WRC 10 – ‘Making The Switch’

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Fast Facts

Introduction

A few months back I reviewed WRC 10 on the Xbox Series X. What I found was a competent rally experience that built upon the foundations started in WRC 9. So when the chance came to check out WRC 10 on the Nintendo Switch, I jumped at the opportunity.

When it comes to WRC 10 on the Switch, the core experience remains largely the same. Naturally, there are a few gameplay differences – largely performance and visuals – which is what we’ll be checking out in this Rapid Reviews UK ‘Making The Switch’ review.

Gameplay

In terms of overall gameplay, WRC 10 retains most – if not all – of the fundamentals that have made the series the definitive WRC title over the last few years. Included with this Switch version is a very in-depth and robust career mode that’s coupled with a decent multiplayer experience. Much like its bigger console version – everything remains consistent, with the only real limitations coming from the hardware.

Career Driver

As with any officially licenced video game, the core experience revolves around its career mode, and how close this is to its real-life counterpart. Thankfully WRC 10 continues this trend and it’s great to see the full career experience being brought over to this Switch port. Through your driver career, you’ll go from participating within the Junior WRC right through to becoming overall champion within the main World Rally Championship league. How you get there is entirely up to you. There’s no set amount of years or any time constraints. If anything, your career progression is all based on your overall skill, and what difficulty you’re playing the game.

Once you’ve chosen your starting league and team, it’s then over to the career hub. Much like previous years, this location is where you’ll deal with your career whilst managing a few aspects of your current team. When you are not taking part in official rallies you’ll be able to take part in optional events and team-building challenges which will net you with experience, cash, and manufacturer reputation. While these are necessary to enjoy the experience, on higher difficulties managing all three plays a vital part in your overall success. Away from this, there is also the inclusion of historic rallies and extreme condition events that will reward you with a tidy sum of cash.

Content

While this Switch edition of WRC 10 doesn’t feature the multiplayer suite of its bigger console brethren, there’s still a wealth of content to be found. Aside from the expansive Career Mode, there’s also the livery editor, as well as various training and challenging scenarios. Apart from this, there’s also the ability to take part in customisable single events, and a mode that celebrates the WRC’s 50th anniversary.

While there is a lack of the more traditional multiplayer, there is still an option to play against other players. This comes in the form of global eSports leaderboards and challenges, and the ability to create clubs where groups can get together to compete for the top times.

Switch Performance

When it comes to WRC 10 on the Nintendo Switch, the console handles the software pretty well. While WRC 10 naturally loses the visual fidelity that’s afforded by the larger home consoles – overall, it’s not an ugly game. There’s great attention to detail when it comes to each of the available cars. Each comes with its style of handling and performance, with the new detailed sound recordings allowing for some pretty rhythmic engine hums! However when it comes to the wider game world such as the various courses, and your team’s headquarters – the graphical limitations start to show.

When it comes to playing in handheld or docked modes, each has its drawbacks. Playing in neither mode specifically hinders the gameplay, but both highlight the lack of detail within the wider majority. For example, playing in docked mode (specifically on a large screen) can make everything feel a little too large. As such you’ll get a lot of texture pop-ups, and everything looks like a late PS-1 era title. When it comes to handheld, the game performs a lot better. The aspect ratio is marginally perfect, and the prevalent issue with a larger screen is mostly relegated. The only real issue I came across in handheld was the on-screen text size is a little too small, which gave everything a pixilated edge that meant text sort of bled into each other.

Summary

Much like last year’s offering, WRC 10 for the Nintendo Switch isn’t perfect, but it’s not terrible either. The career mode remains this series’ bread and butter, and while it’s not that much different from that seen in WRC 9, KT Racing didn’t need to refine it. Whether you’re a rally fan or not, WRC 10 offers a generally positive rally experience that’s only hampered by the console’s hardware.

4 out of 5

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WRC 10 is available now and can be purchased via the Nintendo Switch eShop by clicking here.