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Dirt 3 Review

Posted on 19. Jun, 2011 by Freak_c in Games, News, Reviews

Codemasters made a name for themselves with the first Dirt game, showing us that they know exactly what they are doing when it comes to rally games. The second one was an even bigger hit than the first! Now with a third game, can Codemasters make us strap in for the new game or is it time to call the series in last place?

NO! If anything this third instalment should race straight into first place! I don’t know if it’s because I’m a rally fan or that Codemasters somehow know how to make a rally game? Even though right down to the core this is the same game as Dirt 2. It has the same racing modes, similar locations and to be honest the same feel in the cars. However you can’t help but feel that this is an all new game, and that everything is a brand new experience. Ok yes it has the new game mode, Gymkhana, and a couple of new cars but you get the idea, it’s just that much of an awesome game.

Dirt 3 does take things to a whole new level and expands Dirt 2 almost completely, there are more cars, more tracks, more locations, and a some new modes in both single and multiplayer. The four racing seasons in the campaign mode and the masters-only World Tour mode after them take your lead foot through 100+ different tracks, in locations as disparate as Kenya, Lake Michigan and Norway. Keeping you on your toes dirt 3 quickly switches from a muddy course in the middle of a torrential downpour to bone dry deserts, or from time trials to one-on-one racing, often happening multiple times in the same tour.

Let me explain some of the modes that you will be thrown into during your tour in the single player campaign. What would a rally game be without rally and dirt of course, theres the usual rally mode and a few off-road modes with trucks or other properly equipped vehicles to handle the rough terrain. Uphill Landrush races or wilderness Trailblazer events, Drift Showcase tracks so obtain a high score while drifting through a track. The X Games style Rallycross events are available, the most popular of which takes place in the LA Coliseum in front of packed seats and screaming fans. There’s the adrenaline filled Head 2 Head races, which pit two racers against each other on concurrent courses, racing at the same time to beat one another’s time but never actually meeting. Combining the various modes with the vast quantity of weather conditions and locations ends in a ridiculous amount of variation in the single player game. You won’t get bored any time soon.

When I first raced in Dirt 3, I’ll admit that it took me a fair amount of time to learn and manage just to get a podium finish. But then you realise (along with some practice and frustration) that getting the little necessary tricks down is hugely rewarding when you figure out the perfect angle and speed to take on the track. There are three difficulty settings that seem to becoming the norm with racers today. There’s casual, which has automatic helpers for you, then there’s intermediate, which has certain helpers switched off to give you a little more of a challenge. And then of course you get hard or experienced which is basically like driving the real thing. Thankfully Dirt 3 comes with the now trade mark Flashback. Which allows you to rewind your last 30 or so seconds, so if you crashed or spun out you can simply rewind to just before the turn and correct yourself.

New to the series is the trick-oriented Gymkhana. Gymkhana is defined by Wikipedia as, “events are time and/or speed events in an automobile. These can feature obstacles such as cones, tires, and barrels. The driver must manoeuvre through a predetermined “track” performing many different driving techniques. What separates gymkhana from traditional autocross events is that the gymkhana requires drivers to perform reversals, 180 degree spins, 360 degree spins, parking boxes, figure 8s and other advanced skills. Drifting is also encouraged where helpful or necessary. Essentially, a gymkhana is any event featuring a starting point, a finish line and some sort of “obstacle” to get through, around, or by, all within a certain time limit.” A completely different experience than racing, these events are a nice break from the speed thrills and is something fresh to racing games. Watching an expert such as Ken Block pull off these manoeuvres in a perfect run is a thing of beauty, and stringing one together yourself is as difficult as it is rewarding.

There are a huge number of multiplayer modes for you to show off your skills in the racing world. My favourite is the new Transporter mode, a capture-the-flag-style game where teams attempt to snag a marker and drop it off at a particular point on the map while opposing teams try to slam into them and steal it. With four teams of two racers flying around, it gets frantic and hilarious quickly. Outbreak is a zombie mode, with one player starting as the infected and attempting to tag everyone while they do their best to hide. Both modes are fairly unexpected in a game like Dirt 3, but they are very welcomed.

As for the presentation of Dirt 3 it is up there with the top of the top. Draw distance is great the tracks are wonderful to look and the weather effects are simply suburb. The cars look crisp and realistic, especially when you watch a replay as the physics are excellent. Codemasters are also very well known for their damage system and in Dirt 3 they haven’t held back at all. The sounds in the game are as you would expect from an excellent game like this simply spot on. Crank the volume as you race through the forest as your engine roars and the surroundings whizz past you. While browsing the menus the soundtrack is electrifying and will get you in the mood for racing.

Conclusion
Well, if you are looking for a rally game that offers simple and fun racing, with a variety of different modes then dirt 3 is for you. If you are more into the real challenging and realistic races well this is for you as well. You will be entertained and thrilled for hours on end, mastering the Gymkhana or racing in the online world. See you on the race track!

9/10

Tags: codemasters, dirt 3, PS3, Review