WRC 8 (2019)

Is WRC 8 the ultimate driving game? No, that is evident. But it is the best simulator we can find right now on Nintendo Switch

WRC 8 is a surprisingly good representative of its series. It is a good thing that Kylotonn has listened to his community and made improvements in many areas, because it really created a well-balanced rally racing game that should satisfy both arcade and simulation fans. The varied career with the challenges and the extreme weather conditions make you happy, the innovations such as the dynamic weather during the races and the skills tree also help to diversify. The improved driving physics also give the title more driving pleasure, as you can finally feel and weigh the different surfaces even with a controller. So if you can get something out of sport, you should definitely grab it, because it is easily the best part of the series so far.

WRC 8 is a fantastic leap forward from WRC 7, with a revamped career mode for aspiring drivers to sign a team, manage crew members and level up skill trees to become the best team in the dirt-rallies.

There are some issues within WRC 8, and they're not small, but the game is otherwise so good that it's easy to overlook them. For all the times your engine switches to stealth mode or a fence post sends you into low Earth orbit, there are hundreds of times when you are blissfully guiding your car into a drift around a dusty apex in Argentina, or masterfully twisting through a series of highly technical corners during heavy rain. The vehicle handling is so good — and that is so important for a rally game — that even with its flaws, WRC 8 is likely the high bar that other rally games should aspire to.

When I first got my hands on the Nintendo Switch version of one of the best racing simulators of the year, I really got excited. Too bad this quickly turned to frustration and disappointment. This version doesn't offer the same level of quality at all and suffers from missing modes and terrible technical performance in handheld mode. Yes, there's plenty of content to keep you entertained but it's not the best racing simulator on the system. Perhaps it's worth picking up when it's down to a lower price but at this point, it's not really worth your time or money.