The number of stages, the length of the Epic Stages, Super-Special stages and the uniqueness of each location makes these stages much more enjoyable. The clear winner in this category for me is WRC 9. Rather than floating on the surface, the cars are at one with the surface, allowing you to feel every camber, crest, bump and jump. The cars have a much more consistent feel, making the cars much more predictable and fun.

WRC 9 is so much more satisfying on tarmac. Cars can switch from ridiculous oversteer to agonising understeer from corner to corner. It makes cars feel incredibly unbalanced and setup changes don’t really seem to have much effect on the feel. It is very obvious that the tarmac physics in DiRT is simply the gravel physics with the grip turned up. However, where WRC 9 really outshines DiRT is on the tarmac stages. The contact model is a little less strong than DiRT, with some landings on jumps feeling very soft. WRC 9 also has very strong physics, with many surface changes and rocks in the stage that have a real effect on the feel and force feedback. Similarly, the contact physics in the game make elements of the stages, such as bumps and jumps, feel more relevant in the stage. The stages feel great, with the force feedback system allowing for a great feel for the stages through the wheel. Both of these games have strengths and weaknesses in their physics engine.ĭiRT Rally 2.0 has a very strong gravel physics system. This battle is a closely fought contest and fully depends on your personal preferences. If you do have any thoughts, let me know in the comments below! Remember, this is all my opinion, you may feel differently about these titles to me. The genre finally had a direct competitor to the DiRT Rally series.īut which one is my favourite? I’ve broken down this comparison into 6 categories. The sound quality was poor, the stages were lifeless, and the physics were arguably worse than the previous games.įast forward five years, WRC 9 has just been released and you wouldn’t believe that this game was made by the same people. The physics were more in tune with real rally driving, the stages were longer and more difficult, the car selection was strong and the sound and visual quality was great.Īt the same time, the WRC games were lacklustre. The release of the first DiRT Rally game in 2015 shifted the market for rally games. Infected mode on Dirt 3 was amazing though (bring that back Codemasters!). Neither game really captured what it was like to power through difficult rally stages. By no means were these bad games, but they were very arcade focussed. In the early part of the last decade, the best rally games we had out there were the early DiRT games and the Milestone WRC games. In recent years, the pool of rally games has improved vastly.

So naturally, the rally-focussed gaming titles are the ones I gravitate towards. As many of you may know, rallying is my favourite motorsport.

Wrc 9 crossplay