The long-running WRC game series started off slow, but over time it's risen to become one of the best rally racers around. WRC 8 saw a huge leap in performance from developer Kylotonn Games, with much-improved handling, an overhauled career mode, and improved graphics. Last year's WRC 9 continued that progress, and now the tenth installment of the series releases on September 2nd, 2021.
It's fair to say that the latest game is shaping up to be the best one yet, and possibly among the top rally games of recent years. WRC's main competitor, the DiRT Rally series, hasn't released a new title since 2019 and so there's a real chance for WRC 10 to sweep in there and stake its claim as the top rally game out right now. Let's take a look at some of the biggest changes coming up in this year's installment and see what's on offer for players.
8 The Full 2021 Rally Calendar
As the officially licensed game of the World Rally Championship, it's no surprise that every round of the 2021 season is available to play in WRC 10. This year has seen a particularly exciting lineup of events, from old favorites to brand-new locations.
These rounds are all playable through the newly-enhanced Career Mode, which sees tweaks to the crew management system and skill trees. Career Mode in the WRC series has long been regarded as one of the best in any racing game, so it'll be exciting to see what awesome stages Kylotonn has in store for players this year.
7 Four Brand-New Rallies
Included in the 2021 rally season are four brand-new rallies that have never been seen before, and WRC 10 features all of them. Players will get to take on the fast gravel stages of the Estonia rally, which was featured in the game's playable demo that's been out for a few months.
There's also the flat tarmac of Belgium, the bumpy roads of Croatia, and the harsh gravel of the Spanish Rally Catalunya. It makes for a more varied set of surfaces than ever, which means players will need to focus on strategies like tire choice as much as they need to focus on being fast.
6 A Review Of The WRC's History
Another new feature for the latest game is History Mode, which celebrates fifty years of the World Rally Championship. Players will get the chance to experience classic rallies from years past, and compete in a variety of iconic cars from each era of the Championship.
These cars have been split into five main eras: Early Years, Group B, Group A, WRC, and Modern WRC. There will be a series of challenges to complete based on each era, which should please achievement hunters and enthusiasts alike.
5 52 Official Teams Available
As well as having more choice of rallies than ever, players will have more choice of who they'd like to compete as too. WRC 10 features all 52 competing teams in the 2021 World Rally Championship season, from the entry-level Junior WRC teams all the way up to the top-tier WRC factory outfits.
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WRC2 and WRC3 teams are also included, and so players will be able to level up their abilities starting as a rookie and progress through each tier of the championship. Whether they're a Ford fanatic or a Toyota aficionado, players can rest assured that their favorite team will be waiting to sign them.
4 New Livery Editor
Don't fancy racing for an existing team? That's okay, WRC 10 has that covered too. New for this year, there's now a Livery Editor included in the game so that players can design and build their own team to take over the Championship.
Players can pick their own color schemes, create custom designs using the vinyl sticker selection and even add their own custom branding to their cars. The editor will be available on all contemporary cars, so fans can build their rally team right from the beginning of their career.
3 PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Enhancements
WRC 10 is the first installment in the series to release natively onto the new generation of consoles, and because of that Kylotonn have stepped up their game in the graphics department. Judging by the demo, the new game will be better looking than ever, and there's also reportedly a new vegetation system for more realistic foliage around the stages.
Other small details around each environment have also been improved thanks to the new consoles' processing power, although most of the time players won't notice. After all, it's a bit tricky to look at the graphical details of each stage while flying through it at 70 mph! Still, it'll make a prettier picture for those all-important action shots.
2 Improved Handling And Physics
One of the biggest talking points of last year's game was how good its handling model felt, as it managed to be realistic but still accessible for those playing with a controller. It's a very difficult balance to pull off, and one that many racing games have failed at over the years.
Kylotonn has assured fans that WRC 10 will have even more improvements over the old handling model, but really minor tweaks are all that's needed. The demo seems to show a very similar handling and physics model to the previous game, but in this case, that's a good thing.
1 A Bigger Selection of Cars Than Ever
A rally game without cars is like a shooter without guns, and so it's good to see that the developers have included more models than ever into WRC 10. As well as the current manufacturers competing in this year's Championship, there are also classic WRC fan favorites from the likes of Lancia, Citroen, and Subaru.
Most of these cars also come with a completely new set of sounds, which is great news as that was one area where the previous game was lacking. Altogether, these new changes make for a brilliant-sounding game, one that will no doubt please both long-time fans and newcomers to the series.