V-Rally 4 is the latest off-road racing game in the V-Rally series. The game is developed by Kylotonn and published by Bigben Interactive. V-Rally 4 is now available as a digital download for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It is available as a hard copy in stores from the 7th September 2018. The game will also be available on PC from the 25th September 2018. Kylotonn is a French video game developer that specialize in motorsports. They have forged themselves a strong technological expertise thanks to a real-time 3D engine that the company owns. Bigben Interactive is also a French video game company. They focus more on publishing video games and distributing accessories for various games consoles.
V-Rally 4 Modes
V-Rally 4 presents a lot of different elements to racing gameplay. You start the game with a short tutorial and a practice drive to get a feel for the controls. You can then choose to play solo or online through the multiplayer matchmaking system. With V-Rally 4 you can decide to follow everything step-by-step and build a full on racing career. You can also decide to just complete the races that you want to enter if you’re not a career person. You have the option to build a whole team of engineers, promoters, technicians and even decide which agent you would like to hire to find you bigger and better races.
There are different types of races within V-Rally 4. You have the standard V-Rally, which is more of a solo “best time” race following the instruction of a co-driver. Then there is the V-Rally Cross race, which is where you are racing against others. Finally, there are also Buggy Races, where you need a buggy to participate. You can play through these different races within the story mode of the game or through a quick-play option where you can choose the individual map and type of race. Throughout the story mode and quick-play, if you are playing solo, you can also choose the difficulty of the AI. This will mean that the race will be easier to win but may also mean that you’ll lose some of the reward when you finish at quite a high ranking.
Decisions, Decisions
The great thing about V-Rally 4 is that everything is your decision. You decide what types of races you complete, how you mold your racing career, what car you drive, what tracks you compete on, your whole staff and even which promoters you want to be plastered all over your car. You can also choose which upgrades you make for your cars.
Decision making isn’t the only thing that V-Rally 4 has to offer. The surroundings and landscapes within the game are absolutely stunning. Some of the standard tracks don’t feature much, but when you are racing in places like Japan, South America and Kenya, you feel like you need to stop and take in the view. Obviously, this would be a poor decision for your driving career because you will probably lose the race if you are sat around, but you can’t help but notice the fine details when driving through a beautiful Japanese countryside.
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
As I have mentioned, V-Rally 4 is a very beautiful game in terms of how it looks with the landscapes. The graphics for the game are also something to boast about. The main issue that I have found with V-Rally 4 is that it feels extremely similar to other racing games. There is the difference of being able to make a lot of decisions within the game, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that the game feels like it has been done before.
Another issue with V-Rally 4 is that the driving system is extremely sensitive. It is quite difficult to just have a leisurely cruise when the slightest movement to the left or right can spin the car completely out of control. You do have the ability to change the controls to match your driving style, but this does not affect the sensitivity of the turning.
The Finish Line
I am not a massive follower of racing games. V-Rally 4 has taken me back to the days when I would play the original Gran Turismo on my PlayStation 1. The great thing about racing games is that it gets your adrenaline running. There is a real sense of achievement when you finish in 1st place, and V-Rally 4 definitely delivers this with its fast-paced racing style.
It is great to see a racing game where you can make a lot of decisions for your racing career, but the game is not without its issues. The control system is a bit of a mess. Your car can be completely flipped with the slightest movement to the left or right. V-Rally 4 also feels like it has been done before. Still, people that follow racing games and have enjoyed playing the V-Rally games in the past will enjoy this newest game in the series. I think V-Rally 4 will make a decent filler game until the next Forza Horizon game is released.
Developer: Kylotonn
Publisher: Bigben Interactive
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release Date: 7th September 2018 (Xbox One, PS4), 25th September 2018 (PC)
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