WRC Generations Review – Farewell at the Top

This year’s WRC racing series, subtitled Generations, is, at least for a while, the latest to be created at the Kylotonn studio. Starting next year, the rights to license the World Rally Championship and its associated series of games will pass to EA and developers from the Codemasters studio. Thus, this year should be the imaginary peak of the efforts of the French team, which has been handling the series since 2015, when it was handed over to the Italian studio Milestone.

• Platform: PS5 (Review), PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
• Publication date: 03/11/2022
• Producer: Kylotonn-KT Racing (France)
• Genre: race
• Czech localization: Not
• Multiplayer: online and split screen
• Data to download: 37 GB
• Availability: 3+
• Sales version: both digital and physical
• Price: 1049 CZK (PS Store)

Part with the most content

At the very beginning, I would like to dwell on the Generations subtitle, with the help of which the developers clearly separated this year’s series from previous releases with a number. The result is, in terms of content, the most extensive edition to date, gathering much of the content from previous volumes. WRC Generations is, of course, primarily betting on content related to this year’s World Rally Championship season, which brought rule changes and the introduction of the new Rally 1 category. Special hybrids from Ford, Hyundai and Toyota compete in this class.

The introduction of these cars is accompanied by another in-game innovation in the form of the ability to set the performance map of the hybrid system before the start of the special stage. You can choose one of three options, which will affect whether the car will accelerate faster from slow corners, or, conversely, its performance will be fully manifested only at higher speeds. The advantage of individual cards will depend mainly on the nature of specific Erzets. All in all, this is an interesting new variable to use while playing.

There are 22 locations and 165 special stages in the game.

In addition to this top category, the game also has companion cars from the WRC 2 and Junior WRC groups. This season, 49 teams are divided into three classes. Among the drivers with individual licenses there is also a representative of the Czech Republic in the crew of Eric Kais – Petr Teszynski on the Ford Fiesta Rally2. In addition to this content, which is based on the current season’s driver and team roster, the developers boast a legendary offering, on top of which there are 37 historical cars from different eras.

While the number and variety of vehicles is an important factor in any racing game, in rally games in particular, the handling of locations and the number of stages are even more important. And in this direction, WRC Generations is simply in the lead. In total, the game has 22 locations and 165 special stages with a total length of 750 km. It should be noted that, following the pattern of the previous parts, the total number of tests also includes the same erzets, which can be driven in both directions. The real number of unique special stages actually attacks the number 80. Even this number is more than enough and at the moment it is difficult for any rally game of recent times to compete with it.

Locations ruled by snowy Sweden

As for locations, Turkey is returning after a break. New Zealand, which also returned to the calendar after a short break, saw more Erzeti. The big news is brand new tracks from the Swede. This rally is the only one that runs on solid snow with studded tires and offers a completely different experience compared to other events. In terms of construction and visual refinement, the six new Erzets are among the finest Kyloton has produced in the WRC series. However, the beauty and sophistication of the Swedish Rally also reveals a problem that you will soon notice while playing. This disadvantage lies in the uneven visual quality of individual locations.

Erzets in individual countries always have their own typical character.

It is clear that while Sweden was created entirely from scratch for this year’s release, the rest of the locations are based on past installments. Of course, it’s commendable that the developers tried to include as much of the outdated content from past installments as possible in their final release. However, this move also has a dark side, precisely in the unbalanced visual quality of individual locations and special stages. Assessing the visual side of the environment and the details surrounding it will often depend on exactly where the game takes you.

But aside from the controversial schedules of some companies, I really can’t blame the specials themselves. I have already praised their processing in older works, so at least in this respect it is good that everything has remained the same. Erzetas in individual countries have their own typical character, thanks to which you will always be surprised by something when transferring between countries. Moreover, due to the really large number of erzets, individual exams will not be repeated often. Kilotonna was not afraid to stretch individual erzets a lot, so the longest erzets can easily take more than 15 minutes to complete. If you add to this the change of time of day and the presence of dynamic weather, then the real problem with the need for maximum concentration will be solved.

Reliable driving pattern

In addition to demanding and varied special stages, the driving model deserves praise. Even so, the developers were understandably building on older parts. However, you’ll notice the innovation mostly when braking on gravel and other dirt surfaces where the stopping distance is a bit longer, making you anticipate more and listen carefully to your passenger’s breakdown. I tried the game on both the steering wheel and the DualSense controller. It is on the gamepad that the game is controlled much better than in the previous part.

An important factor is the advanced damage model.

In addition, if the sensitivity of the main control does not suit you, you can adjust it in the menu. So you can enjoy the game even on a gamepad. In addition, the developers almost made the most of the DualSens features. However, in order to absorb the maximum of impressions and atmosphere, I would still recommend reaching the pedals to the steering wheel. Although WRC Generations offers relatively rich options in terms of difficulty settings and assistants that will make the game enjoyable even for less experienced riders, at its core it is still closer to a simulation. An important factor, for example, is the advanced tire damage and wear model, thanks to which the condition of your car gradually deteriorates on special stages. Also, a few larger caroms are enough for a realistic setup, and technical difficulties will drag you through most of the competition.

The repair time in the service area between the erzets is limited, so even experienced mechanics will not be able to remove the wreckage in a few minutes. In general, a very good impression of the driving model, physics and the action itself on the special stages, as well as in the previous parts, is slightly hindered by the uneven work of artificial intelligence. In some stages or parts of them, computer-controlled opponents run incredibly fast, but noticeably slow down in other stages. This is a traditional problem of the series that appears from time to time and can slightly spoil the impression of hand-to-hand fights and fighting for every second.

Fast paced multiplayer

As for the game modes, the developers have tried to complete everything that worked in the previous parts. Career mode has received only minor changes and is largely unchanged. Once again, you have the choice between creating your own team or joining an existing one. However, in both cases, you will manage the team yourself. You can hire and manage employees, choose special races among the official rally companies, improve the backstory of the team and develop the car through the upgrade tree.

I tested the game on the PlayStation 5 where you have two modes to choose from.

If you’ve played any of the last installments, you won’t be surprised by anything in terms of career, except for the new branches in the mentioned development tree. However, newcomers to the series may be surprised by the difficulty and longevity of the career mode. In addition to the career, single player modes have a challenge mode, where you will face challenging challenges in extreme conditions or driving vintage cars. The offline history mode that I praised for last year’s installment is sadly missing this time around. The rest of the modes are proven classics in the form of Quick Play and Season.

In the past, the WRC series has criminally ignored multiplayer modes. However, this has changed in recent years and developers have focused their efforts here. The result is multiple multiplayer modes. In addition to the classic multiplayer lobby, there is a new league and club system. He will give you the choice of whether he wants to compete individually or as a member of a specific multi-player club. After that, you will have to participate in predetermined companies in which you will try to take the highest place possible. At the end of each week, your achievements for each week will be added up, and your level will increase or decrease. For this type of content, of course, it will depend mainly on how active the community around the game remains for a long time after release. In any case, the crossplay support that extends to the league mode could help keep the community compact.

Great end to an era

For fans of offline multiplayer, the game offers classic split-screen and co-op passenger mode, where one player drives the car while the other reads the schedule. The sticker editor also returns from previous episodes. However, to access it, you need to create a separate account on the website of the Nakon publishing house. The authors and publisher certainly do not deserve credit for this completely unnecessary and annoying condition. In conclusion, on the contrary, I would like to highlight the optimization and general technical condition at the time of release. Luckily, the problems I encountered while reviewing last year’s volume did not recur this year. I tested the game on the PlayStation 5 where you have two modes to choose from.

This is a challenging rally game.

The former offers games in 4K resolution combined with 30 frames per second. In the second, you will have to be content with 2K resolution and 60 frames per second. Since I consider smoothness to be absolutely essential in a racing game, I didn’t hesitate and ran the vast majority of the game at 2K/60fps. As I mentioned above, graphically the game can sometimes conjure up very beautiful landscapes. However, under certain conditions, it also reveals its frankly weak sides, which include, for example, the processing of rain and water. On the other hand, the advantages include detailed models of individual cars and sophisticated lighting.

True to its name, WRC Generations offers the most eventful year yet in terms of content. The developers at Kylotonn have been able to gradually lift the stagnant series up, and with the current edition, they have been able to complete their efforts with dignity. It is a challenging rally game that benefits above all from a large number of detailed stages and vehicles, including the new Rally 1 category. The authors have also, especially in the last two years, managed to significantly expand the multiplayer modes and improve the driving model. with physics. Only a few less significant flaws and incomprehensible decisions freeze, which, coupled with a stagnant career, slightly spoil the overall impression.