Flights across the globe may currently be a little sporadic, but in the virtual world it’s time for us to pack our bags and take a little trip to New Zealand as NACON and KT Racing unveil the very first gameplay trailer for the awesome looking WRC 9.
Coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC via the Epic Games Store on September 3rd 2020, with a further release on Xbox Series X, PS5 and Nintendo Switch rolling out a little later down the line, WRC 9 promises to deliver the best the franchise has to offer when players finally get hands on. Today though it’s all about the first snippets of gameplay, with this video giving a glimpse of the work that has been put in by KT Racing to recreate the iconic Rally New Zealand.
With this rally making a big return to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar after a seven-year absence – one of three new rallies this season, along with the Safari Rally in Kenya and Rally Japan – you should expect to take in a fair old challenge, going up against a rugged coastline and the wild lanes of Auckland.
“Roads in New-Zealand are amongst the most beautiful and the most appreciated in the Championship’s history.” tells Benoît Gomes, Lead Level Designer at KT Racing. “Famous for its fast chains of turns and a sustained pace rhythm, along with breath-taking landscapes, Rally New-Zealand truly offers a particular experience. A long preparation work allowed us to replicate, as closely as possible, the luxuriant vegetation, the light and unique ocean views, as well as the road’s topography and surfaces, mainly composed of gravel. We’re convinced that players will enjoy taking up this challenge as much as we did in WRC 9.” concludes Benoît Gomes.
Further details regarding WRC 9 will be revealed in the weeks ahead, but with the promise of those new rallies, more than 50 official teams and livery types across WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior WRC, plus no less than 15 historic cars and exclusive new game modes, any rally fan will want to keep a serious eye on how things unfold. Especially seeing as WRC 8 was a pretty damn fine effort.
For now though, check out that trailer!
