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Typical, isn't it? You wait an age for a decent rally game and then two come popping and spitting over the horizon, kicking up a stinging stream of gravel in your face as they course by. The excitement that met the stealthy Early Access release of Dirt Rally earlier this year told you all you needed to know about the appetite for a hardcore, dedicated off-road sim, and even though it's still early days Codemasters has excelled itself in providing one of the most exacting takes on the hot-headed discipline since the fabled Richard Burns Rally. And now, there's another rally game that's worth keeping an eye on, though this one's slightly different. The officially licensed WRC series has been around for a while, in various guises - first with Sony and Evolution Studios, before that partnership went on to the similarly wild MotorStorm and then the more refined DriveClub, and latterly with Milestone's more modest reign that began in 2010. Milestone's games were acceptable, but never quite exciting - you sensed the small Italian developer didn't quite have the same affinity with the sport as it does with motorbikes in its more thrilling two-wheeled outings - and the yearly churn never quite sat right with an outfit with clearly limited means. By the time of WRC 4 last year, the games had become as predictable as the world title being won by someone called Sébastien.
For the series' belated arrival on new generation hardware, there's a change in direction. And, well, on paper, it doesn't sound too promising. Have you heard of developer Kylotonn before? It's unlikely, and even if you have experience of games such as the woeful looking Motorcycle Club or The Cursed Crusade, your impressions aren't likely to be favourable. Based on its track record, the prospect of the Paris-based studio being the new custodians of the WRC series is hardly one to salivate over.
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