The world sure is in quite a state right now with the global pandemic coronavirus, so it’s nice to get down and dirty with some old school racing fun. WRC 9 was just announced to once again put us in the seat of the FIA Motorsport series of the same name. And it’s going to be coming to next gen as well.

You can see the announce trailer below as released via Xbox. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of gameplay, and it seems to be what little there is comes from the previous game in the franchise, WRC 8. That garnered high praise for its fun racing as well as strong campaign, so hopefully 9 will be similar. The game focuses more on smaller cars, such as a Ford Fiesta or Toyota Yaris, blazing on the off roads.

WRC 9 will release September 3rd for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (via the Epic Games Store exclusively). Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will also come, with more details coming later.

That said, the current generation of console games, while arguably on a vicious high-rise thanks to the ample quality releases we’ve had so far in 2017, has yet to quite hit that stride for me in the arcade racing genre. Which is why despite never actually getting too much into the FlatOut series, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity comes across as a surprising distraction.

For those not familiar with the series, FlatOut is an all-out destruction derby style racer that was originally developed by Finnish dev Bugbear Entertainment. The developers had officially parted ways with the series around 2007 upon the release of FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage. Nowadays, they’re much more focused on their current Early Access racer dubbed Wreckfest, that looks to build on the same tone of their prior works.

"One challenge will have you fling your driver avatar across a decathlon track into a carefully constructed toy block castle, filled with several explosive barrels no less. Thanks to the game’s wacky physics engine and its penchant for explosions followed by more explosions, FlatOut Mode is by far some of the most fun I’ve had with the game."

Fast forward to today, and after the disaster (so I’ve been told) that was FlatOut 3, it’s now French developer Kylotonn Games turn to answer the call. Best known for their work on the WRC: World Rally Championship series, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity tries its best to fill the big shoes of its predecessors. And it does that in several ways.

For starters, the inclusion of the iconic FlatOut Mode is an immediate plus. Essentially, the mode is comprised of tons of challenges that involve around a specific goal or mini-game. For instance, one challenge will have you fling your driver avatar across a decathlon track into a carefully constructed toy block castle, filled with several explosive barrels no less. Thanks to the game’s wacky physics engine and its penchant for explosions followed by more explosions, FlatOut Mode is by far some of the most fun I’ve had with the game.

Even more noteworthy are the Arena challenges that essentially turn the game into a demolition derby, with the occasional “tag, you’re it” variation that is “Keep the Flag.” The feeling of nitro boosting your way into a pile of vehicles while narrowly avoiding your own eventual demise is wonderful, and is what makes FlatOut so damn satisfying. Additional challenges can be unlocked once you’ve acquired enough points through the ranking system. As long as you earn a bronze in each challenge, you should be able to unlock the next set.

"The risk/reward factor for playing dangerously and going complete balls-to-the-wall comes off as much less attractive when compared to driving carefully and being more on your guard."

Apart from FlatOut Mode, a Career Mode is also available and directly ties into how you acquire more vehicles, customization options, driver avatars, and so on. There are three main classes to choose from, but you only have the Derby Class to start with. Once you’ve committed to your first car purchase, races are broken up into three series with various tracks and weather conditions tied to them. Much like FlatOut Mode, based on how well you place in races, you can earn enough cash to improve your car stats or purchase a different car from any of the other classes.

Initially, this seems like a straightforward enough campaign to have players unlock newer rides, all the while getting acquainted will the 20 plus different tracks available and how different weather conditions can impact your performance. But after the first two Derby cups, it becomes more of a slog. This is mostly due to two reasons: AI drivers and how narrowly designed some of the tracks can really be.

Unlike for a game like say Burnout, AI cars are not easy to take down. Weight class has a lot more importance, and while I can understand why you shouldn’t be able to topple every vehicle with just a nudge, sometimes the opposite feels more true. Whether it’s because of AI cars getting in your way, and you’re trying to maneuver corners with minimum noise from the environmental decorations strewn all throughout, crashing in Career Mode is a lot more detrimental to your placement in races. The risk/reward factor for playing dangerously and going complete balls-to-the-wall comes off as much less attractive when compared to driving carefully and being more on your guard.

This would be fine if placing high in races would yield more rewards. Vehicles are unlocked at a snail’s pace. By comparison, it feels far more rewarding to sample the different rides you have available to in FlatOut Mode, even though every car for every challenge is already chosen for the player. In order to accumulate enough cash in Career Mode, I ended up replaying the optional Arena Survivor races. It was just quicker, more fun, and feels more in line to FlatOut wants to be.

"FlatOut 4: Total Insanity has a solid foundation to draw in new fans, and is a welcome addition to the genre for fans like myself."

Another short oversight I feel is the way Assault Mode works in races. On paper, the premise sounds fantastic: a race mode which gives everyone cool power-ups like shockwaves and magnetic bombs a la Mario Kart. But rather than have these abilities as pick-ups, you immediately start off with all four of them. These power-ups and the amount of times you get to use them are restricted to a cooldown. Meaning, all racers will always have access to them, and this results in utter chaos. Which would be fine, if it weren’t for the fact that you’re encouraged to play carefully if you want to make it in the top three.

That’s not to say I can’t appreciate some of the qualities that come with playing Career Mode. Some of the track locations are quite imaginative and varied throughout. Whether you’re huffing sand in the Desert Outskirts or driving down a drainage canal Terminator 2 style, there’s a great sense of atmosphere that may probably feel right at home for fans of Motorstorm.

FlatOut 4: Total Insanity has a solid foundation to draw in new fans, and is a welcome addition to the genre for fans like myself. The lack of local split-screen, while granted is not a very common feature in today’s driving games, is a missed opportunity regardless. If you’re looking to invest some quality time in plowing through its challenging single player offerings, or just plain starved for a decent arcade experience that involves you smashing or being smashed, FlatOut 4 may be worth your time.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

WRC 6 is set to drop in October. That means you get to cool your heels for another three months, while awesome titles like No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided hit the market. Bigben Interactive also confirmed that the game will launch on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Moreover, we’ve got our first gameplay trailer here. Feel free to check it out below!

Kylotonn Games, developers of Motorcycle Club, which was an, er, not so well-received motorcycle racing sim, are the team behind this title. Well, it’s not the worst motorcycle game ever. Road to Hell is the worst motorcycle game ever.

That being said, WRC 6 looks to be promising enough, if early in-game footage is anything to go by, and stands to become a nice, iterative addition to the series. Kylotonn Games promised improved graphics and audio, which is a given considering this is an eighth-gen exclusive launch. Moreover, the game features new Super Special Stages for intense, head-to-head racing experiences

It had already been announced previously, but FlatOut 4: Total Insanity has now started game development. The game is being produced by Tiny Rebel Games, Strategy First, and Kylotonn Games.

As had been promised previously, fans will be able to participate in the development process of the game actively, as fan input and desires will be courted, collected, and then implemented into the game on a routine basis. To start out, fans are being invited to vote on which  classic track from the series will make it into the new game.

We also have some brand new screenshots for the game, which you can see for yourself below. Personally, while I am not yet sold on the artstyle, it is hardly undeniable that the tech here looks promising.

FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is slated for a launch in 2016, on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage.

Bigben Interactive has announced WRC 5 will be hitting the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year, in addition to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, and PC, some time this Fall. They also released a brand new developer diary to kick off the game’s hype cycle, showing the development process that goes into making an authentic rallying sim, and also showcasing some brand new gameplay footage in the process (the footage shows up around 1 minute 30 seconds into the video). As always, though, remember that this is all alpha at best- the final game may look substantially different. Still, it is at least good if you want to get an idea for how the game looks.

The franchise’s debut on next generation consoles is not the only thing that is new this year- WRC 5 will also be helmed by a brand new developer, as previous franchise custodian Milestone Interactive has moved on to do its own thing. This year’s game, instead, will be developed by French studio Kylotonn Games.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more information and coverage.