V-Rally 4 Review — Time Is Not On Its Side

At one point, the Test Drive V-Rally series couldn’t be beat. Between several quality entries on the PlayStation and a stellar debut on the Sega Dreamcast, it was my go-to destination for all things off-road racing. And then, for some reason, the series died down just when it was reaching new heights, leaving me wondering if we would see it again.

So you can imagine how my surprise perked back up with the announcement of V-Rally 4, and how the team at Kylotonn promised to bring back that sensational good ol’ feeling of rally racing with its product. It certainly had a lot to live up to at the time, with DiRT 4 being a dominant champion as it was.

But after playing it for a few hours, it almost feels like the return is a bit on the empty side. Not that there’s nothing here of substance, as V-Rally 4 has a few good ideas going for it. But between average handling, a so-so career mode and a terrible soundtrack, it just feels like its return is more like “Okay, I’m back,” instead of “HEY, I’M HERE! LET’S PARTY!” The energy seems to be gone.

Decent Gameplay, But Only By a Hair

The game has the right tone going for it. Instead of going all out simulation like DiRT Rally did (sort of), it leans more towards the arcade style of play. It’s not even near trying to unseat the mighty Sega Rally Championship, but it’s a smart approach for a market that seems to be leaning more towards realistic style of racers.

The gameplay isn’t entirely bad, it just seems unfocused at times. Handling is okay, but it’ll take you a few laps to get used to the nuances and “twitch factor” when it comes to how your vehicle handles the road. Even then, frustration can set in when a mild collision sends your car flipping upside down. And if you go too fast, you’re actually punished for it, since the cornering system feels somewhat flawed, instead of natural. You’ll be struggling to find that perfect slide, rather than feeling it just flow in.

That said, there is some diversity in how each vehicle handles. For instance, rally cars feel better than more heavy-set ones, even if they also manage to flip a little too easily.

I will give credit to the developers for trying to mix things up with the course design, as you’ll race across deserts, forests and more on the way to that first place victory. But the course design could use a little more work, since the roads can be too narrow at times, and the sections between checkpoints can take quite a while to reach. Also, you probably shouldn’t look too closely — this game isn’t nearly as detailed as DiRT 4 was, despite some impressive car model design.

Ugh, Turn Down the Music

The frame rate isn’t too shabby, as the game moves at a pretty steady clip. But I noticed there wasn’t really much improvement to speak of when moving from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 4 Pro. The game still has the same murky style of look with its design, when it should have gone a little more all out. Then again, maybe I’m just spoiled by how many games do that. It’s okay, not bad, but hardly on the level of, say, Forza Horizon.

At least the graphics fare better than the music, because yeesh. The developers barely put in any effort here, with the same generic rock playing throughout the game. They didn’t even bother to go for any licensed tracks, just made it something basic to sit in the background. The car engines sound authentic, and some of the announcing is okay, but that music really dampers the presentation quite a bit. Blare your own tunes on Spotify if you can.

You can easily jump into V-Rally 4‘s quick races to see how the game fares (particularly with Hill Climb, which can be fun if you’re experienced enough), but most players will feel like jumping into career mode. And it’s here that the true disappointment of the game lies. There’s a lot to do, like earn sponsorships and race at breakneck speeds for a quality finish. But you never really build up to anything. There are no real noteworthy improvements to the car; nor do you feel any genuine progress for going so far over a few hours of play. It’s just a quick victory celebration and onto the next one. As a result, you never really feel the game growing on you. It’s just…there.

V-Rally Is Back, But Not With a Vengeance

The game does have decent multiplayer options available (like split-screen), but outside of that, well, it’s pretty much run its course. There’s a diverse selection of tracks here, but that really depends on how used you get to the games’ average handling, and whether you really want to stick with it in the long run. Considering the superior titles that are available for a lower price (read: DiRT 4 for under $20), V-Rally 4 feels like a tough sell.

I am pleased that V-Rally has returned from its automotive grave, but, like I said, this is one of those experiences where I feel more could’ve gone into the development. The graphics could’ve looked better (especially on PS4 Pro); the music could’ve been WAYYYY better (even hiring a garage band would’ve been a suitable alternative); and the handling could’ve used more focus and less “whee, I’m flying off the road by accident!” Not to mention that the career mode needed more drama, more rivalry…or more anything at this point.

V-Rally 4 isn’t a terrible game, but it just feels like a waiting title instead of a true sequel. Maybe we’ll see the growth we want out of V-Rally 5. But for now, we recommend just giving this a test drive instead of purchasing. There is potential, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy the ride.

WWG’s Score: 2.5 out of 5

(Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.)