Game Review: V-Rally 4

Rally games work well on consoles like the Xbox and Playstation. The structure of a traditional rally gives game developers the chance to really engage the player and work the nuances of timed racing, and V Rally 4 is a good example of giving fans of dirt-driving most of what they want.

And we know there's a few of you out there!

Importantly, the racing is solid and fun. The numbers are not huge by today's video game standards, we're talking 22 environments with just over 50 cars to choose from, but the variety feels good and the racing is enjoyable and will keep you coming back for more.

Extreme-Khana events – which are just not my cup-of-tea – feature tight layouts (think Ken Block) that are indeed extreme. Taking place as they do in locations such as warehouse complexes with a significant amount of verticality they take precise car control to master. Casual gamers need not apply.

There are more traditional point-to-point timed rally events that take place across a wide range of surfaces such as snow and sand as well as the expected mud, gravel and asphalt. Locations span the planet, such as Sequoia Park, Monument Valley, Siberia, Malaysia and Japan and the variety is pretty good, as are the graphics.

The driving model allows for simulation fans to max out the experience while still allowing those looking for an arcade experience to tweak settings for a more forgiving experience. There is no rewind feature, which adds to the tension, and the cars do have a reasonable 'weight' to them, adding to the realism.

If you are driving with a chase camera in third-person perspective, the lack of dust and a somewhat lifelessness to the track design is more noticeable than when inside the cockpit. I much prefered the cockpit view for many reasons and this game certainly shows its best side when being jostled from behind the wheel.

Naturally, if you have the full pedals and steering wheel controller setup the game is far more involving.

Purchasers of V-Rally 4 can expect a slightly expanded experience over traditional rally gaming, but one that does struggle to deliver a full WRC style.

Instead of managing a team across a globe-spanning series, which can be very satisfying, you get a number of off-road events in bite-sized (but career-spanning) chunks.

There are several race types, including Rally, V-Rally Cross, Buggy, Hillclimb and Extreme-Khana (Ken Block anyone?), however you will need to be able to afford a suitable car for the different race events so Rally and Rally Cross are the only options to begin with.

There are some schools of thought that adhere to the 'everything available now' ethos where you can race any car and any track from the get-go, while this requires a bit of elbow grease to unlock the good stuff.

Each event is somewhat stand alone, with Rally events being only a couple of segments at best.  That said, there is plenty to get involved with along the way.

For instance you'll have to sign up contracts, work with recruiting agents, mechanics, engineers and plenty more to build out your team. All of them need to be managed before hitting the start line and I liked this micro management scheme. It works well and is quick to understand and become effective with, and you'll see the results of a well-oiled race team.

This game is more than a standard rally game, the variety of events is nice, the added 'strategy' of managing a team and the added bonus of being able to edit and save your own tracks certainly sets this title away from competitors.

V-Rally 4 feels as though it is aimed at accessibility rather than purity and really only gives gamers a subtle taste of the rigours of a career in off-road racing, but it passes the fun test and the gameplay is solid.

Overall, I quite liked playing V-Rally 4. It's a polished rally sim that can be cranked up to be fairly challenging, or dialled back for novice dirt devils.

V-Rally 4 is now available on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. The game will also be available on Nintendo Switch™ at a later date.