Dirt

"Not classic Colin Mcrae, but still fun!"

Introduction

I have been following this release with eager anticipation and having got my hands on the game last week, I was looking forward to an extremely solid addition to the Mcrae series. What I actually received was not quite as expected; it's a great looking game, it's long, the difficulty levels are just right, the menus are out of this world and the variety of events is quite astounding, but there are a few things that take away from that perfect score.

I will not be commenting on online aspects of the game, as I'm not currently connected to Xbox Live. Equally, for those reviews that have highlighted frame rates dropping as an issue, put simply, it isn't. It can drop very briefly when there are 8 cars all jostling for position on the screen, but it does not detract from the gameplay in the slightest. The stunning visuals are well worth the (very rare) blip in framerates.

I would also like to note at this point that I live in the UK, and as such am reviewing the European version, from a British viewpoint. You'll understand why I've said that later.

Sim vs Arcade

One important note that I will deal with initially is the fact that the game has become more arcade orientated, and away from the sim feel of the previous games. Oddly though, this seems to have happened in only a couple of areas, braking and how the car appears to handle from the rear view. One thing I'm still trying to get used to is the arcade style brakes - i.e. 60MPH to 0 in about 10 yards on gravel. This is a massive change from previous games, and will take you a while to get used to. Once you have though, you'll adapt your driving style and realise you can be more aggressive than previously; leave it too late, and you will lock up and fly off into the nearest tree.

Although some people in discussions have mentioned the "floating" feel of the cars, this does seem to be a problem with the "chase" view behind the car. It's hard to describe, but it almost feels as though the car is pivoting from the incorrect point, and it reminds me more of the V-Rally style of play. When using the quite fantastic in car views of helmet cam or the traditional steering cam, it is as intense and realistic as it has always been, barring the brakes.

The cars do seem to bite less on the surface, but even though you would expect this to take away from the enjoyment of the game, it seems to me that after a few more hours of playing, the developers have actually nailed the characteristics of the cars pretty well. Understeer is now more marked in FWD for example than it had been previously, particularly on tarmac and the set ups can make a real difference to the handling of the car.

More arcade like for definite, but even die hard Mcrae fans like myself should still find themselves enjoying this once you get used to it. I admit I was slightly dissapointed with certain races, such as the rallycross, where the feel really does seem to be all wrong at times. Funnily enough, I've grown to love it though, despite the fact that die hard sim fans may be left wondering what happened to the series.

Gorgeous graphics, lengthy gameplay

Away from the slightly more negative aspects, the game really excells in many areas. I've found that the difficulty settings are top notch - each race on Career (and there are many of them) can be raced at 5 different levels, from Rookie to Pro, with prize money available according to the difficulty level. With this, you can purchase new cars and liveries, the ranges of which have been expanded exponentially from previous games. This is a hugely welcome addition and with 46 cars to choose from, all handling, looking and sounding different, you do have an incentive to gain those credits.

In Pro mode, as an experienced racing game fanatic, I am pleased to say that this really does represent a stiff challenge. I find on most point to point rally events, you have to put a near perfect run together to win by a matter of 2-3 seconds. The tweaks you can make to the set up do have a marked effect on how the car handles, and will help beat some of the Pro times more easily, but you will often find that the margin of victory is very tight, and almost impossible to come by without tweaks on many of the group racing events, or direct competition, such as crossover (a la rally special stages).

The damage modelling is absolutely superb, and again varies with difficulty level in terms of how terminal clipping that rock will be for your car. Get it slightly wrong, and you'll still have the satisfying barrel roll and a crumpled mess to drive. Smashed glass, twisted metal are all superbly rendered along with the rest of the games' stunning visuals. Lighting is generally done very well, though a little too mcuh glare is added at times. Tracks are all true to life and recognisable from the real locations.

The variety of events is huge, and the tracks vary in length and difficulty, form the twisting tarmac of Corsica, to the deserts of Australia as ever in the Mcrae games. The visuals are truly a delight to behold, and unlike any other game before it, I've found myself watching several of my replays in awe of the detail. With variety of events and tracks, along with the difficulty, the game should hold lasting appeal for many. The pacing is good, and career mode is varied enough to keep it interesting and there's always the option to take on single events or championships seperately. If you don't want to plough through career, you can always take a dip in and out of events, or take on regionalised championships.

I've already put a good number of hours into this and I cannot see myself getting bored for a long, long time.

Not Classic Colin...

However, there are a couple of points which have taken away the authentic feel of the Mcrae series. The first is the most annoying addition - one mentioned before in many reviews - and this is the addition of X-Games Travis Pastrana and his American pals in the co-driver seat. Initially, you do get the inane end race/menu quotes "We were the best because we were the fastest" and "Wow dude we won, I'm soooo stoked" (which have to be laughed at because they're so ridiculous) however these can be largely ignored as they don't break the game.

What does annoy me is the Americanisation of the co-driver. This really is something that has frustrated me - I don't personally feel that the Colin Mcrae brand should be on here at all, as the only appearance he gets is by name as one of the opposition in some of the rally events. Poor old Nicky Grist must be wondering what he did to deserve being cast out - perhaps he knew more about it than we did!

I also find the truck racing/buggies etc a little gimmicky, but they are implemented better than any other attempt of its type. That's a matter of personal preference. I have heard that the online experience is also limited, with a lack of voice comm and no way to see other players, but I am not taking it into account in the review as I have not experienced this first hand.

The over-simplification of some of the commentary and general Americanisation of this series will be dissapointing for some. If it didn't have the Mcrae name on it - in Europe at least - it wouldn't be so surprising, but I can see why Codemasters have felt they need to broaden their audience. Despite that negative section, it is not something that is a game-breaker, and if you're a Brit with a dry sense of humour like myself, you'll learn to love it because it sums up so much about our love of all things star spangled.

Conclusion

Despite these negatives, there's just something that makes me keep coming back - it's a really enjoyable game - hard enough to keep it interesting; fun so that you can pick it up and have a blast at any time. I know some elements are missing from your true sim experience, but the variety of events, stunning visuals and challenge keep me coming back for more.

In summary then:

+ Stunning visuals
+ Great variety of tracks, events and cars
+ Impeccable damage modelling
+ Varied difficulty
+ Replayability

- Slightly more arcade like than previous installments
- Americanisation of the co-driver/commentary

Overall, not perfect, but a whole heap of fun!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/07