This year, Codemasters has made its comeback with the brand new entry in the Dirt franchise entitled Dirt Rally. An early access version of the game was released on 27th April 2015 and a full version was released on 7th December 2015, all via digital distribution service Steam, exclusive to the PC.
The game is also coming to Xbox One and Playstation 4 consoles in April. Codemasters’ previous games like Dirt Showdown have failed to gain recognition among the driving game fans in terms of gameplay and quality. But the move by Codemasters to put the game into Early Access seems to have been a great idea to get feedback from their core audience.
BUG-FREE
I have played a few rally games over the years, but Dirt Rally is the one that impressed me from the moment i started the game. The game feels solid, compact and real. It does deliver quality realism and a unique sensation of driving a rally car.
Another ideal move by Codemasters is that Dirt Rally features hand-in-hand game development with a community of racing gamers by using their feedback to get the true simulation of the sport they love. Due to this feedback, I have not encountered a single bug with the game, despite having played it for more than 15 hours.
Dirt Rally primarily focuses on a career mode in which players initially are given limited amount of in-game money and they then have to go through challenges to obtain every vehicle in the shop. The mode also allows players to explore some popular locations from the real-world sport.
MULTIPLE MODES
Rally, hill climb and rallycross are featured in the game too and players can find a selection of cars of the past and present, each requiring a different approach. Dirt Rally offers various locations such as Greece, Finland, Monaco, Italy and more, each with different styles and layouts that will test your driving skills.
RESPONSIVE CONTROLS
Controlling the cars feel very responsive and so new players certainly will need more time and practice if they want to improve. The game itself is very hard to get used to and it is even harder to have a perfect slide and turn. Still, I love the hardness because you feel even more satisfied and accomplished when you are able to make that perfect turn.
If you find the game too hard to play, Dirt Rally provides a number of assists such as traction control and stability management assists to help you play the game, in a more pleasant manner.
VARIED SURFACES
There are various surfaces to drive on in the game, from the high speed tarmac stages of Baumholder to the icy cold mountain roads of Monte Carlo. Thus, controls of the car on those surfaces are different.
You must consider how to approach each course in order to climb to the top in the leaderboards. Besides, Dirt Rally allows the players to adjust the speed and timing of the pace notes to suit their own preferences in the options menu.
MULTIPLAYER
There is also a PvP mode offered by Dirt Rally to players who are looking for some multiplayer competition. Players can currently compete in 3 locations which are Hell, Lydden Hill, and Höljes.
Again these circuits come with several different layouts, each with its own style to test your skill. I kind of prefer the Lydden Hill as it gave me the best driving experience among the three circuits. The track moves around in the same way that it would on TV, with a mix of gravel and tarmac, keeping the racing alive.
One thing I like about the PvP mode in Dirt Rally is the licensed World RX cars and drivers which run with the same system as seen in the real world RallyX series. There is also Pikes Peak which is as hard in the game as it is in real life.
Score: 8/10
