NACON and its development studio KT Racing have revealed their first gameplay video for WRC 9, the official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, which is scheduled for release on September 3 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC from the Epic Games Store, then on PlayStation 5, Xbox One Series X and Nintendo Switch at a later date.
The new gameplay video gives fans a glimpse of the work put in, to recreate the iconic Rally New Zealand, which is making a big return to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, after a seven-year absence. It is one of three new rallies this season, along with the Safari Rally in Kenya and Rally Japan, which fans and players of WRC are eagerly anticipating.
In this brand-new rally, players will face a tough challenge along the rugged coastline and wild lands around Auckland in the heart of the North Island.
“Roads in New-Zealand are amongst the most beautiful and the most appreciated in the Championship’s history.” tells Benoît Gomes, Lead Level Designer at KT Racing. “Famous for its fast chains of turns and a sustained pace rhythm, along with breath-taking landscapes, Rally New-Zealand truly offers a particular experience. A long preparation work allowed us to replicate, as closely as possible, the luxuriant vegetation, the light and unique ocean views, as well as the road’s topography and surfaces, mainly composed of gravel. We’re convinced that players will enjoy taking up this challenge as much as we did in WRC 9.” concludes Benoît Gomes.
Here are some of the features for WRC 9.
- An enhanced and more challenging Career mode – Hailed as one of the best Career modes in any racing game, WRC 8 was a hit with rally fans. It returns in WRC 9 with enhanced gameplay mechanics, new opportunities to upgrade your team, a wider variety of events and a stronger link to what the real-world championship teams are doing throughout the year.
- Even more content – WRC 9 again includes extensive content with three new events added to the calendar: the return of Kenya’s iconic Safari Rally, Rally Japan and its challenging narrow asphalt roads, the beautiful scenery of Rally New Zealand and two other rallies with completely redesigned environments. Fans will also be able to take the wheel of new classic cars that have left their mark on the history of the WRC.
- An even more realistic game experience – To improve and refine certain vehicle behaviors, the developers have again focused on the realism of car physics – including suspensions, braking and mass transfer – to take authenticity to the next level. This attention to detail faithfully reproduces the vehicles’ responsiveness on all surfaces and in all conditions found in the real championship. A special focus on sound also provides deeper immersion.
In WRC 9, players are thrust into the heart of the new FIA World Rally Championship season with all content in the yearly calendar and much more:
- 3 new rallies: Japan, New Zealand, Kenya
- Over 50 official teams and their livery from the WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior WRC
- Over 15 bonus cars that have left their mark on the history of the WRC
