Developer: KT Racing
Publisher: Nacon
Platform: Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: Switch
WRC Generations (Switch) – Review
Just like Christmas comes around every year, so does the Switch port for another WRC game. We have already covered the other past Switch ports in the past, such as WRC 8, WRC 9, and WRC 10, which were always a big downgrade compared to the originals. After years of porting this masterpiece to the Switch, you would have thought that KT Racing would have learned a thing or two to get these ports working decently. While the developers significantly improved the performance of the game in docked mode, it did come at a certain cost.
Story
Just like in our regular review of WRC Generations the story commences in two categories, you either start as a WRC Junior which is the go-to for beginners, or you do a test run to see if you are fit enough to race in the WRC2 league. Once approved for this rank, you can either opt for an existing WRC2 team or create your own WRC2 team from scratch. Both stories play out almost identically, but if you manage your own team, there is a bit more stress regarding the maintenance of your vehicle.
Graphics
All the previous Switch versions of WRC would run at only 30 FPS and if you are used to the usual 60 FPS this could feel choppy from time to time. This time, however, the developers have ensured the game runs a stable 60 FPS while the Switch is docked and 30 FPS while playing in handheld mode. To make the game run this fast, it looks like the locations are dulled down. At times you’re seemingly racing in completely empty landscapes. If you compare this to other platforms, then this port does not do them justice. If you look at the screenshot below, it feels like you are driving in the desert. The cars themselves do look a bit simplified and lack attention to detail, but the cockpit view still has working gauges, so that’s still very much appreciated. The damage models have also been toned back a bit to save on resources.
Sound
One section that did not receive any cuts is the sound section. The various sound effects are the same, and this ensures that your driving experience is quite fun. All the cars sound amazing, and the various sound effects your car has on the road are well-represented. This is at least one nice thing about the game, as there are no cutbacks here. Your co-pilot is fully voiced and will still give you instructions or give remarks when it comes to your driving.
Gameplay
WRC Generations is a rally racing game where you get to take many famous rally cars on a large number of real-life tracks. The game starts with quite a nice tutorial to get you started and is perfect for newer players or those who came back after a long pause. This tutorial leads you through all the new stuff that is in this year’s WRC title, such as hybrid powertrains and the ability to create your own team.
The gameplay itself is pretty straightforward. In normal sessions, you just pick a car and the track and try to get the best time to finish first, but the real fun is to be had in the career mode. True to WRC tradition, this mode is filled to the brim with content, and they all start in the same way. It gives players the option to start in an easier league, namely the Junior League. In this division, there is only one car available, the Ford Fiesta, a great all-around beginner’s car. If you want some more speed during races and power under the hood, then you can always decide to start out in the WRC2 bracket. In this bracket, you have the selection of different vehicles but if you want to be chosen by a team or get the green light to start up your own, then you must first complete a qualifying race. You only have three chances, so don’t mess up or you are forced to play in the Junior League. As a new feature in WRC Generations, you can now start your own team from scratch. Here you have the freedom to pick a car and create your own livery and name your team the way you want it. Another new feature is that you now need to keep a close eye on the health of your vehicle. In previous titles this was something that you only needed to keep in mind during rally stages, but now you’ll have a general status, and the worse it is, the more frequent damage and breakdowns will occur.
The career mode is not just going to rally stages, as you’ll have to manage the daily life of your whole team. This means that on some days you will conduct training exercises, sponsor tryouts, and participate in the Historical Rally or Extreme Conditions race. There is some freedom of choice in these events and sometimes you can choose to rest if you are really tired (which is also important to be well-rested before the race). This is all for the good of your team, as completing and winning these events will increase morale and funds, and it gives you more points to invest back in the rather large development tree of your company. You will slowly but surely grow the skills of everyone in your team, as you carefully choose in which branches to invest.
While this large amount of content sounds great to have in the palms of your hands, it does come with a lot of letdowns. First, if you have seen the other versions of WRC Generations, you will notice that to keep the gameplay smooth, the developers have opted to keep the maps quite empty. This influences the gameplay by having fewer visual triggers and due to this, there are no real recognizable points to remember turns or other obstacles. On top of that, the clunky movement of the cars will have you crash quite often. It feels as if there is a different engine for the Switch port as we didn’t struggle this much with the controls on other platforms.
Conclusion
The previous Switch ports for WRC were sadly very underwhelming, and this iteration is still continuing that trend. While running the game at 60 FPS is a nice upgrade, having to “enjoy it” in empty maps feels like no good compromise. The sounds themselves are great and there is plenty of content to go around, but our advice is to only pick this up if you have absolutely no other means to play the game or if you really need your rally racing fix on the go.
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