• July 18, 2007    Home > Game Reviews > Verdict

    Colin McRae: DiRT

    As good as it looks? Our final verdict.
    Version
     Xbox 360, PS3, PC    		Developer
    Codemasters    		Publisher
    Codemasters    		Genre
    Racing

    Page: 1  2 

    Page 2

    "While the superb AI opposition will bully you, it's never the whole field attacking you unlike some other games."

    Evidence of the superb AI can also be seen in the broken wing mirrors and the odd door as you come round for future laps. While the opposition will bully you, it's never the whole field attacking you unlike some other games. They're not shy to give each other a little shunt or t-bone and if you hold back at the start of a race you'll have a good laugh as the cars ahead go wheel to wheel - literally. Your opponents will hold their racing line well and a bit of argy-bargy is often necessary to cut them out when in you're close to a win. Such tactics may well be shaky in cleaner racing games, but this is DiRT and when you're driving a tanker round a single track desert, quickly undertaking isn't always the best option.

    These new events add a great new element of competitiveness to the rally circuits, making DiRT much more fun than any of its predecessors. However, McRae fans are used to the true grit and gravel, and once again Codemasters can declare themselves King of the Road. While some of the WRC circuits have been left out because of the new CORR additions, checkpoint to checkpoint racing is what this game is really about and it looks, sounds and plays better than anything before it.

    "You won't have time to take the beautiful surroundings in, so watching the replays is rewarding to see both your own skill and the stunning visuals."

    Opening tracks are more open field than twisting forests, however you can expect enough jumps, hairpins and the occasional tree at the side of the road to keep you on your toes as you get a feel for the game. Graphically these stages are easily the best looking racing game I've seen so far, with landscapes that look better than Oblivion, complete with brilliant light/shadowing and glare as you fly out the forest into the sunlight at 70+ mph. Of course with McRae's name on the line you don't have much time to take your beautiful surroundings in, so watching the replays is rewarding both to see your own skills at the wheel and to admire the ambience of the countryside you just tore to shreds.

    Later levels on the rallying stages get very challenging indeed, with narrow roads lined with trees at either side (Australia particularly) and unexpected jumps to throw you off the track when you least expect it. Again, the various difficult settings each have better rewards than the last, but with no AI to knock you off course self inflicted damage is your only worry. Having said that, there's not many who will get through a course without hitting something at some point. Those eager for top winnings are still recommended to try the course at an easier setting to find the danger points and racing lines.

    There is Championship race mode, which lets you floor across WRC stages and once you've played through the Career mode there is plenty of time to be spent here. Damage sustained remains with your across the event, although you will get a chance to fix it up between stages. This is another point handled well, as you have an hour to spend with your car and fixing problems is takes time, rather than money. Gearbox or driveshaft I wonder? When you only have 10 minutes left, it can be a tough choice.

    "So far I've been kissing Codemasters backside like it tasted of bacon and brown sauce, so what about the bad points...?"

    So far I've been kissing Codemasters backside like it tasted of bacon and brown sauce, so I'll tell you the bad points. The graphics do suffer some noticeable pop up and there are flickers and framerate issues now and again. It was a beta review copy so hopefully these will have been addressed in the final version. Even if not, it's certainly doesn't happen very often and has minimal effect on the game itself.

    The only other issue I have is with some of the new CORR events. The buggies are fantastic, however the big rigs are slow and rather boring to handle. With the inclusion of these new events you would expect the online game to great fun too; unfortunately Codemaster missed a great chance here. Online events are games with up to 100 players, but it's again checkpoint to checkpoint solo racing, and the only way you know it's human opposition you're racing against is when your opponents times are updated as you go through the tracks. This does add a more competitive element to the single player game, but it would have been fantastic to go heads up against a field of off road trucks.

    I sincerely hope Colin McRae's DiRT isn't overshadowed by Forza 2's release as they hit the shelves so close together. DiRT really is a new milestone in racing, and Codemasters should be congratulated in what they have accomplished here. While most petrol heads will be splashing their cash on the flashiest cars Forza has to offer, DiRT will be splashing mud all over their goofy paint jobs. An absolute must have for anyone who likes their racing rough and ready.

    DiRT is easily the best off-road racer so far. It's arcade style to a certain point, but serious racers will be happy with the custom set up options on and harder difficulty settings. While purists may be angered at CM dropping some WRC circuits, the CORR inclusions make up for this, even if the big rigs can be sloppy.

    Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
    8.7 9.0 9.3 9.0 9.5 9.2


    THE VERDICT:     DiRT shows off the power of the next gen consoles spectacularly and with its instant accessibility, it's a must have racer for everyone.

    Page: 1  2 



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