Title: Video Game Review: Dirt Rally - The Dirtiest Of Them All
Author: NiteFenix
Recovered Author: NiteFenix
Published Date: 2016-06-17
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2016/06/video-game-review-dirt-rally-the-dirties-of-them-all
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20170713225123id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za/2016/06/video-game-review-dirt-rally-the-dirties-of-them-all/
Recovery Confidence: high
Categories: Video Game Review
Tags: apex interactive, codemasters, DiRT RALLY, featured, offroad, racing, video game review

- Developer Codemasters
- Publisher Codemasters
- Distributor Apex Interactive
- Where we got our copy Apex Interactive
- Genre Driving, Simulator
- Game modes Single Player, Multiplayer
- Reviewed on Xbox One

- Available on PC, Playstation 4

- NiteFenix

- 1 year ago

- 0 0

Dirt Rally is a rally simulator developed and published by the fine folks over at Codemasters. It’s not a true sequel to Dirt 3, nor is it like the previously released game in any way whatsoever. Sure there are cars and they are customisable, but it isn’t Dirt, in the traditional sense of the name. Now that we have that out of the way, I can tell you what Dirt Rally is – and that is a true rally simulator, to its very core. If you’re expecting something else, then you might be a little disappointed, like I was when I started out.

Right off the bat I have to say that I am a huge Codemasters fan and that there is a special place in my heart for the previous titles they have released. From such beloved titles such as GRID and of course the aforementioned Dirt games, I absolutely loved the way they handled their games. There has always been a formula for Codemasters games, namely a sense of personalisation, ie. being called by name (if you’re lucky enough to have a name the game’s database contains), fun and arcadey (but not quite, if you’ve played them you’ll know what I mean) gameplay as well as a bit of a narrative, ie. progression through various races and a feeling of accomplishment.

Look, in a way some of that is still in there and I have to say that what IS in there has been done to good effect, but it felt a bit jarring to play a Codemasters games with their key elements….missing? I’ve been agonising for quite a while about what I’m going to write when I inevitably write this review and yes I do agree that it is a great game and my scoring below DOES reflect that, but it’s just not a game that I personally enjoyed. All the qualities are there, the gameplay (in all its simulatory glory) is fantastic, the core mechanics of the game are sound and even the race progression feels rewarding, but it doesn’t grab me at a level that is FUN. To me, when playing games, even when they are simulators, there should at least be some level of fun. Dirt Rally is not it.

So now that we’ve covered everything the game is NOT, let’s discuss what’s actually in there. Dirt Rally is the rally enthusiast’s wet dream, and I mean that quite literally. You can pretty much fine tune everything from the get go. Whether you’re a purist and you want all of the assist off, or if you’re someone like me, who needs a little bit of help when it comes to simulators such as this one and leave it all on, you can pretty much dive into this game, modify your cars to your heart’s content and run with it until you have you ride exactly the way you want it.

As can be expected, races do require you to drive carefully and precisely so as to avoid damage as damaging your vehicle past a certain level may make it undrivable to the point where you are either disqualified, or you have to spend your hard earned cash on repairs. Because this is a hardcore simulator geared towards players who takes this genre very seriously, it isn’t exactly easy for newbies to get into the habit of things and I spent a LOT of time trying to get to a level where I don’t crash or go off the road at every turn. You may laugh at me and think that I am a shoddy gamer, but I say to you, newbie or pro alike, take the time out and try Dirt Rally yourself and you will see that it is definitely NOT for the faint-at-heart.

The tutorials to a newbie, might not be as helpful as you’d expect considering they are all in video form and not at all what you’d expect. In my case, I expected something much more akin to Gran Turismo in that they actually take you to a test track and give you the opportunity to try out the various things yourself and try to improve on them before heading out into races. I suppose you can go and practice during races and as with any new skill it is best learned by making mistakes, over and over again.

Speaking of events, there are several different types of races available in the game, ranging from class-based to different event types altogether. Some of the types are your classic rally setup, rally cross (which plays pretty much like you’d expect a circuit-based race to happen, expect it is mostly on off road terrains) and then there are the championships which usually consists of several races which REALLY tests your stamina. By my estimate, sometimes single races can last up to 10-15 minutes a shot, and a tournament can consist of between 3 and 6 races. That can accumulate to about 45 minutes a tournament or sometimes up to 2 hours, depending on the event type and what needs to happen.

On the car side, you, of course, have your pit crew that assists you in better maintaining and improving your vehicle. As you progress in your races you will note that your pit crew will better learn how to do the above things and thus improve your vehicle significantly. Naturally, the more proficient your team is on your vehicle the more tweakable it becomes in how you can set it up.

The online side of Dirt Rally is where its replayability truly lies. Playing against AI is one thing, but going up against seasoned…human players is where the real challenge comes in. Playing against your friends or even strangers on the internet (especially if they are real racing aficionados might encourage you to up your game significantly).

Dirt Rally is a rally simulator developed and published by the fine folks over at Codemasters. It's not a true sequel to Dirt 3, nor is it like the previously released game in any way whatsoever. Sure there are cars and they are customisable, but it isn't Dirt, in the traditional sense of the name. Now that we have that out of the way, I can tell you what Dirt Rally is - and that is a true rally simulator, to its very core. If you're expecting something else, then you might be a little disappointed, like I was when I started out. Right off the bat I have to say that I am a huge Codemasters fan and that there is a special place in my heart for the previous titles they have released. From such beloved titles such as GRID and of course the aforementioned Dirt games, I absolutely loved the way they handled their games. There has always been a formula for Codemasters games, namely a sense of personalisation, ie. being called by name (if you're lucky enough to have a name the game's database contains), fun and arcadey (but not quite, if you've played them you'll know what I mean) gameplay as well as a bit of a narrative, ie. progression through various races and a feeling of accomplishment. Look, in a way some of that is still in there and I have to say that what IS in there has been done to good effect, but it felt a bit jarring to play a Codemasters games with their key elements....missing? I've been agonising for quite a while about what I'm going to write when I inevitably write this review and yes I do agree that it is a great game and my scoring below DOES reflect that, but it's just not a game that I personally enjoyed. All the qualities are there, the gameplay (in all its simulatory glory) is fantastic, the core mechanics of the game are sound and even the race progression feels rewarding, but it doesn't grab me at a level that is FUN. To me, when playing games, even when they are simulators, there should at least be some level of fun. Dirt Rally is not it. So now that we've covered everything the game is NOT, let's discuss what's actually in there. Dirt Rally is the rally enthusiast's wet dream, and I mean that quite literally. You can pretty much fine tune everything from the get go. Whether you're a purist and you want all of the assist off, or if you're someone like me, who needs a little bit of help when it comes to simulators such as this one and leave it all on, you can pretty much dive into this game, modify your cars to your heart's content and run with it until you have you ride exactly the way you want it. As can be expected, races do require you to drive carefully and precisely so as…

Video Game Review: Dirt Rally – The Dirtiest Of Them All

Video Game Review: Dirt Rally – The Dirtiest Of Them All

2016-06-17

NiteFenix

Gettin' Dirty

Total - 7.5

75
7.5

All in all Dirt Rally is as I previously stated, the furthest away from what was expected, but it turned out to shine beyond expectations. The game is solid in every way but one, and that to me is its fun factor. You really need to have stamina and endurance to be able to thoroughly enjoy the game and being a racing die-hard will only help your cause. If you're an old hand at racing games but prefer arcade style racers, this game might not interest you.

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NiteFenix

Editor-In-Chief / Entertainment Editor at Geek Node

Jonathan has been a journalist for several years. Writing primarily about video games, and occasionally films and television series.

He spends most of his time talking crap on Twitter and looking for the meaning of life in all the wrong places.

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Article Tags:
apex interactive · codemasters · DiRT RALLY · featured · offroad · racing · video game review

Article Categories:
Video Game Review
