The crew management system is an excellent addition and adds some depth to proceedings – hopefully, a patch will fix the input lag though. Outside of your budding rally career, there is also the chance to compete against others in the weekly challenges online, hone your skills in the Test and Training areas, and complete a season without the trials and tribulations of managing a crew. Alongside it, there is a points progression service for Research and Development, an in-depth crew management system, and all the usual bells and whistles associated with running a rally team. The Career Mode is the unique selling point, including 50 teams, 14 official rallies and over 100 special stages. What it lacks in style though, it more than makes up for in substance.

Unfortunately, these instances are few and far between, with texture pop-in and static assets failing to make full use of the Switch’s hardware It so often teases what could have been, especially when sunlight shines through the trees and accentuates the beautiful surroundings.

What’s apparent from this early race is that this game is definitely not a looker. The results of this race dictate the difficulty settings, as well as driving aids. WRC 8 begins by testing your metal in a one-off race, pitting you against the clock. Visually, there is a lot to be desired and it is a great shame as it detracts from what is otherwise a fantastic racing experience. Therefore, BigBen Interactive have sought to bring the 8 th iteration of their multi-platform racing game to the hybrid console to take advantage of the current state of affairs. Identifying that a rather lacklustre array of racing games are currently present on the Nintendo Switch has meant competition is limited. It has always felt second in class, never quite reaching its potential and rarely offering up something that hasn’t been seen before. Ever since its inception some 20 years ago, the WRC (World Rally Championship) series has been languishing behind the competition: namely Colin McRae Rally.

Download nintendo switch wrc 8 for free