I genuinely adore this game.

Firstly need to point out I have always and only ever played racing games that are on circuits racing other cars.  Never been a rally fan and never had any interest in Rally games.   Infact only reason I've got this game is because EA liked me once and gifted me a copy( no I'm not a EA shill. If I'm honest I believe they did me very wrong)   So I'm completely ignorant whether RBR and Dirt Rally are infact better.   And I'm glad because i play this game without any preconceptions.   And don't play it constantly comparing it to other Rally games.   Which is a great position to be in.   Fanboys will always be negative and find reason to hate on anything that threatens their 100% rock solid belief that their favourite game can't be better.   Especially if it comes from EA.    We all do it. I do it.  I still think F1 Championship edition or the Grand Prix games are better than current ones.

im on PS5 so had the screen tearing hell.  Plus first rally game.   Having to drive the complete opposite to everything my muscles know.    I had a serious skill issue and time and time again I'd find myself flying of a mountain or nose planting into a tree.  I was adding clicks to the assists in a effort just to stay on track.  But I felt the cars handled worse.  So to get a baseline i turned all assists of.   This is the only racing game is harder when using assists.   Instantly started shifting the cars weight around when and where i needed it (I'm a trained driver irl.   So i understand the concepts. But if I was seen driving like it at work I'd be fired.  )   Before i knew it I was constantly dancing on the brakes and throttle and making less steering inputs  than im used to.  And to not worry about being smooth and precise. But just quick aggressive inputs and then feel the car drift through the corner.    I wss still crashing more than i wasn't.   But now I felt how awesome it was to nail a corner.  And that I was nailing corners more and more frequently.  Scandi flicking and left foot braking being my favourite weapons.   And the cars handling fools you into believing your a rally god.    I don't care if the physics are more arcade, SimCade of hardcore sim.    I care about just how awesome the cars feel to drive.  Was surprised to see Jimmy Broadbent had similar take.  I warned him the RBR and Dirt fan boys would be coming for him.  Sure enough they did 😂 

What I find interesting is when I drive a perfect stage and mess it up with the finish line insight.  Do I get angry and rage quit.  Cursing the game and EA.  Nope it's weird I'm annoyed yes but I cant help but smile and laugh.  Because me crashing out was all on me.  

I watch  YTers that post WRC and for the most part they do the same.   The stages are there to destroy you and will punish the slightest mistakes   But you this.  So do Codies.  So the cars we got are perfectly designed to give us best chance and build up your confidence.  Except the RWD beasts. Still a skill issue for me.

For me when I not only finished a stage leading but without so much as a single scratch.  Genuinely like no other game has I'm shouting and punching the air.  Even though I now instantly know if I've ran a good stage or not.  I still get excited and wet myself.    

I still find myself nose planting posts and trees or rolling the cars for days but not as much.  But the beauty of this game is when you watch the better YTers who have skills they still are prone to getting it wrong on occasions.  It's good for the soul and also shows no one is infallible.  Whereas you watch those who Race against overs on circuits be it F1 to Iracing if they make mistakes it's always someone else fault.  With WRC it's all on you.

My biggest tip for anyone new to rallying.  Don't worry about making mistakes,  don't worry about difficulty of Ai or worried you'll be humiliated in multiplayer.  All irrelevant.   Just focus on beating yourself.  Firstly understand the technique  you need.   Learn how to use them and when.   Then you'll slowly but surely nail one corner then how to transition into the next.   You will quickly improve.  Especially if you keep to the same stage.  It's more about knowing and learning the  car and not what's infront of you.  I leave all that to co pilot Once your completing stages without to many incidents then I'd recommend racing Ai in career or single player.  Then multiplayer.   I say this cause the skill curve is extreme.  I know so many people that just gave up and don't play anymore.  I thought I'd be one of them at first.  But it's first game I've had in decades I truly love.  A lot of it is because seeing the pros fly of mountains makes you feel better about your own mistakes 

PJTierneyCM  Thankyou for this game. I'd  be pleased and appreciate it if you could pass my thanks  to the rest of the team.   I'll be honest this game gives me the same excitement and joy  when I was  a kid and first played TOCA.  I live in hope that will one day Happen with F1 games  but it's not looking good 😔