Shout out to team Nacon for rolling through with another installment of the FIA World Rally Championship and... showing us love by dropping off a few copies of WRC 9 to review! On that note... let's burn some rubber and jump right on in (skrrrrrrttttt)!
As some of you know, we suited up to hit the rugged terrain in WRC 8... and what an experience it was (rollovers, crashes, and all) so when it comes to reviewing WRC 9, I was curious to see what was new.
Before I jump into the full review, I want to point out the feedback from the controller... it feels amazing. I love the way you can tell you're off the road or rolling over the gravel... because you feel it in the controller. Not just a standard vibration or rumble, it feels really good... so I salute whoever's responsible for that. The feedback from the acceleration feels the best.
Career Mode: In career mode, you take part in the usual rallies, but... you also manage a team in this mode for the complete experience. So not only are you hitting the tracks but you are also making sure that your car gets repaired, you're hiring the right people on your team, budgeting, and more.
Speaking of team members, not all are available from the start... you have to unlock them in the skill tree area. Members consist of engineers, meteorologists, mechanics, physical therapists, agents, and financial advisors (which I recruited recently). Don't look at your team members as some sort of fluff in the skill tree... because you'd definitely be underestimating them.
For example, when it comes to the financial advisors... they deliver better offers + letting you know how the investment in those upgrades will truly translate in terms of performance. You will ultimately save money, and gain money with the help of your advisors.
Agents help you with career management, which helps you with manufacturers and... their expectations. The agents are where your offers come from, and help you level up in your career + they make an impact on publicity. Physical therapists, meteorologists, and team members like that are pretty much self-explanatory... but I wanted to point out agents and financial advisors because they may not appear to hold much significance if you aren't aware of their impact.
Anyway, when it comes to the career mode... you get a similar experience in WRC 8... minus the 3 new rallies found in WRC 9. These new rallies take place in Kenya, Japan, and New Zealand.
There is a Career Starter Upgrade DLC available that delivers a more experienced team from the start, if... you want such an upgrade. I think it's more satisfying to work your way up, but... for those who want a better team, I don't see this as a pay to win because it won't make or break your skills on the track (your performance is in your hands although you can improve certain things in the skill tree).
Visuals: WRC 9 looks great, and the team maintained the realistic look... which is easy on the eyes. Lowering the specs will rob you of realism in your trees and so forth, but for the most part... still looks pretty good. I love driving around just looking at how realistic the cars move, the rocks, and the overall physics in the sim. I noticed some areas where the shadow looked a bit off while in the showroom when the ground was wet... but that's the only time I saw that (not on the track).
By the way, the wear and tear is real... and you will not only see and hear the damage, but your car will also perform based on the damage (if the settings are more than just cosmetic).
Gameplay: In WRC 9, the goal is to top the ranks with your performance on the track.
As always you're racing against the clock whether you're attempting to make the best time, or complete a track under extreme conditions before the time runs out. What also comes in the new WRC 9 are 100 special stages and over 15 classic cars.
WRC 9 doesn't venture too far away from what made WRC 8 an awesome experience, but the team did make some slight changes to improve realism while driving. Being a simulation game, you will have some challenges starting out or going back into sim racing (if your skills went cold)... but you will get a feel for it as you continue to frequent the cockpit.
I still have yet to get a good grip on the handling, but you have to make everything work in unison to maintain a good speed and accuracy. Flooring it might seemingly decrease your time, but your control is decreased also... which could cause you to roll over while making a hairpin turn or going over the slightest bump. Even a slight turn of the wheel at top speeds can cause you to spin out and flip, so if you want the best results... go with the method that gives you the most control because you will make better time if you aren't losing time thanks to a respawn or manually getting yourself back on track.
Speaking of handling, one thing that some of you will appreciate is the... test area, this gives you the ability to test your skills and even tweak your cars handling.
The test area is different from the training mode. In training mode, you take on closed courses... whereas in the test area you're free to roam from asphalt to gravel, to dirt and back again so that your performance in the rallies isn't a result of you jumping right in.
When it comes to challenges... you get 50 that I see that consist of tracks with varying conditions, and cars that you don't choose yourself. You have to navigate the terrain in a timely fashion with what you're given or place the best time to get bronze, silver, or gold.
As far as multiplayer action goes, you can take on other players in online events + leaderboards, and split-screen action as seen in previous WRC installments. Split-screen is a plus if you lack a solid internet connection.
When it comes to the clubs, you can either join one of the available clubs or start your own and they can either require registration or be open to everyone. If you're unsure of what club to join, you don't have to worry about being stuck in just one... you can join up to 3 clubs + start your own.
In season mode, you take part in rallies without crew management. At times you just want to race and be a part of rallies... so you have the option of choosing either. You will see 3 save slots in career mode, but don't get these confused with the season mode's 3 save slots... one will not overwrite the other. I think it was smart to deliver a simpler mode because some gamers don't jump in that deep.
I have not played this game with a steering wheel yet, but it's an experience I'm looking to dive into.
One thing I'd like to see (even though I know it's a licensed game targeting the real experience) is a combination of tracks created by the dev team that are totally made up.
Price: WRC 9 comes in at $49.99, which is a price from the PS2 era for a next-gen game... no arguments from me. Overall, WRC 9 delivers solid gameplay... and the replay value is intact by way of improving your skills, achieve badges, unlocking skills, and taking on the competition... in one of the best rally games I've ever played.
Top 10... let's go!
It's that time again, review... time! This time around I'm reviewing the first season of... Stargirl, a hero I had absolutely zero knowledge about... and so I'm going in with zero expectations about anything. Before I jump in, I have to give a shout out to Warner Bros for sending a copy of the Blu-ray our way for review, and the opinions I share are my own.
The first season of... Stargirl, started out action-packed with the heroes of the Justice Society of America taking on the villains of the Injustice Society of America. The heroes were killed off in that battle, including Starman (played by Joel McHale) who left behind a sidekick by the name of Stripe (played by Luke Wilson). The action came to a close with Starman telling Stripe to find someone to fill his shoes.
Story: This was the segue into Stargirl's story, which was created by Geoff John's (launching his career in comic books). Stargirl was actually created by Geoff in memory of his late sister who lost her life, which is cool... and allows her to live on through fans of the hero.
Stargirl started off great, and didn't lose steam... which I was impressed by. They gave us a taste of Courtney Whitmore's backstory by way of awards and pictures as she packed up to make her way from normalcy to... Holy crap!
Courtney's blended family relocated to Blue Valley, Nebraska for her mom's new job... and her stepdad (Pat Dugan) was totally on-board, unlike the pending hero... until she found something that took her focus off of relocating from the life she once knew in California. You can thank the Cosmic Staff for that.
The story is good, and definitely engaging. It's just going after a throw away villain episode after episode, they're woven into story and it really makes the show interesting. You're seeing the Injustice Society of America and how they operate, not only as villains in costumes... but in their day to day lives and it shows a layer of realism when it comes to corruption in society and how it's wield in positions of power. Since Courtney's in highschool, the story is presented through the lens of a highschooler... and that also includes the other heroes recruited to fill the roles of Starman's comrades.
Speaking of Stargirl being in highschool, she also has the everyday highschool problems... like the mean girls and all the crap comes with their sinister ways (in more ways than one). It's a good mix and I don't know... I get a movie-like vibe from the show (it almost feels like they broke a movie up into episodes). If you've seen the show, i'm sure you know... exactly what I mean.
This season showcases the team basically getting over themselves, and coming into their own. Working as a team... was one of the biggest challenges.
I was able to get engaged in the show easily (even when the action wasn't at it's peak because it flowed well), and I was waiting for the moment where that would change but... it didn't. I don't want to give away too much, but it's a solid show... and it set up season 2 well. By the way, the last two episodes are named after the "STARS and S.T.R.I.P.E." comic. This is the perfect name for these episodes as the Justice Society of America (JSA) tightens up and showcases their synergy against the ISA.
I'll point out a few criticism later, but in the mean time... let's jump into the visuals.
Visuals: The show looks great, and... like I said... it totally has a movie vibe with the visual quality and the angles. Stargirl has plenty of day and nighttime scenes to represent the work/school days, and the dangers lurking in the night.
When it comes to the action, it was actually really good... and reminded me of Sarah Michelle Gellar's days as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were really brawling in the show, especially Sportsmaster + Tigress... they have teamwork down pat with their fighting abilities. It's not cheesy either, it's actually some damn good fighting ability.
There are some parts that were off that were off to me.
I feel like the initial introduction to the Cosmic Staff was slightly off. Courtney finds this staff, she's still... feeling it out but she knows that she's able to jump on it and flip while it's suspended in mid-air?
That may seem like a shrug (and it is) but I was like... how did she know the thing could and would hold her up? If she said something like... "hold still" or... "hey, stop" and found out that it could hold it's position... that would've been a cool discovery that led up to that. It wouldn't have been a drawn out discovery, but it would've connected the dots on potential moves. Just saying.
Visually, looking at the costume of Stargirl... a certain hero from an alternate company came to mind, but I didn't let that get in my way of appreciating the show. I did scratch my head as to how she was able to alter Starman's costume without knowing the specific measurements of everything to make it fit her, but at the same time I thought it was cool that she did it on her own and there wasn't the typical sidekick waiting on standby to deliver one to her.
One costume related item i'm not crazy about in the show is... Wildcat's mask. The puffy cheeks on wildcat's mask... look cheesy, which is the only cheesiness I got from the show.
By the way, I watched the show in HDX... which is a term used by Vudu to represent a higher bitrate than standard HD video. Higher bitrate delivering better quality while maintaining 1080p resolution.
Audio + Extras: The audio is clear, and Stargirl doesn't have that unbalanced audio that some shows and movies have... so I didn't have to turn the volume up and down. Sound effects were accurate too. They did a great job with the music selection for the show too, they didn't deliver a cheesy theme song... it was a sound upbeat playlist.
Unlike other show's i've reviewed thus far, there aren't any extras in this first season of Stargirl. I think they should've interviewed the cast or something... or gave some sort of history into the world of Starman + STARS and S.T.R.I.P.E.
Like other DC Comic related box sets, I think that Warner Bros missed an opportunity by not doing a collector's edition bundle to include a figuring and/or a special edition of the STARS and S.T.R.I.P.E. comic.
Price: Pricewise... the DVD comes in at $24.98 SRP, while the Blu-ray comes in at $29.98 SRP. Not bad at all for 13 episodes that deliver a total of 572 minutes of awesome.
Now for the not so awesome. The con I have about the show... is actually beneath the surface (but when I found out I was like... damn). On the surface, great show, and if season 2 is anything like season 1... it should prove to be badass. Beneath the surface is something offensive on a racially insensitive level that should not have been done with Stargirl's Anjelika Washington, who plays Beth Chapel (aka Dr. Mid-Nite II).
Black stuntmen exist, but Beth Chapel's double was a woman in Blackface. WTF?!
The actress said that she pushed back against it, but one of the producers said that she should just be thankful to be working. That's a major con, major. The producer (whoever they are) is adding to an existing problem that has stood in the way of many Black professionals, which are these offensive things that they're expected to accept in order to quality for the few opportunities available to them. This one in particular robbed a Black stuntwoman of an opportunity by way of something that's offensive and jeopardizes the show.
Should Black viewers protest the show as a way to remind them that... they should be thankful we're supporting the show as well? Anjelika needs a Black stuntwoman to represent Beth Chapel, no matter the excuse and... an apology needs to be issued. I know comicbook fans who buy comicbooks faithfully to this day, including DVD box sets or Blu-ray to support their favorite shows. This has been done from childhood, and some kept their support going strong while deployed in the military and after completing their service. Acknowledge that, show respect for the actress, your audience and... cut the crap.
Overall, it's a really good show (on the surface) and... I wish that the ISA-style crap beneath the surface didn't occur, but it can be changed if the producers are willing to make that change. Anjelika reported that she did her best to ensure that the double wasn't even used, which could open the door to her being one of those actresses able to do her own stunts... which is cool... so who knows what it may motivate. Nevertheless, I look forward to a positive update on this.
