World Rally Championship (video game series)
Encyclopedia
World Rally Championship is a video game series made by Evolution Studios
between 2001 and 2005. The series consists of five original games released for the Sony PlayStation 2
console, and one Sony PSP
port
, all based on the World Rally Championship
using official drivers, cars and tracks. The series returned in 2010.
season. The game also features damage simulation in the form of visual damage as well as performance damage if the player crashes.
and Japan
on November 27, 2002. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2002 WRC season. It also includes "extreme" cars designed by the teams. The main soundtrack to WRC II Extreme was produced by the Chemical Brothers
. Additionally, the tracks "Come with Us/The Test
" and "Star Guitar
" from the Chemical Brothers album, Come with Us
(2002) were also used in the game.
is the second sequel to WRC World Rally Championship and was released on 21 November 2003 in Europe
, and 27 May 2004 in Japan
. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2003 WRC season. It also contains Extreme and Concept cars, designed by the teams.
and 7 April 2005 in Japan
. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2004 WRC season. It also contains Extreme cars designed by the teams, S1600 cars and Group N4 cars.
or WRC5 is the last of the series for the PS2. It was released exclusively in Europe on 14 October 2005. The game includes teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2005 WRC season. It also contains Extreme and Concept cars designed by the teams, S1600 cars and Group B
cars from the 1980s.
and SCEE developed a new WRC title for the PlayStation Portable
based on WRC: Rally Evolved, which had recently been released on the PS2. The PSP port
was jointly released by Namco
and Sony Computer Entertainment
on 1 November 2005 as WRC, WRC: FIA World Rally Championship and World Rally Championship in the UK
, Japan and the US, respectively.
Like its predecessor, World Rally Championship is based around the 2005 season and features 30 fully deformable 2005 WRC, Evolution and Extreme spec cars. In championship mode, players have the opportunity to play through the entire WRC season as any one of the 17 official 2004 registered drivers from the six official manufacturers, participating in 16 official rallies spanning five continents and 16 countries. Additionally, there are 19 bonus stages and downloadable content
available to users. In addition to championship mode, there are also quick rally, time trial and single rally single-player game modes. World Rally Championship also supports various ad hoc multiplayer modes, such as wireless time trial, turn-based time trial, turn-based single rally, and turn-based championship.
However, unlike the PS2 version, the PSP remake does not include damage simulation—though visual damage to the vehicle can be seen.
Evolution Studios
Evolution Studios Ltd. is a British video game developer. The company was founded in 1999 by Martin Kenwright and Ian Hetherington , following the purchase of DID's publisher Ocean Software by Infogrames...
between 2001 and 2005. The series consists of five original games released for the Sony PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console, and one Sony PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
, all based on the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
using official drivers, cars and tracks. The series returned in 2010.
World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship was released for PlayStation 2 in November 2001. The game features FIA licensed cars, stages and drivers from the 2001 season and has a career mode allowing the player to work through the World Rally ChampionshipWorld Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
season. The game also features damage simulation in the form of visual damage as well as performance damage if the player crashes.
WRC II Extreme
WRC II Extreme is the sequel to WRC World Rally Championship and was released in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on November 27, 2002. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2002 WRC season. It also includes "extreme" cars designed by the teams. The main soundtrack to WRC II Extreme was produced by the Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
. Additionally, the tracks "Come with Us/The Test
Come with Us/The Test
"Come with Us"/"The Test" is a double A-side single from The Chemical Brothers' 2002 album Come with Us. The vocals in "The Test" are performed by Richard Ashcroft....
" and "Star Guitar
Star Guitar
"Star Guitar" is the second single from The Chemical Brothers 2002 album Come with Us. The song reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the American dance chart.-Structure:...
" from the Chemical Brothers album, Come with Us
Come with Us
Come with Us is the fourth studio album by British big beat duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 28 January 2002. It features Richard Ashcroft and Beth Orton as guest vocalists. The album debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart...
(2002) were also used in the game.
WRC 3
WRC 3WRC 3
WRC 3 is a racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2003 as a part of the World Rally Championship series. The game was released for PlayStation 2 on November 21, 2003 in Europe, and later on May 27, 2004 in Japan....
is the second sequel to WRC World Rally Championship and was released on 21 November 2003 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and 27 May 2004 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2003 WRC season. It also contains Extreme and Concept cars, designed by the teams.
WRC 4
WRC 4 is the fourth installment of the WRC World Rally Championship series and was released on 22 October 2004 in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and 7 April 2005 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It contains teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2004 WRC season. It also contains Extreme cars designed by the teams, S1600 cars and Group N4 cars.
WRC: Rally Evolved
WRC: Rally EvolvedWRC: Rally Evolved
WRC: Rally Evolved is a WRC video game for the PlayStation 2 and was released in Europe on October 21, 2005...
or WRC5 is the last of the series for the PS2. It was released exclusively in Europe on 14 October 2005. The game includes teams, drivers, cars and rallies from the 2005 WRC season. It also contains Extreme and Concept cars designed by the teams, S1600 cars and Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
cars from the 1980s.
World Rally Championship (PSP)
In 2005, British game studio Traveller's TalesTraveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales is an English software house founded in 1989 and fully established in 1990 and based in Knutsford, Cheshire.It is part of the TT Games group—after the merger of publisher Giant Interactive and the developer Traveller's Tales—along with TT Games Publishing...
and SCEE developed a new WRC title for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
based on WRC: Rally Evolved, which had recently been released on the PS2. The PSP port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
was jointly released by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
and Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
on 1 November 2005 as WRC, WRC: FIA World Rally Championship and World Rally Championship in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Japan and the US, respectively.
Like its predecessor, World Rally Championship is based around the 2005 season and features 30 fully deformable 2005 WRC, Evolution and Extreme spec cars. In championship mode, players have the opportunity to play through the entire WRC season as any one of the 17 official 2004 registered drivers from the six official manufacturers, participating in 16 official rallies spanning five continents and 16 countries. Additionally, there are 19 bonus stages and downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
available to users. In addition to championship mode, there are also quick rally, time trial and single rally single-player game modes. World Rally Championship also supports various ad hoc multiplayer modes, such as wireless time trial, turn-based time trial, turn-based single rally, and turn-based championship.
However, unlike the PS2 version, the PSP remake does not include damage simulation—though visual damage to the vehicle can be seen.