izigame.me

Is it the DR3.0 we have been waiting for? Lots of pro-sim drivers have given their opinion, so why not throw a noob's into the mix? :D

Physics:
Cars don't slide a whole lot compared to DR2, which isn't a big issue if only they behave consistently... One minute your Yaris wants to take a left 4 turn like it's a hairpin, then on a random square left, it decides to go understeer off the Mediterranean Rally cliff... Mail me the L all you want, but this is rarely the case for DR2. If it understeers, it understeers FTW; if it oversteers, it oversteers FTW.
Well, to be honest, I've seen footages of snap oversteer incidents in the broadcasts which resembles this game, so I'm not so sure if WRC was the game whose physics was not exactly in line with the real world...

Body roll is kinda subtle too. The other day I took the Lancer Evo X from NR4 on Bio Bio and in a weird way, the car felt soft. Like jelly. Maybe I'm too used to the Rally1 cars.

For my console (Gulikit KingKong 2 Pro), no input issues thus far. Most of the faults came from the user instead.

Content:
No competition, WRC has better and more streamlined career mode. Although lacking Rallycross events, the stuff that happens in every calender feels kinda balanced, like 5 to 6 options within one week, so that you don't end up wanting to do everything and burn out the next 5 months down the road.

The maps are... Phew, where do I start? From the mountain pass of Monte Carlo to the rocky villages of Portugal; from the treacherous Guanajuato roads of Mexico down to the thick forest of Chile; flying from Estonia to Finland, doing dorifto sessions in the likes of Arkopolis and hoping you don't end up with a rock on your windscreen in Kenya... It's just-
You can feel yourself being Mister Around-the-Gloeb.

The amount of rides is also another plus point, and a visible upgrade from DR2, which is obviously expected, given that the official WRC license should give them the freedom to include every car CM would want to put in (the Celica didn't make it in, sadge).
The liveries tho, they do be a little lackin'. But I guess it's alright, 'cuz there's always NFS and FH to do personalization. The livery editor for this game is a little... Questionable. I wouldn't be happy if CM just straight away rip Ghost games' wrap editor and paste it in here, but I'll admit it'd be much more user-friendly.

Car builder. Say less.
Not bad, I like it. Hopefully we get new updates on the "cosmetics" of the cars (reeeeeaaally hope it don't end up in the crappy ahh premium pass exclusive...)

Aesthetics:

Most terrains are pretty unique, but they don't... Pop. For DR2, it's pretty easy to tell which map the tracks belong to with just one screenshot (if you assume you can't change seasons in WRC), and perhaps between Powys and Perth & Kinross would be a little hard to distinguish during rainy weather.

In WRC, it's just kinda... Flat? I like the photo-realism that CM is trying to achieve here, but I could take Croatia and Japan and put them together, they'd look like they are two parts of a long track. Sardegna and Portugal can also look the same at certain points of their respective stages.
Not a downside, just a little aesthetic preference.

The rendering of this game looks genuinely good. Somewhat photo-realistic, although it's still relatively easy to tell. Good for taking screenshots with wild camera angles and spacious terrain, and free cam is something I've been dying for over DR2, but that's just about as good as it can get, because in mp4 format it's just...

Lag. 20fps, take it or leave it.

Which leads me to this game's worst downfall: screen stuttering.
Yes, you've heard of it a thousand times, so now's the 1001st time. WHY IS MY FRAMERATE DROPPING EVERY TIME I PASS THROUGH A VILLAGE IN MONTE CARLO???!
(This idiot runs a 3050Ti on an 12th gen i7, what does he think?)
And it's definitely a pain while trying to record while replaying. Sometimes the screen just stutters out of nowhere. It's either that or I could regress my graphics back to the PS3 golden era (it might as well be...).

UI design is pretty parallel to DR2, that's for sure. Generally very clean and professional, makes you feel very respected when you make a stage win, which is a standard design especially if a game is sponsored by the 2nd oldest motorsport segment by the FIA. Though, a little more energy and hype would elevate the experience by a lot (back to the Dirt 2 days, but maybe not as loud as that).

Music choice is a little let down, not gonna lie. Not that CM's gotta put in the newest rap song or any selection of the global hits, but again, the energy is not there. The best of the playlist is perhaps Sun Goes Down by Spada, which is a rave music, and that kinda vibe is what a player like me would like to feel after barely getting a 037 across the finish line on Mediterrano without a bumper and taillights. Heck, even the custom soundtracks of DR2 make you feel victorious after flatting out the entire stage.

The profile section for WRC is mid. Not much to it, and just generally feels like it's slapped there just for people to know you exist.

Homepage is too empty, and here's where I would say that the UI being minimalistic is honestly not so good of a choice. DR2 has the selection buttons covering up about 80% of the screen, whereas WRC has only one bar with words, and a render of a car of your choice out of your rally passport, and your avatar with one out of 6 pre-made rally suits.
Too... Bland. Nothing's going on at the background, so why's it larger than The Rock's forehead?

Conclusion:
Is it worth the full price? Well, if you're expecting RBR level physics and handling, or just the sheer amount of community support, sorry to disappoint, you may return back to 30 year old graphics.
If you're expecting a laid back, easy rally experience, I say expect challenge. Is it gonna be hard? Not really, but things will get out of hand when you start pushing it like you'd push your laptop Civic on the Autobahn.
If you want to have a good time rallying with the different cars from different generations of rally on iconic places you've probably seen on TV back in 2023 (or before), give it a try, especially if it's on an 60% offer.

Is it a worthy DR3 equivalent? I honestly wouldn't say so... See, DR2 was like, not so expensive, and the content it provided was perhaps a little less (and less bugs too) than what's being offered with WRC today, which costs like, what? 3 fold, perhaps?
I definitely see upgrades in certain fields where DR2 don't shine as bright, so I will call it an upgrade. But I can't say it's DR3, but a different "weight class" of its own. But if you have doubts, CM didn't fumble this title. It's just not their brightest work, but it'll do. Blame the price tag on EA sports, though, and get the game when it's on sale.

Thank you for your time :D
(ik you scrolled down halfway through)