EA Sports WRC vs DIRT Rally 2.0: Which rally game is better?

EA Sports WRC represents a new era of rally games, with Codemasters taking over the WRC game license for the first time. It’s also the studio’s first rally game in five years since the revered DIRT Rally 2.0, which still has a loyal and active player base.

But which rally game is better? We're pitting EA Sports WRC and DIRT Rally 2.0 head to head, comparing the graphics, audio, cars, stages, handling, and career modes before crowning the winner.

Graphics and performance

EA Sports WRC sees Codemasters replace its in-house EGO engine with Unreal. Unfortunately, this has resulted in lower visual fidelity and unstable performance, particularly on PC.

Cars are impeccably modelled in both games, but EA Sports WRC’s environments look downgraded, with noticeable texture pop-in, lacklustre lighting, rain and weather effects, and fewer trackside details like foliage, crowds, and overhead drones. Details like these bring the environments to life but are lacking in EA Sports WRC.

To make matters worse, EA Sports WRC’s launch was plagued with serious performance problems from jarring screen tearing to frequent stuttering that disrupts your rhythm - not ideal when you're hurtling down narrow passes at breakneck speed.

These issues will vary depending on your system, however, and are less prominent on consoles. A patch update has improved the performance and visuals for some, but not all players.

Overall, EA Sports WRC’s visuals aren’t the generational leap forward we were hoping for – despite Codemasters leaving the last-generation PS4 and Xbox One consoles behind. Despite being five years old, DIRT Rally 2.0 looks better than EA Sports WRC and has aged remarkably well.

Winner: DIRT Rally 2.0

Audio

Codemasters’ racing games always have outstanding audio, and EA Sports WRC is no exception. Cars sound authentic and the effects change in each viewpoint, with more prominent exhaust notes when using the exterior chase camera.

EA Sports WRC’s car audio isn’t a huge step up from DIRT Rally 2.0, but it’s a significant improvement over WRC Generations. Unfortunately, the sound design falters in other areas.

EA Sports WRC’s co-drivers sound less natural than DIRT Rally 2.0’s, voiced by real-life co-driver Phil Mills. In DIRT Rally 2.0, the intensity of the pace notes changes as you speed up. He also reacts if you crash into a tree and checks if you’re ok. Additional effects like rocks pelting your car and chipping the paintwork also sound muted in EA Sports WRC.

Winner: DIRT Rally 2.0

Handling

DIRT Rally 2.0’s car handling has carried over to EA Sports WRC. That’s no bad thing because DIRT Rally 2.0’s loose surface handling was genre-leading in 2019, but the physics felt much less realistic whenever your tyres touched the tarmac.

EA Sports WRC’s tarmac handling is better, thankfully, but there’s still room for improvement. Cars feel less floaty on asphalt but too twitchy on a controller, making it easy to oversteer and slam into a wall.

Grip levels feel convincing on snow and gravel, and the difference between a grippy 4WD Rally1 and an RWD Group B car is stark as you throw them around tight corners. Whether you’re playing on a controller or a wheel, EA Sports WRC drives like a dream, with more detailed force feedback than DIRT Rally 2.0 and excellent DualSense controller haptic feedback on PS5.

DIRT Rally 2.0’s loose-surface driving is more difficult, but EA Sports WRC is more accessible and fun to play, with plenty of assist options to cater the difficulty to your skill level. It’s the best-handling rally game in a long time, striking a perfect balance between realism and accessibility on all setups.

Winner: EA Sports WRC

Cars

DIRT Rally 2.0 launched with over 50 rally cars, from historic 1960s rally cars to Group B monsters and modern 1990s and 2010 cars. This increased to over 80 after four seasons of DLC, culminating with the Colin McRae Flat Out Pack bringing back McRae’s iconic Subaru Impreza S4 Rally.

In EA Sports WRC, all 78 cars are available in the base game - none of them are locked behind DLC packs or paid season passes, which is a welcome relief.

DIRT Rally 2.0’s car list is well-curated and varied, but official licensing gives EA Sports WRC an obvious advantage, allowing you to drive the full lineup of WRC Junior, WRC2, and Rally1 cars competing in the 2023 championship. Returning from WRC Generations, the modern Rally1 cars boast hybrid powertrains.

Rally enthusiasts will also resonate with hidden gems like the H1 Vauxhall Nova Sport, Renault Megane, and Colin McRae R4, which makes its first appearance in a rally game since DIRT 3.

DIRT Rally 2.0’s rallycross cars and bonkers Rally GT cars like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage are understandably missing, but the 2023 WRC cars and nearly double the number of cars in the base game more than make up for this.

Winner: EA Sports WRC

Stages

Moving onto the stages, DIRT Rally 2.0 boasts 13 challenging rally locations with 169 stages plus 13 rallycross locations. There were only a paltry six rally locations at launch though, with the remaining seven added as DLC. This didn't go down well since a lot of these were returning locations from the first DIRT Rally, albeit with improved graphics and terrain deformation.

All stages and cars released in Seasons One to Four are included in the DIRT Rally 2.0 Game of the Year Edition, however.

Once again, the WRC licensing gives EA Sports WRC the advantage. You can take on 12 of the 13 WRC 2023 calendar rallies, with the Central European Rally joining the stage list in a free post-launch update.

Unlike DIRT Rally 2.0, every stage can be experienced in all four seasons, with each season changing the trackside scenery and presenting unique challenges. Fictional locations from DIRT Rally 2.0 also carry over, bringing the total number of locations to an impressive 17 at launch.

Switching to Unreal Engine has given Codemasters the freedom to design significantly longer and more complex stages. At around 30km (18 miles), EA Sports WRC’s longest stages are around twice the length of DIRT Rally 2.0, taking over 20 minutes to complete. Surviving these stages in one piece is a considerable challenge.

Surface degradation is less noticeable in EA Sports WRC. Not every stage is a 1:1 recreation, but every location is based on real stages unlike DIRT Rally 2.0’s fictional rallies, with over 600km of unique roads to tackle. EA Sport’s WRC stages are more realistic as a result, with tricky narrow sections and hairpins, high-speed jumps, and a wider variety of locations.

Winner: EA Sports WRC

Career and game modes

Career modes in DIRT Rally 2.0 and EA Sports WRC see you hiring and improving staff while buying and upgrading cars to expand your garage. DIRT Rally 2.0's career mode is basic but gets the job done.

EA Sports WRC’s career mode is more involved, with you monitoring budgets to keep the mysterious benefactor Max Lucre happy. You can also start a Junior WRC, WRC2, or Rally1 career in any order unlike in past WRC games.

Uniquely, you can even build your own rally car from scratch, from choosing the engine placement to buying parts for the exterior and interior. There’s an element of strategy too, as prices for parts vary depending on the quality and condition. Overall, EA Sports WRC offers a deeper career mode, bolstered by the official WRC licensing and car builder.

As for additional modes, DIRT Rally 2.0 offers Time Trial, a Free Roam test area, Custom events and RaceNet Clubs alongside daily and weekly challenges. Unlike EA Sports WRC, DIRT Rally 2.0 also includes FIA World Rallycross Championship racing.

EA Sports WRC's extra game modes include a useful Rally School teaching beginners the basics of rally driving, Regularity Rally where the goal is to drive through routes at a specific average speed, and online Clubs.

Moments replaces DIRT Rally 2.0's daily challenges, recreating memorable moments from the WRC's 50-year history. Cross-platform multiplayer is supported and EA Sports WRC also has a photo mode - a highly requested feature that was missing in DIRT Rally 2.0.

Winner: EA Sports WRC

Winner: Is EA Sports WRC better than DIRT Rally 2.0?

Five years on, DIRT Rally 2.0 is a formidable rally game with visceral audio and class-leading visuals. Hardcore rally game fans who still worship Richard Burns Rally will relish the steep difficulty level, but this will put off new players.

EA Sports WRC is a better rally game overall, however. More intuitive handling and Rally School tutorials make it more welcoming to new players. EA Sports WRC also boasts longer stages, a deeper career mode, and a more comprehensive rally car list including the new Rally1 hybrids. With Codemasters retaining the license until at least 2027, WRC games have a promising future ahead.

Winner: EA Sports WRC

You can read our more detailed impressions in our EA Sports WRC review.

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