The EA WRC made in Codemasters that the whole community has been waiting four years for. Now that we’ve received the final version of the game, we can tell you all about it!
First of all, let’s put all this into context!
Until last year, the WRC license was held by the Kylotonn studio. However, since 2020, it has passed to Codemasters with the possibility of making the official World Rally Championship game only in 2023, so this year. As you know, Codemasters is the studio that developed Dirt Rally 2.0. Following the acquisition of the English studio by Electronic Arts, EA WRC is in fact Dirt Rally 3.0, but with the official rally license, hence the name. Everything ok?
It’s also worth noting that Dirt Rally 2.0 is the most-played rally game in the world… The anticipation surrounding this EA WRC was therefore crazy for an entire community of gamers who adore this discipline. As a result, we couldn’t wait to get to the start of the first special stage to see whether this new game was indeed the worthy successor to its illustrious predecessor , or whether EA was simply taking advantage of the license to offer us a game for everyone, like F1 23, which is far from being a cutting-edge simulation.
A word of clarification on this EA WRC test
Before going any further, please note that this is the review version we’ve had in our hands. A few weeks ago, we had already been able to ride on the preview, i.e., in theory, an unfinished version. First observation (on the final version) and not the least: the game isn’t finished. There’s no support for telemetry, nor for triple screens, and a fairly low display frequency (80/90 FPS) despite the 4070 Ti running the game. RBR-like replays and, of course, unpleasant framerate drops in a racing game.
Rather than take offence at this and criticize right away, as others will do, you should know that the first major update is scheduled for the week following the game’s release , i.e. November 6. So there’s no reason for things to stay as they are, at least we hope not. Otherwise, things won’t be the same!
First laps
Contrary to what we’ve read here and there,the special stages are not the same as in Dirt Rally 2.0, although some bear the same name. As for the cars, there are 78 of them, divided into 18 categories.
The official license includes the three Rally1s on the grid: the Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID, the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID and the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID, as well as all Rally2s and juniors. On the other hand, Codemasters hasn’t abandoned the cars present in Dirt Rally, and we find GrAs as well as GrBs , as well as newcomers like the Peugeot 309 GTI. It’s also possible to create your own car via the livery editor mode, a welcome but time-consuming innovation.
On the rally front, the game features 17 WRC venues (past and present) with over 200 special stages. Some, like Monte Carlo, are real, but not all. The game also boasts longer stages than Dirt 2. In Chile, we spent 28 minutes behind the wheel to complete the longest one. When you’ve already got 5 stages in your teeth, you can imagine how the rally ends! But let’s move on to what really interests us:
The gameplay
If you’re a Dirt Rally player, you won’t feel out of place– in fact, quite the opposite. We had every right to fear an “increased ease”, but this is not the case. In fact, EA WRC erases some of DR2’s shortcomings, especially on asphalt. The Rally1s are clearly complicated to drive with their battery management, and as for the other cars in the game, once again, you have to get used to them before you can master them. Codemasters is to be congratulated on this Dirt Rally 3, sorry EA WRC, for keeping to the philosophy of the license.
The game also incorporates the different seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter). And consequently, the different driving sensations you’ll encounter depending on when you’re going to be driving. Clearly, the climb up the Turini to Monte Carlo doesn’t feel the same in January (the actual date), with patches of snow and ice, as it does in July under the southern “cagnard”! As for the different driving views on offer, they’re the same as in Dirt 2.0. They retain their strengths and weaknesses, namely that the latitude for adjustment is quite small. This is a real drawback for players looking for real immersion on board.
The chef’s surprise
We won’t go into all of EA WRC’s game modes here. There are many, and all of them are, more or less, derived from Codemasters’ experience with F1 23. However, we can mention a real little revolution: the game also includes regularity rallies. Apart from the experts, few people know what this is.
Here’s the pitch: in rallying, the aim is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. In regularity, the aim is to get from the same point A to the same point B with an average speed set by the race organizer. For example, an average speed of 50 km/h over the duration of the special stage. In the game, this translates into your co-driver telling you to go faster or slower to avoid time penalties at the various sector controls. While this mode won’t appeal to pure speed freaks, it will enable some to specialize in the exercise, which, on paper, seems simple… But only on paper!
We carried out this test with a Direct Drive Simagic Ultimate steering wheel, an Asetek Forte pedalset and of course an H-box for the old cars in the game.
To be able to have a good feeling about this type of game, you also have to go through the settings box and that takes a lot of time. Indeed, it is imperative that the FFB be perfectly adjusted to feel the slightest changes in the car’s grip and the different roughness of the road.
Please also note that we have not used any of the assistance that the game offers in order to be able to give you an opinion in the most realistic conditions possible. Of course, for “controller” players, it is very simple to make the game more accessible via different settings.
Need an FFB setting idea for Simagic bases?
As I mentioned above, this test was carried out with a Simagic Ultimate base. To find the most detailed and responsive force feedback possible, the aim here is to reduce the effects as much as possible on the SimPro Manager software. But to maintain a fairly high torque on the base, which we’ll then lower in play. You can then juggle with the in-game settings to find just the right feel.
Our verdict!
There’s no doubt about it: EA WRC is the Dirt Rally 3.0 we’ve been waiting for. With far more content than Dirt 2, competitive challenges, a car creation mode, regularity… Not only does it offer a genuine sequel to Dirt 2, it also brings something new to the table. If rallying is your thing, go for it!
