WRC 2010

WRC 2010 is the long awaited rally game from Milestone, which looks to revive a racing series just like Codemasters recently did with F1 2010. The World Rally Championship hasn't been represented in video game form for quite some time now.

First impressions of the game are quite unimpressionable to be honest. The game is not a visual work of art by any means, car models look excellent but everything else is sub standard. For a game that takes the player across every corner of the world, the environmental graphics are shamefully sub standard and quite boring. Milestone will never get a better chance to show off what they can do in terms of in game graphics and it is frustrating but true to say that they simply did not put in the effort. Dull grays and browns dominate here and it can really be tedious to play in. Menus are functional but unremarkable and verge on being downright drab.

All this could possibly be overlooked when it comes to load times. The time it takes from when you select a race to when the race actually starts is long enough that you could go off and brew a pot of tea and come back without missing anything. Well maybe that’s an exaggeration, however it does take 30 seconds to load a race, yes I actually timed it!! It really is highly highly frustrating and would make you not want to play the game.

In WRC 2010 the primary goal is a tried and tested one, start off as a rookie and work your way up until finally you can compete with the big boys. The game handles the steep learning curve quite well, firstly before you embark on your career as a rally driver it is best to check out the WRC academy. This function is basically a training camp which introduces the player to all the different race conditions and surfaces that you will come up against in the main game. It is a good addition to the game as it really helps to hone your driving style for the different conditions. The WRC academy is a good idea that I would certainly like to see implemented in other games.



The single player is where the longevity may be found with the game. You really do start from scratch at the beginning of the single player campaign. This means that you have to choose what car you start in, what colour to choose, sponsors and other various things. The game also tries to keep interest going with a whole host of unlockables based upon a progression system. New cars, competitions and paint jobs will all be unlocked depending on how well you perform. Now this does help create a bit of pride and certainly encourages the player to perform as well as they possibly can. Progressing in the game requires good racing performance and good results.

There are one or two problems that I have with the single player mode though, first off, there are usually many stages in each race, and it can often be hard to distinguish differences between the individual stages as they feel very alike in terms of design. Also, linked to this point is that there is a maximum of 6 stages per race which is totally unrepresentative of a real race stage in WRC (Usually 15-25 stages).

Secondly, the co – driver in car (The one who shouts orders at you to hopefully keep you from veering off road, across a field, straight into a cow) seems as interested as being in the car as Wayne Rooney seems as interested in staying at Man Utd!! The co – driver is often too slow to read notes to you to tell you exactly what to expect on the course, this problem is exacerbated by a lack of an in game map on the users HUD. However, it is funny to hear the co – driver reacts when you crash bonnet first into a tree or boulder!

The gameplay of WRC 2010 is actually quite enjoyable. As already stated, the game caters for noobs. Driving assists are turned on by default at the start. However, these can be turned off at any point, and I would strongly urge players to do this. Yes, the game will be a challenge but once you start to master the controls, powersliding will feel like a breee and there is a deep sense of satisfaction in completing races relying on your own skill. It is only when driving assists are off that you can appreciate that Milestone have actually got the fundamental areas of the game correct. The driving is not intimidating; after a short period of acclimatization you will feel like you have been playing this game for years. Another thing I quite like about the gameplay is the damage models, it can be strangely satisfying looking at the damage you cause your car!!



Again, in terms of gameplay, Milestone must be credited for the array of different game modes to try out. These include; Road to the WRC, WRC Academy, Single Player (with Single Stage, Single Rally, Championship, Time Attack), Hot Seat (Single Stage, Single Rally, Championship for up to four players) or Xbox Live. Online is excellent by the way, and although everyone drives on their own trying to get the best times, you can see ghosts of the other players so the competitive edge is definitely not hampered.

One thing that is incredibly iffy about the gameplay element is what happens to your car if you veer slightly off track. Correct me if im wrong but rally cars spend a lot of time off track in real life, ya?? Off-road excursions are a way of life in WRC. Well if you veer off track in the game during a race your car’s speed will reduce drastically to an agonizing crawl. If really is quite annoying, especially at the start when getting to grips with the game.

The achievements in this game are well paced and being honest are probably nothing you won’t have seen before in other racing games. There is a definite focus on the single player experience as most of the achievements are concentrated in this area, and as you progress in your career you will find the achievements coming in quickly.

Summary:
I think that it’s quite unlucky that WRC has been forgotten about for such a long time, and then when a WRC game is made its comes out around the same time another racing series stages its revival. Being released at a similar time to the excellent F1 2010 highlights the ineptitude of this racing series revival. Unfortunately the negatives outweigh the positives with this one. It certainly cannot be considered as a challenger to the DIRT series just yet. However, there is plenty here that can be built upon, the single player mode is robust and holds up quite well, and importantly the actual business of driving is good. In terms of reviving a genre that has been dead for quite a while, Milestone have done ok. It’s not the worst racing game but I wouldn’t be buying it if I wasn’t a fan of WRC.

Ultimately it lets down the sport it represents by lacking the polish expected of games nowadays. Brief moments of excitement are not enough to conquer the flaws that the game has.

GSA Rating: 6.5/10

nice review, pity i didn't read it before i played it lol

cheers Jamie

your tenure as MOTM has been excellent and this review is yet another case of fine forum work sir

Rep given and game removed from my must buy list

Good review mate

Cheers for the kind words folks

Good honest review mate.

Everton, hold your horses as this game is in the same style as Superstars racing, you know poor graphics but good gameplay.

If you can forgive the graphics there is a good game in there for racing fans.

But I like every single racer, so what do I know.

/me adds it back to my must buy list lol

Good review mate, i never got round to playing the Demo. And had decided i was gonna skip it completely, especially as i was getting F1 at the time.

Its now back on my if i see it going cheap i'm getting it list!

Ya like i said in review, gameplay elements are not bad and can be enjoyable once you get into the game, its the shoddy presentation and poor graphics that leave a bit to be desired.

If a couple of friends had it I imagine it would be quite addictive multiplayer wise

great review.spot on with the graphics and game play call,

but am i the only person on this site that thought formula 1 was boring as hell?


ruff