I’ve employed a Norwegian Mohamed O'Connell, a Portuguese Mikkel Jacobsen, a Chinese Lacie-Mae McKnight, a Belgian Pixie Burgess, and a South Korean Monique Walker. These restrictions are especially ironic given the incredible diversity in WRC 9’s universe–at last with the pit crew. You and your twin, Caucasian brother are the only characters available.
You’re still forced to look identical to your co-driver. Even if, like me, you are male and white, the only customization you’re given is your name and nation’s flag, which go on the side of your car.
When you’re initially tasked with creating your driver in career mode, WRC 9 still forbids you from being female. Its cursor-based selection still doesn’t work well on consoles, and it makes some menus a true pain, such as your skill tree and the crew recruitment section. Zero UI problems have been addressed, save for the welcome addition of a difficulty adjuster between events. Bumps in the roadįor all of the hard work that KT Racing has put into fine-tuning the graphics and mechanics of its WRC series, it still seems to overlook a lot of simple, fixable issues entirely. Wales, too, is a rain-soaked hellscape where unpredictably deep puddles can hit your car like landmines. Finland is faster and more furious than before–if you’re using a racing wheel, it’s best to bring a change of clothing, or at least sit on a plastic bag. Rally Turkey is horrifically brutal, and you feel every massive piece of gravel and, more often than not, huge boulders in head-on collisions. Newcomer New Zealand is WRC 9's high point. Meanwhile, the Safari Rally is certainly challenging, but a little boring–if only damned by direct comparison to the other newcomers. Japan’s quiet fields, colorful villages, and Pikes Peak-like climbs and descents are as welcome as they are unique they certainly draw inspiration from WRC 9’s German courses, though they’re thankfully far less punishing. New Zealand is by far the most exciting of the bunch, offering incredible gravel tracks across rolling, treacherous and stunning vistas. Responsiveness to road surfaces is better than ever transitions between tarmac and dirt are realistic snow seems to have been overhauled in the last 12 months, making it way more predictable and enjoyable to drive on.įor many, the biggest draw of WRC 9 will be its new rallies: New Zealand, Japan, and Kenya. The Scandinavian flick is perfectly implemented.
The handbrake isn’t as comical as before, making hairpins a dream to navigate. FWD cars, in particular, are predictable and responsive, finally making Junior WRC an enjoyable way to start your career. Thankfully, this is no longer a problem with WRC 9 (once you’ve adjusted the dead zone, at least). Last year, I criticized WRC 8 for requiring endless tinkering to make cars drivable. Japan's colorful roads are a welcome addition to WRC 9.