As the official game of the 2015 season, it features a comprehensive roster of licensed content: WRC 5 FIA World Rally Championship Review (GameWatcher)
The engine supports a day-to-night cycle and dynamic weather, requiring players to tune their vehicles for night driving or heavy rain. Official Content and Modes WRC 5: FIA World Rally Championship
For the first time in the series, different terrains had a tangible impact on car handling—for instance, tarmac offers high traction while gravel facilitates power sliding. As the official game of the 2015 season,
Released in October 2015, marked a significant "soft reboot" for the franchise as the first entry developed by the French studio Kylotonn . It served as a bridge between console generations, being the first in the series available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One while acting as the final installment for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita. Core Gameplay and Physics It served as a bridge between console generations,
WRC 5 was built from the ground up using a brand-new physics and rendering engine called the . This allowed for more nuanced interactions between the vehicle and varying road surfaces like asphalt, gravel, mud, snow, and ice.
Critics noted the game strikes a balance between hardcore simulation and accessible arcade-style controls.