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V-Rally 4 is a 2018 mixed-discipline rally and off-roading focused game by French developer Kylotonn, now working on the much anticipated open world racing game, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. In 2024, V-Rally 4 captures the peak of an era of video games before photo-realistic Unreal Engine look-alike games started to dominate. V-Rally 4 gives me Driveclub-but-rally vibes and that's a compliment as Driveclub is a beautiful, creative, rich game, itself. I think V-Rally 4 is a true hidden gem.

The game captures a fun atmosphere of richly designed locations with bright, vibrant colours, and deep pallettes, overlaid with a beautifully dynamic lighting system. Locations include expansive tarmac, gravel, dirt, mud, snow, and even water and river track components. Each location has a unique vibe to it. Kenya evokes a Far Cry 2 vibe. Japan evokes the classic Japanese lakeside town with narrow streets and alleyways, lush countryside, and twisting mountain roads.

You'll experience all kinds of weather, at different times of day and night, in all kinds of climates from moderate Europe, to jungle Kenya, to scorching US, to freezing Siberia, including rain, snow, smoke, dust, fog, 'God rays' and more elements that all come together in an incredibly tight artistic presentation.

Lighting is a bright spot (pun intended). I don't know if they're using global illumination but whatever they're doing it's working. The lighting works so well that it gives you the "feel" of the mood and even the temperature, wetness, or mugginess of a day. Night driving is especially engrossing as lamps, houses, buildings, headlights, camera flashes, spotlights, and other sources start to light up. Up on the mountains surrounding the Japanese location, you'll get glimpses of the town below all lit up like you would expect. Similarly, in Malaysia you may start deep in a jungle area, make your way up in elevation, and then find yourself on rocky mountain sides overlooking an epic, grand landscape cascading down below you all the way to the the brilliant white sand beaches on the beautiful blue ocean.

Environment interactivity is another positive. You'll be hitting posts, ribbons, signs, fences, plants, and water, and they all interact in some way from smashing fences, ripping ribbons, and running down signs that 'ride' on your hood for a while. In stormy weather, trees and bushes will swing and sway dramatically. All of the moving and interactive elements greatly heighten the immersive experience.