Nacon and KT Racing have released the first footage for WRC 9 today and it focuses on the returning New Zealand Rally, which is making its return to the circuit after several years absence. It comes back alongside the Kenya and Japan rallies that have been added to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. In the trailer below players get a bit a of a tour of the coastline of the North Island around Auckland, and the view changes to show different camera angles so you can see how the view is from the car’s interior, bonnet, and from a third person perspective. Nacon does stress that this is alpha footage and that the audio is not final.
Benoît Gomes, Lead Level Designer at KT Racing, said
Roads in New-Zealand are amongst the most beautiful and the most appreciated in the Championship’s history. 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.”
WRC 9 is not the only confirmed game in the series with Nacon and KT Racing also confirming that WRC 10 and WRC 11 will follow eventually. 15 more landmark vehicles from the history of WRC will be added to WRC 9, and they’re joining the 50 official teams taking part in WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior WRC.
In our review for WRC 8, Tom said:
What WRC 8 gives in career longevity, mode variety and stage choice, it takes away with unrefined vehicle handling and some rough edges. This is still the best official WRC game to date, but bear in mind that until the driving feel becomes the main focus of development, this series can’t be placed into the pantheon of all-time greats.
WRC 9 will be available on September 3rd for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It will also be released for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch at a later date.
Source: Press Release
