Still, it’s fair to say that WRC Generations offers KT’s most complete WRC package to date, combining past ideas into one mostly “ultimate” collection. Snow and ice races are among the most difficult to keep control in. Few people moving on from WRC 10–if any–will feel like its core single-player mode is worth the wait. This, combined with its essentially identikit career mode, highlights the main problem with WRC Generations: it’s tweaked things it doesn’t need to, and leaves aging modes untouched. Despite many stages being identical to the last three WRC games–another gripe, but one that’s not all that surprising at this point–you may find yourself constantly under-revving, over-braking, and completely misjudging turns, because do-or-die racing doesn’t feel possible. With a controller, WRC Generations often feels like an exercise in overcaution, especially on courses tightened by trees, snow banks, buildings, or walls. Cars almost feel twice as heavy, too, and it takes a long time to adjust to braking distances and lock-ups. Hitting the smallest objects sometimes stops you dead, appears to snag you and turn you 90 degrees, or sees your car roll and flip in physics-defying ways. Dirt and snow tracks have a real Bambi on Ice feel to them, with correction and overcorrection inevitably seeing your car facing sideways, upside down, or off the side of a cliff. No amount of deadzone or sensitivity adjustment seems to overcome the twitchiness of cars once they hit a good speed. Naconīut then there’s, well, everything else. Gravity and downforce, too, feel more impactful through crests, dips, and jumps. Asphalt-based stages feel tighter and more responsive under your tires, once you get the hang of them. The handbrake is more sensitive and satisfying. Some mechanics certainly feel better than before. It’s jarringly different, and largely for the worse. After reinstalling WRC 10 and playing various modes for an hour–perfectly enjoyably, too–I replicated my settings in WRC Generations.
I’ve played a lot of Forza Horizon 5 over last 12 months, so there was an obvious concern I’d become too accustomed to arcade-style racing. Nacon and KT Racing have made no bones about their partnership with racing wheel maker Fanatec–its logo is the series’ loading symbol–but in its desire to offer the ultimate experience for those with high-end equipment, WRC Generations seems to alienate more casual players who want something the WRC franchise has proved to offer nicely in the last three outings: scalable, customizable sim controls that make it very fun to play if you don’t have a full wheel setup.Īt first, it felt so wrong that I doubted my own judgment. Most crucially, WRC Generations’ out-of-the-box controls are a mess.
Drop to 4K and 30fps mode, and it’s often uncomfortable to play.
Visually, too, it’s no real step up in my preferred performance mode on Xbox Series X, the car model seems flat and pasted into its environment, while the promised 60fps frame rate is rarely there.