DiRT Rally Review

The concepts of rally motorsport and gaming were first introduced to each other in 1998 in the form of the classic Colin Mcrae Rally. Since then there have been many iterations of rally games, all with varying amounts of success and failure. But it’s 2016 and it’s time for our current-gen consoles to be graced with Codemaster’s latest foray into rally games (which already hit PC late last year) in the form of DiRT Rally.

The DiRT franchise over the years has introduced to things like Gymkhana (a form of the sport involving technical manoeuvres like drifting and spinning around tight and typically urban rally courses) and their last attempt was an arcade-style version of the motorsport. So you could say Codemasters has had a sort of varied history with the genre and for rally fans it’s been a long time between drinks. Already the PS4 has been graced with two rally titles this year but they can hardly be considered memorable. We’ve had Sebastion Loeb Rally, which was just average, and the official licenced FIA WRC title, which was poor at best. So the stage was set for a worthy contender to weigh in. Codemasters are pushing this year’s DiRT as the most definitive and pure rally experience out there, and for what it’s worth, they aren’t far off the mark.

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DiRT’s main focus is realism and in terms of the physics, car setups and overall atmosphere they have done a commendable job. When you first startup DiRT your main options are the Career mode, Multiplayer Racing Leagues or Custom Events. These span across the three racing disciplines, Conventional Rally, Hillclimb and Rally Cross (an awesome hybrid of conventional racing and rally). All three race types can be started immediately in a single player custom race, and unlike career mode everything is unlocked for you to play around with. Career mode is where most of the game will be played, so let’s talk about that.

Like most DiRT games you will begin at the lowest tier with the goal to work your way up to the big leagues. After purchasing your first car, the game will prompt you to invest in an engineer. His role is to play mechanic and if you’re anything like me, this guy will have to have some serious patience, because you will be needing his expertise a lot. There is also the stage overview (allowing you to check out the track’s twists and turns before attempting to conquer it) and the option to tweak the car’s setup. This is initially pretty basic but a more advanced version unlocks later on. Essentially though you just slide the bar left or right to tweak the various aspects such as suspension and gear ratios. For those not mechanically versed, the game does a good job of summarising each option and what it does. From what soft dampeners will do to your stability and how short gear ratios sacrifice acceleration for top speed, players of all levels of mechanical knowledge are eased into the customisation. You can also choose to test the setup during a short event known as the Shakedown, where you will take your vehicle on a short run and test everything is in order.

From here it’s just you and your co-driver. Each race weekend will initially involve four stages with the service period halfway, so it’s important to setup the car for each stage in advance. The service period is where you can repair what damage you have caused to your car. Everything from the gearbox, tyres and paintwork will take a beating over the stages and you must decide if you really need that third gear or that windshield fixed, as there is a time limit on repairs.

Fully Sick Spoiler

Car porn

The more you damage a part, the more time is needed to repair it. During the race it is possible to puncture your tyres and finish with sparks flying from the exposed rim but interestingly you can decide to pull over and stop mid race and repair that punctured tyre before continuing on, just like a rally driver would in real life. This will incur a time penalty of almost two minutes though so it’s a matter of risk versus reward. This does make me wonder who can change a car tyre in under two minutes though. Once the weekend is complete there will be a breakdown of all damage and the necessary funds taken away for repairs. The rest of the cash is yours, as long as you placed high enough in the rankings. This is how the rest of the career mode plays out: setup, race and repair. A formula which works well honestly.

The courses are modeled on real life stages, from the icy roads of Monaco to the rolling green hills of Finland and the dreary wet and muddy farming tracks in Wales. The game includes 70 tracks, so there are plenty of options to keep you busy. The controls at time can feel a bit sensitive and the difference of handling between ice, mud and gravel is almost negligible. With or without the game’s assists it’s only a fine balance between all-wheel drifting and just spinning out. The handling of each car is a pretty similar story. You will find racing a 2000 Subaru WRX faster than the 1960s Mini Cooper but it was hard to find or feel any actual difference between how each car handled. As for the sound the engines and brakes make, you will have a hard time telling each car apart, as they have almost the exact same sound. Don’t let that discourage you too much though, the feel and spectacle of rally is still well represented here, and you’ll soon learn to overlook some of these inconsistencies.

Graphically this game is superb and each car is lovingly detailed. The replays are simply amazing as dust flails behind you as you scream down the road, tyres pop and brakes glow, rain and ice reflect stunningly off the roads’ surfaces and windows and mirrors crack and smash when you go rolling down a hill after taking a corner too hot. DiRT does a really good job of presenting all these details big and small, which brings the whole thing together and makes each stunning replay package an absolute gift to watch. I continually marvelled at these replays, they are simply gorgeous and irresistible to watch as you bask in your own prowess.

Additionally Dirt has a fantastic community behind it and connecting your account to RaceNet will allow you to take part in daily challenges and online PvP modes, but the most exciting feature is Leagues. Here you will be able to create your own teams and championships and compete online. The experience is taken a step further with the official DiRT website, where logging on will take you deep inside your own statistics, like distance raced and barrel rolls done. It also lets you log all your wins and losses across any and all of Codemasters RaceNet enabled titles.

Graphically this game is superb and each car is lovingly detailed. The replays are simply amazing as dust flails behind you as you scream down the road, tyres pop and brakes glow, rain and ice reflect stunningly off the roads’ surfaces and windows and mirrors crack and smash when you go rolling down a hill after taking a corner too hot

DiRT Rally is the best rally simulation game I think any console gamer will play. The development team have taken a lot of care to create a realistic experience and have allowed you to choose how much or how little control you want; from the driving assists and detailed racing setups, you’re in charge the entire way. The game does reward a player who likes a challenge, but even if you let the game dictate most of your choices you will still have an enjoyable time. Initially you may find yourself out of control on every turn and finishing each race with a badly beaten up car, but as you learn the physics and how to use the pace notes effectively, you will notice your confidence rising as you effortlessly take a left 4 and into a right hairpin as fast as possible. That is what the DiRT experience is about, the journey is at times challenging, but the tools are there to conquer it and the rewards are totally worth it.

As an added bonus, the console release of the game features many extras as a response to listening to the existing PC fanbase. These include the Classic Mini and Super 1600 Series, 21 advanced rally driving video guides, three Colin McCrae liveries and seven new cars added to the lineup. Codemasters should be commended for the inclusion of these features that only serve to improve what was already a feature-rich game.

What a menace!

Final Thoughts

DiRT rally is a must-buy for those looking for a realistic rally experience; nothing comes close to this type of simulation. The graphics are simply stunning, with everything looking clean and crisp, and the visual spectacle coupled with the tight mechanics will no doubt draw you completely into the experience. There are countless hours to be lost in the career mode, while the additional online modes are a nice addition too. Not much about DiRT will let you down, but there are some negatives like the lack of uniqueness of the cars’ handling and sound, and the samey feeling of the handling on ice, mud and gravel surfaces. These negatives aren’t enough however to throw off what is a very enjoyable experience and picking this up should be a no-brainer for racing fans.

Reviewed on PS4