WRC 2 can't hold a candle to Codemasters' DiRT games, but Milestone did a good job in creating an enjoyable game nonetheless. WRC 2 grants rally atmosphere with howling engines and challenging tracks.
The only proper rally racing series around for modern consoles. If you want traditional rally racing on modern console this series is your best option by far. The Dirt games focus on Xrally, rally cross and similar stuff. Yes Codemasters do prettier games, blah blah blah. But Milestone at least makes an effort to stay true to the legacy of rally racing games and try to make their games as sim-like as possible, unlike Codemasters who have gone the arcade direction with their Dirt series. With their WRC games Milestone tries to meet the needs of traditional rally racing enthusiasts. So if you miss the old rally games of WRC (Evolution Studios), Colin McRae and Richard Burns, and you want something somewhat similar for a modern console then you should give these WRC games a chance. WRC 2 improves on everything from the first game, graphics, handling, gameplay structure, etc. WRC 2 is fast, intense, challenging and fun. In fact the only thing I truly miss from the old WRC games on PS2 are the weather effects (rain, snow, etc). That would have made WRC 2 even more immersive. However this WRC series by Milestone remains the best option for traditional rally racing.
Despite the negative reviews, if you are a fan of Rally Sims, you will no doubt enjoy this game. If you are a fan of racers you will probably look elsewhere. It reminds me more of the original Colin Mcrae games (before they went all DiRt and so on). I enjoy the long tracks and getting split second timing around corners more than doing tricks around open courses. The graphics do lack polish but I dont think you should be put off becuase of that - I spend most time playing in the zone than marvelling at the scenary anyway! If you are looking for a bit of a challenge, turn off the assists and see how good you are!
It's bloated, cumbersome and little has changed from last year, and in that way bears many parallels to the game itself. However, it's also earnest, uncompromising and serves its purpose well enough, and in that sense it is equally a fitting title.
There is plenty of value here for those looking for an officially licensed rally experience, provided that you are willing to over look the floors, there is a lengthy career mode and stages to keep players going and avoid repetitiveness for those who enjoy rally.
WRC 2 is a minor improvement on last year's game, but that isn't good enough. Other than the official WRC license all the game has going for it is a decent (but not brilliant) driving model. Everything else here feels dated and pales in comparison to numerous other games in the genre.
People may complain about the graphics of this game and it is true that they are not at the top of the racing games nor xbox 360 games in general. But taking into account the recent lack of a World Rally Championship experience in games, this one is glass of water in the desert for WRC fans.
You could say that the Dirt series are good rally games but in my opinion they don't fulfill what the Collin McRae series was.
The gaming menus don't provide a generally good transition from rally to rally. They should have gone with taking more features from the best racing titles (Forza, GT5, etc) instead of trying to do something new.
The racing itself is all you ever expect from a rally game. In the highest difficulty level, you really feel frightened behind the wheel.
If you, like me, love the and follow the WRC championship, you will certainly enjoy this game
Firstly this game is best played with a wheel, I used a Fanatec GT2. The feedback is fantastic is this game, each surface is modelled in a different way and once you master dirt, then snow, then fast open stages on tarmac, then a ****'s is refreshingly challenging. The difficulty curve in the career mode is perfect, and at 50% through I'm starting to really feel the pressure to perform. It's not a total sim ala Richard Burns Rally (although there is a PC mod which fixes this), but it is a good trade off and very similar to the original Colin Mcrae games. Landing the perfect slides, scandanavian flicks and jumps is incredibly rewarding..especially when the pressure of attaining that first place remains elusive.
Graphics are a mixed bag, but on the whole I like the most of the large number of stages. There are enough tracks here to fill several Dirt 3 games, really putting Codemasters lack of content to shame.
The menus and dub step unfortunately heavily distract from the wonderful ingame experience. I noted a few minor bugs with menu presses not registering, ocassional frame rate issues, and green cars as textures **** nothing game breaking. If you like REAL car driving games and rally, it's must buy.
I did manage to have fun driving through the career mode and managing my racing team, although it does get repetitive towards the end.
My biggest issue is that I could not do this without driving assists, despite playing other driving games with very realistic settings.
The game doesn't do a very good job of conveying speed and traction to the driver, lack of force feedback support had probably a lot to do with it.
Recycling the same old SS already included in WRC 2010, then "sell" the new tracks as DLC.
Once looking at what the developer is doing, we will notice it's really disappointing and this title is not worth to buy.
SummaryLive the life of a real rally driver through the career mode of WRC 2. Start from scratch by creating your own racing team, win prestigious victories to increase your funds and improve your reputation. Among the brand new features this year, you can create your own team and manage them during your ascent to the WRC. Find the best mechani...