Top notch racing...and that Gymkhana lark.
But I'm a latecomer to the Dirt series, having only got into Dirt 2 when it went on sale about six months ago, and the mix of different disciplines makes for a game that you can't get bored of thanks to the sheer variety on offer. Dirt 3 is no different, it's still a mix of rally, rallycross, landrush and trailblazer as well as new additions including head to head and Gymkhana.
I must admit, I don't like Gymkhana. When I play a racing game, I want to race, and while I see the appeal and skill of doughnutting around cones and sliding through gaps, it's just not my thing. But at least you can avoid it if you want to - the points you acquire to unlock stages are only generated through the "traditional" Dirt racing disciplines rather than this new-fangled show-off stuff.
The racing is as good as ever - with scaling, and even customisable, difficulty you can make Dirt 3 as challenging or as simple as you want to. I like to think of myself as some sort of driving god, but really I'm messy and haphazard...like my handbrake turns.
The different disciplines are consistently challenging, and while there are only 3 or 4 tracks per location, this is nicely mixed up by running them in different directions or while it's dark or raining/snowing. Car setup is simple, but important, and just when you think you've got it nailed down you will find some tracks or disciplines are being dominated by the AI, despite your skill - you can't stop thinking, especially with the longer and faster tracks you see in Trailblazer events.
There are a few special tracks added in to mix things up, one of which should be particularly familiar to fans of Top Gear. The different eras of racing (from 60s to modern WRC cars) nicely add further variety and challenge as you have to cope with front or rear wheel drive Minis and Fiats instead of the nice and safe 4WD of the Subarus or Fords.
The night races and weather add a whole new level to the game which ratchets up the excitement. Thought snow races would be a piece of cake? Not when it's snowing and the cars in front of you are kicking up enough snow to make you drive blind - misjudge that are you are having a big crash. I do miss the likes of Malaysia from Dirt 2, but it is more than adequately replaced by the snow stages of Aspen and Norway.
The only real negative to the game is the menu - while it's functional and adequate, it's not as easy to get at events as it was in the previous game. It doesn't massively impact on the game, but it hasn't really achieved much.
And lastly, this is a very pretty game. From the rain and snow on the camera to the night time lighting effects through to the crisp look of the cars and tracks, you're never disappointed.