WRC8 has impressive graphics, especially when it comes down to its weather and lighting effects. When you slide through some small wooden fencing and the car flips 40 feet in the air, you'll both question the game's grasp on physics and curse while you lose precious seconds flipping in the air. That would be somewhat understandable but slightly suspect in a 'physics don't seem to work like that' way. Occasionally, you'll slide off course, kick the rear end over some rough terrain, and it'll pop the car into the air. While everything on the course has the car reacting in ways that are perfectly believable, impacts with off-course obstacles can do some strange things. The vehicle physics in the game aren't perfect, though. A good meteorologist will predict these changes, so you can try to select the best tire for the forecasted conditions, but even the most skilled forecasters can get the prediction wrong. A once-dry course becomes wet and provides less grip, while the growing puddles serve to upset your car even further. A course might start off sunny and then deteriorate into thunderously rainy conditions. On nice sunny days, the courses can be challenging, but the game's dynamic weather system will throw plenty of curve balls your way as well. There's a level of nuance to controlling your car that absolutely makes or breaks a good run, but as punishing as mistakes can be, it also means you earn every single accomplishment. The game can be daunting at first, but before long, you are flicking the car around corners, adapting to bumps that upset the car's stability, and stringing together elements before sailing over crests in the road.

Even with a mere gamepad, the ability to read the car's suspension and adapt to changing course conditions is second to none. The realism and level of detail in the handling of the cars in the game is extraordinary. Each rally stage presents different sets of challenges, from how much grip you can get out of its surfaces to the level of visibility you have as you navigate the course. Rip through the ribbons of asphalt that make up the Rallye Monte-Carlo, kick up some dust in Rally Argentina, or take to the high-speed snowy tracks of Rally Sweden. WRC8 features 14 rallies, each containing multiple variations and reverse versions on top of that list. It all leads up to event day, where you get behind the wheel of your rally car and tackle the course. Jockeying crew members into and out of active service can be important, as you'll want to keep your star members fresh for rally events and use lesser members for more mundane events, such as car maintenance shakedowns. Crew members also have a fatigue bar, so you can only use them for so long before you need to put them on reserve and swap another member in their place. Each of the six contributes to your team in one or more capacities, such as how much money you bring in from wins, how quickly the car is repaired, and weather forecasts for the stages.

There are six crew slots: Agent, Engineer, Financial Director, Mechanic, Meteorologist, and Physical Therapist. Finally, the Team tree expands the size of your team's reserve roster, increases your XP gains, or increases the chances of finding better candidates in the recruitment pool. Reliability keeps your car intact after it hits obstacles and endures the typical wear and tear on the course. Performance improves your car's handling, how much power it has, or how much grip you can glean from different tire types. The Crew section unlocks the new crew member types and increases their capability. The R&D portion of the game is a skill tree that is broken up into four main categories: Crew, Performance, Reliability and Team.

Wrc 8 platforms