WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship

WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship is recommendable to any rally purist however only feels incrementally improved from the previous entry in the series. For those who only dabble in rally racing there are far more exciting offerings out there.

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"WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship" is the official video game of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship. It features 65 official cars and 78 challenging courses across 13 countries, with varying weather and road conditions. The game offers an immersive career mode and online multiplayer for up to 16 players. Realistic graphics and driving physics provide an authentic rally racing experience.

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Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 440 reviews

graphics32 positive mentions

optimization7 negative mentions

The game offers a great blend of arcade and simulation racing styles, making it accessible for both casual and hardcore players.
The career mode is engaging, allowing players to progress through various WRC classes and experience different rally locations.
The graphics, while dated, are still acceptable for a game of its age, and the driving mechanics provide a fun experience for rally enthusiasts.

The game suffers from long loading times and frequent connection issues due to the offline status of its multiplayer features.
There are significant bugs, including sound issues that require restarting the game to fix, and the co-driver's pace notes can be inaccurate.
The graphics and character models feel outdated, and the game lacks depth in customization options and settings.

graphics
113 mentions
28 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, with many reviewers noting that they resemble titles from the early 2000s rather than more recent releases. While some players find the visuals acceptable for an arcade-style racing game, others criticize the lack of graphical options and the presence of glitches, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, a few users appreciate the game's handling and physics, suggesting that the graphics, while not impressive, do not significantly hinder gameplay.
- “Take advantage of an improved graphics engine and unprecedented realism that lets you develop new driving styles on surfaces that are more lifelike than ever.”
- “Beautiful graphics, good physics, and hours of excellent rally goodness make this a must-have title for the rally enthusiast.”
- “This year’s game has also taken a huge step up graphically.”
- “The graphics are acceptable for the car and roads, but the visual details of NPCs (spectators & racing staff) are reminiscent of games from 2003 instead of 2013, and the water effects are poor.”
- “The graphics are dated but serviceable.”
- “Graphics are pretty bad; they would have been acceptable in 2007-2008, but we are quite a few years past that.”
gameplay
34 mentions
26 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay in WRC 4 is described as fun and accessible, with straightforward mechanics that cater to both casual and experienced players. While some users noted issues like long loading times and occasional crashes, the driving experience is generally enjoyable, reminiscent of classic rally games, though it may lack realism and variety in stages. The visuals are praised, and despite some criticisms regarding controls and sound, many find the gameplay to be a strong point of the game.
- “Gameplay-wise, I found WRC 4 to be fun and challenging.”
- “In terms of accessibility for gameplay, hardware requirements, and price (on sale), it's basically unmatched.”
- “There are so many truly rally features and such nice gameplay indeed!”
- “Game mechanics are horrible, plus the controls keep changing from controller to keyboard.”
- “Let's face it, the online doesn't work anymore, the gameplay is a little bit samey, the game has a tendency to crash, and sometimes the audio just cuts out.”
- “Gameplay is boring, graphics are not good, and in some rallies, you get confused, not knowing where the road continues.”
optimization
19 mentions
16 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
37 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, including high CPU and GPU usage, stuttering, and long loading times. Many players experienced crashes and connectivity problems, particularly in online modes, while others noted that the game feels unoptimized due to its outdated engine. Despite some players achieving smooth performance on lower settings, the overall consensus is that the game struggles to deliver a stable and enjoyable experience.
- “You obtain most of the achievements by playing the career from the bottom up, and some require you to replicate some real-world drivers' performances, which I found to be a cool addition.”
- “When it comes to performance, everything worked smoothly, besides long loading screens.”
- “Performance is excellent; I can play on triple monitors with FPS over 100.”
- “Horrible performance.”
- “Another major issue is the stuttering I get in this game.”
- “Had massive performance issues despite having a computer that should be able to run this.”
music
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users finding the soundtrack repetitive, generic, and annoying, particularly criticizing the menu music for being out of place and low quality. While some note an improvement in the transition from electronic tracks to smoother beats, the overall consensus is that the audio experience is lacking, with a limited variety of short scores and a distracting co-driver voice.
- “Speaking of the auditive experience, one must begin with the menu music.”
- “As a side note, the choice of music in the game is unusual.”
- “Short epic music scores that typically run between 1-2 minutes, so in your replay views, you get to hear a few of them.”
- “The soundtrack in this game is kind of annoying.”
- “The soundtrack is terrible; it's the same cheap song over and over again.”
- “The menu music in career mode when you enter the office is crappy.”
stability
10 mentions
10 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant graphical glitches and bugs that detract from the overall experience. Many players have experienced issues such as cars performing erratic movements and problematic controller setups, leading to frustration and some considering refunds. Overall, the game is perceived as unstable and reminiscent of outdated titles, despite its low price point.
- “Runs great on 4210u + 840m at 768p.”
- “After playing for 12 hours, I think this game is really good, but sometimes you encounter glitches in the career mode where your car is just doing barrel rolls when you start the race.”
- “Worst purchase I ever made on Steam (on sale for 13-something euros). It looks and plays like a 2006 game (very old graphics, many glitches, arcade feeling). My advice for wannabe buyers: two words only... Dirt Rally!”
- “Even if you don't care about the graphics (after all, ten years ago this would be the best looking racer in the world even on low settings), I also encountered huge graphical glitches (namely, side borders jumping into the road and blocking the view).”
story
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized, with users noting the absence of a traditional narrative and describing it as boring, rating its depth at 3 out of 10. Players appreciate the lack of unskippable career modes or agents, suggesting that the focus on gameplay over story is a positive aspect for some.
- “No story.”
- “Story depth 3/10 - boring.”
- “No annoying unskippable career agent nor a story mode and other nonsense.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic rally experiences like Colin McRae Rally 2.0. Players appreciate the authentic audio and visuals that effectively capture the essence of the WRC's global appeal, despite some limitations in stage variety. Overall, the game successfully evokes a strong sense of rally culture and excitement.
- “However, I yearn for rally the way some people yearn for someone they've met years ago and never pursued. While I will eventually try to get back into proper sim racing, titles like these are an excellent way to capture the atmosphere of rally without the need for expensive peripherals.”
- “Since the first minutes of the game, I felt like I was playing Colin McRae Rally 2.0 from my PS1 days, not in terms of graphics, but in terms of gameplay. It had that exceptional rally atmosphere I remember from when I was a kid in front of the TV.”
- “Despite its faults, WRC 4 still manages an enjoyable loose surface experience and captures the atmosphere of the WRC's global circus, although limited to six stages per location.”
replayability
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, players have mixed feelings about the game's replayability. While some appreciate the potential for infinite replayability and the availability of car skin mods, others feel that certain annoyances detract from the experience, though they still recommend the game to motorsport enthusiasts.
- “Infinite replayability!”
- “For me, this annoyance reduces the replay value of the game, but I would still recommend it to anybody with an interest in motorsport.”
- “So far, I am enjoying it, and for 99 cents, I do not expect replayability.”
- “A very good and solid game, and I think I've seen car skin mods, so it should have some replay value for me for a few years.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in this rally game is highlighted by its lighthearted approach to crashes and mishaps, making it particularly enjoyable for newcomers to the genre. Players appreciate the comedic elements, especially when it comes to the exaggerated consequences of driving errors, adding a fun twist to the gameplay.
- “If you have fun laughing about how badly you can crash a rally car, this is your game too.”
- “The 'old' WRC series on PS2 is better in my opinion, but this one is really funny and I highly suggest it if it's your first rally game (it is a bit easy and you have 'flashtimes').”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”