WRC 8

WRC 8 is a rock-solid rally racer that’s now looming very large in the rearview mirror of current off-road kingpin Dirt Rally 2.0. It’s still not quite as beautiful or broad as the latter but the additions made on top of WRC 7 – particularly the dynamic weather and the vastly improved career mode – are real gamechangers.

If you’re the kind of person who appreciates the finer detail and are looking for a racing experience that rewards smart, split-second decision-making, however, this is the kind of package that can offer so many great and engaging moments. Even if the road there may be paved with a few harsh lessons. In the end, with an expanded and much-improved career mode, some thoughtful, small-and-subtle tweaks and even more unpredictable elements to keep wary of — on top of all the care put into the physics, feedback and very sound — Kylotonn’s latest in WRC 8 stands as the studio’s best interpretation yet.

There are shortcomings, of course - the presentation is lacking in some places, and the stages suffer from some inconsistency when it comes to production values, while there's also the concern of WRC 8 infringing on Dirt Rally's territory rather than going its own way. But this delivers a simulation with its own character, its own sensibilities, and you know what? Having two decent rally games on the market really isn't a bad problem to have.

What WRC 8 gives in career longevity, mode variety and stage choice, it takes away with unrefined vehicle handling and some rough edges. This is still the best official WRC game to date, but bear in mind that until the driving feel becomes the main focus of development, this series can’t be placed into the pantheon of all-time greats.