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If you're looking for a rally racing simulator (like the Rally tracks in GTA3) - don't buy WRC. But if you're looking for a FUN racing game with just enough realism to keep it interesting, WRC can't be beat.

This game is a blast, you race in 14 countries (5 stages in each), each one is unique and requires learning new skills to conquer. From Italy with paved twisting mountain roads where each curve presents a deadly cliff, to Australia with powdery red dirt that is a power-sliders dream, to great Britain's mud-fest tracks with brutal hairpins...this game keeps throwing new challenges at you.

The graphics are superb, with depth-of-field bluring, debris on the tracks and beautiful cars. The cars accumulate dirt and damage as you race a stage, so it's important to push the limits, but not go too far...if you crash too often or too badly, the car won't drive right (and you won't win).

The sound is excellent, constantly providing useful information about your traction and terrain. The engine sounds are higher pitched than you might expect, but these are generally small cars so it's fits.

The tracks are easy to drive on, but many prove to be a challenge to master. The cars are extremely responsive and make mastering each kind of terrain a lot of fun.

One thing to know about this game is that it conforms to the real WRC rules, so each race is a time trial...meaning you race alone against the *times* set by other computer drivers (although the game keeps a record of your best times on each stage). If you absolutely need to race against other cars, ala Gran Tourismo, then WRC isn't for you. Personally I like the time trial aspect, it's always you vs the track.

First off, I want to say that I love watching WRC on the Speed Channel. It's my favorite show on TV, and I try to never miss it. Also, this is the first rally game I've ever played, so I have nothing to compare it to. But this game is fun as hell.

The graphics are very good - very appealling. The environs look exceptional, although they sometimes look too much like a cardboard cutout, but that can only be expected. The replays are absolutely INCREDIBLE. It looks very much like it would on the Speed Channel, with various angles all about the stage. One second you'll see your rally car speed by a stationary camera, the next you'll have an in-cockpit view (complete with co-driver spitting out directions), and the next it will be an awesome view from a following helicopter. Not even Gran Turismo 3's replays beat this.

The gameplay is also very good. The cars handle as you would expect for a rally car, but each one is different. Some tend to whip the rear out on a hairpin, while others are simply slower than others. This adds quite a bit of replay value to the game. The controls are simple and make sense. There are plenty of views to choose from, both in-race and during the replays. The menus look nice, as well. One good point of the game are the videos that play before each new rally - these give you a preview of what's to come, while showing some sweet rally footage. You can also find these in the menu and watch them any time you desire, which is nice.

The sound is phenomenal. You can hear your co-driver very clearly, along with the sound of your car's engine (every car sounds different), and the sound of your car sliding about the stage. The background music is a bit annoying, but you can adjust the volume levels as you see fit. The music during the replays is also very annoying - horrible, actually, which warrants it being muted.

There are a number of modes of play. First and foremost is the "world rally championship" mode, which puts you through a virtual season of the WRC with a car and driver of your choosing. This mode covers quite a number of completely unique rallys (between 14 and 16), each one with 5 stages that offer their own challenges you must overcome to be the fastest. It took me about a week to beat this on "normal" difficulty setting, but I played it almost constantly. Also featured are the "single rally," "time trial," and "2 player" modes, which are exactly as they sound.

Now, here's my only complaint with this game. It's too easy for me. The very first time I played it, I had it on "normal" setting. I also won the first rally of the "world rally championship" mode with ease. I went on to win EVERY single other rally of this mode. I barely ever even placed worse than first on a single stage - let alone an entire rally. Currently I am doing another one on "professional" setting, and I have yet to lose a rally, although I am losing quite a few stages. For added difficulty though, I sugget changing the view to the in-cockpit view. With this view, I found it hard to stay on the course through most of the turns. It adds a great degree of difficulty, I think.

All in all, this is a very well-done game. I would suggest this to any fan of the WRC, or racing in general. If you want a fun racing game that doesn't have hour-long races, ala GT3, then check this it. It's a blast.

just to keep this short. poor physics, bad tracks, no realism.