You could argue Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only racing game you need to own on the Nintendo Switch, but admittedly, the system could use with some more realistic racing titles.
There’s already been quite a few in recent times, and soon there’ll be another one speeding onto the system. This next one scheduled to tear it up is the rally sim WRC 8: The Official Game by Bigben and Kylotonn. After a two-year absence, the next entry in the series will arrive on the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms this September.
After much community feedback, Kylotonn has made the effort to improve all aspects of the series - with better graphics, more technical routes, smoother pace notes and a comprehensive career mode. The steering and physics have also been enhanced to make the experience closer to the real thing than ever before.
Here's a bit more about the content in the game, direct from the PR:
WRC 8 will also offer a selection of WRC 2 and Junior WRC drivers as well as a few historic models to be revealed very shortly. Talent and concentration will be needed to overcome more than 100 special stages taking place in 14 countries. Upgrade your car to unprecedented new levels of detail and develop your team in an in-depth and intense career mode.
A new dynamic weather system has been developed to add random elements to the driving experience, but also to increase realism in the game. Managing the weather is a real challenge for the drivers: modified grip, car settings adjustments, tyre selection optimization, weather team relationship to ensure the best tips and information on the latest condtions. More than mere visual effects, climatic conditions become crucial, especially in the management of your career.
Will you be racing to buy this game when it arrives in September? Tell us below.
Comments 39
I’m not going to hold my breathe. I was excited for Vrally but that was a downgrade. There’s a shadow cloud that follows you! Jeez
... I'll wait and see.
If it controls well and runs well, count me in, but I’m not hopeful. Given past series entries, I’m expecting a floaty driving model and blurry graphics with constant framerate issues (a lazy port). Hopefully I’m wrong though...
Keep bringing them until we have a hit!
So far the racing games on the Switch are far from great and MK is on my shelf already.
We definitely need more games of this genre.
Cautiously optimistic. Really want another good racing game on switch, but dunno if this is the dev team to make that happen. A Dirt Rally port would be preferable, but maybe these guys will come through. Time will tell.
@Racthet916 did you play WRC 7? Huge improvement over the other games and a real good game. Looking forward to WRC 8 being released on switch.
Anyone who has doubts, watch ACG review
https://youtu.be/PIgxEue7Jn0
Both PS4 & Xbox One have strong racing sims, Switch' library is way behind, MK8 isn't enough, it's fun no doubts, but I want a non-arcade experience too.
Hope it’s awesome I had one of these on 3ds it was decent so 🤞
@ritouf
i know what are sega doing, they would clean up if they released sega rally on switch, easy money left on the table
"...realistic racers..." "...been a few in recent times...." Wait, what? What realistic racers has there been other than vrally? I want a decent racer but I feel like ive missed something - so let me know!
I'm not talking arcade style either, I'm talking racing that feels like it has good handling.
Rally racing is boring, give me Ridge racer any day.
It's from Big Ben Interactive, that's the warning sign right there.
Day one purchase if it reviews well enough.
Why is Mario Kart always mentioned whenever a racing game is coming out, as though it’s as good as a racer gets? I found MK ok, but its power-up system is still broken, and the lack of any single-player challenge meant I played it for a few hours and was bored. WRC looks the business, but I’ll wait until I see the game running on Switch hardware.
30fps and lots of pop-up yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I had WRC6 on my PS4 and really enjoyed it.
Glad to see it's launching on all platforms at the same time (for now at least)
@ICISAZEL Gimme Sega Rally 1, 2, 3 pack and I'd be in heaven.
SEGA - TAKE MY MONEY!
V rally's driving experience was sub par. I didn't even wanna play the game after a couple of races. V rally 64 it was not 😂😂
Now WRC8 looks amazing!
This series is always a bit sketchy on PS4 so not expecting much of this on switch hope I’m proven wrong but like others are saying give us Sega Rally my money is waiting Sega
Horizon Chase Turbo, Fast RMX and MK8D are the three essential racing games on Nintendo Switch right now imho. There's still a hiatus for a realistic racer, so bring it on! ^^
The current gen WRC games are actually really enjoyable. I'm deffo buying 8, but whether the Switch version dependa on downgrade, though portable rally would br awesome.
I really enjoyed WRC 4 on the Vita but I understand this one is from a different developer...
@BionicDodo I wouldn't worry. WRC 7 is the best game in the series and is developed by Kylotonn who are developing WRC 8
@OorWullie but Big Ben are just the publishers. They published WRC 7 also and that was great.
Any one remember saga rally? That was fun
Ooh. If it plays well I’m interested.
Reminds me to get out run. While I wait for a port of Pole Position ;p
The Switch needs a realistic racer (well, a good one that is). So, I hope this turns out to be good.
Well, it looks like the racing games are starting to come out by the boat load. Hope we can get at least one good one out of all this.
Wait, how have past "realistic" games dealt with no analog triggers? I would think that would be crucial but haven't seen any comments about it.
I remember when the Super NES, N64, GameCube, and Wii had tons of good realistic driving/racing games, not sure why it's so difficult for Switch to get these. Games like SRS, Need For Speed, Burnout, Top Gear, Cruis n, Lotus, Midnight Club, Rad Racer, Ridge Racer, Off-Road, Asphalt, etc., yeah whatever happen to all of these?
Was gutted about Vrally reviews last year so passed on that. After Gear club unlimited 2 reviewed similar to the first which I got at launch and was disappointed.
🤞🏻This and Xenon review well as that will tide me over this year. Horizon chase turbo is scratching that arcade itch atm
@Bondi_Surfer amen, brother. Mario Kart is not a racer. It's a party game.
Well hopefully this turns out well because the Switch could use all the sim racers it can get
Boy am I glad I waited on that V Rally purchase! Now I’ll wait for this instead as I’ve found these WRC releases to be spot on.
P.S.: I just watched the trailer and I think this is one of the better rally racing games I’ve seen. Graphics and physics looking really great! Give me a Peugeot 206 and some of the older cars they’re mentioning and we’ve got ourselves a deal. When can I preorder! Does a preorder bonus come with a real car?!
In all honestly though, I know I shouldn’t have my hopes so high but man... this is looking pretty promising. Key word: Looking.
Can’t wait for September.
@kobashi100 I like WRC 7 and the devs behind it have done a few decent race games but they are now a wholly owned subsiduary of Bigben and as a publisher, they've knowingly pushed some unfinished / bad games out the door in the name of profit... so I understand some posters concerns
@retro_player_22 Race game market saturation around the mid to late noughties, player tastes change, a few too many big AAA race game flops and suddenly publishers and devs are wary of big race games... also, players have been trained by Forza / Gran Turismo etc to expect lots of licensed tracks and cars and those add to the costs, increasing the risks.. I feel things have picked up again on XB / PS4 and PC again over the last couple of years but the switch is playing catch up
@hugo_octorok previous gen consoles have had workarounds (sometimes other buttons were analog, even though the triggers weren't, some use one of the sticks as a throttle / break) but in general, it was all or nothing braking / acceleration
Agree with others, geez MK doesn't need to be mentioned every time a racer comes along, hell it isn't even a realistic racer like the games they try to compare it to. This looks good, but honestly nothing has been as good as Dirt so I wish codemasters would get off their ass and port Dirt 3/Rally/4 (any of them would be better than any other rally game). At least we get Grid Auto soon and that will likely be the first 'decent' realistic racer. Everything else has been total trash so far. Whatever happened to those ass-clowns that do Project cars. Remember how they took lots of starter money for WiiU version and then tanked it but said oh we will bring PCars to the next N system. Switch has smashed sales expectations and they have already made Cars2 but still no N love. EA are just dumb uiyfgd as a new Hot Pursuit game that let you go after one another as cops and racers in adhoc mode would have to be a hit.
Nintendo dropped the ball by not including
Analog triggers. I would have rather had no hd rumble or no NFC, but come on, give us analog triggers, they are vital. I tried playing need for speed on wii u with no analog triggers and that drove me crazy, when your taking a curve you sometimes you want to let a little off the gas, or just press a little on the brakes, but it's all or nothing, and that really kills the experience.
I can’t wait for this .... came to check and see if there was an update to the release date. Gonna be a good birthday month for me in September if this ends up actually being good.
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