the serious side of the sport with the release of EA Sports WRC which for the first time since Colin McRae Rally 3 back in 2002 will feature cars fully licensed by the World Rally Championship. With the game set to release in November we were given a hands on test of a limited preview build of the game. 

The first thing I noticed when booting up the preview build on my PC was the graphics and how much they are improved over previous Codemasters racing titles, this all started to make sense when I discovered that Codemasters have switched from their former in house engine ‘Ego’, which has served them incredibly well for the past 16 years, to using Unreal Engine, an engine that is much more capable of the type of large scale racing areas seen in rally motorsport events. Not only is the graphical fidelity much improved due to the new engine but the sheer scale of the landscape and tracks are much improved due to the addition of Unreal Engine. Sound design is also much improved over previous games with cars sounding beefy with suitable exhaust farts and pops as cars backfire when revs and gears change up and down.

Attention to detail is the name of the game here and atmosphere just oozes out of WRC, none of this would matter though if the controls and physics were wonky, I am happy to report that after spending several hours zipping around the various tracks in the preview that controls were tight using both a gamepad and a Logitech G920, I always felt that Codemasters previous rally games were a little floaty where controls were concerned but none of those problems exist in WRC, as per most rally games controlling a car hurtling down a road at over 100 miles per hour is a challenging experience but due to the new physics and controls WRC makes it feel more rewarding than ever, especially when you master your first hairpin turn and slam your car around a dusty dirt road corner and quickly accelerate out and away. The new Dynamic Handling System introduced in the game really helps players personalise their driving experience to ensure both newer players and veterans get enjoyment out of the game. 

With the full game being released in November WRC is shaping up to be a full rally experience, with a plethora of game modes and functions to ensure full players are fully immersed in the game. There will be a full car builder mode where you can basically build your car from the ground up by choosing from various chassis, body shells and engine parts and then further customise your car by using the in-built livery editor. There will also be a game mode called ‘moments’ where you can jump into special events and relive and even rewrite the 50 year history of the WRC. This is all on top of the in-depth career mode that will allow you to create your own team to compete at any level of the WRC with deep multi-season progression and the opportunity to manage a team of engineers and make key decisions in the quest for glory, you can work your way up from Junior WRC all the way up to the pros or choose to jump straight into the top tier competition, the choice is yours. 

After my hands on experience with EA Sports WRC I am really looking at getting my hands on the full experience when it releases in November, from what I have seen in my few hours with the game this is one of the more comprehensive rally experiences that have been released in years and should have most rally enthusiasts smiling from ear to ear.

EA Sports WRC will hit the dirt on November 3rd for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC