DiRT 3 brings a fresh feel to the rally genre
Gameplay:
Graphically, this game is stunning, with varying environments from the snow of Norway to the sand of Kenya. The detail in the trees and water is unmistakeably dazzling, as can be said with the vast majority of surroundings you will encounter in the game. The only criticism would be that the spectators look somewhat cardboard-cut-out in my opinion, distracting from the beauty of the environment as a whole. Overall, though, exceeding the standard set by the bulk of the racing genre.
There is a wide variety of vehicles to choose from; coming from a variety of eras, from the 60s through to 00s. Some events also require the use of trucks and buggies, adding more variety to the gameplay.
The physics are realistic, too. Since DiRT 2, I understand the centre of gravity has been raised, meaning the shifts in weight are more rational; suspension has also been improved. Although I have never played DiRT 2, the realism in the behaviour of the vehicles comes across. It's not Gran Turismo 5 realistic, but it doesn't try to be. Instead it floats between the categories of simulation and arcade as an amalgamation of the two.
The AI racers are decent, with apparent minds of their own. They make mistakes (depending upon difficulty setting) and each racer varies from the others – which is important in a racing game.
Difficulty, in my opinion, is perfect. For newcomers, braking, steering and throttle assists can be activated, as well as others. These can be switched off for those wanting more of a challenge. AI difficulty is customisable too with a sliding scale from 1-6, 1 being the easiest, 6 being the hardest. So the difficulty can be altered to suit the racer and their abilities, I can't imagine a better system.
The core career mode in the game is called the DiRT Tour and involves winning events of the different categories in the game. These are:
• Rally – the traditional timed sprint to the finish.
• Rally Cross – circuit races where vehicles race simultaneously.
• Trailblazer – same principle as with rally, but the cars tend to be faster and a greater percentage of the track is tarmac, not dirt.
• Gymkhana – earn more points than other competitors on an obstacle course by getting airtime, drifting and more.
• Landrush – same principle as with rally cross, but racing trucks are used, not cars.
• Head 2 Head – you race against one other on two tracks which cross over one another.
These events are included in four seasons of racing and must be completed to progress further and unlock new seasons.
The multiplayer is lots of fun. The events above can be played with two players in splitscreen mode and AI racers can be used to fill in any gaps if you'd prefer. The categories of vehicle ensure that the race is fair and that each player races in something of a similar capability. Assists can be set individually, however, balancing out the competition if necessary. These events can also be played in online multiplayer where a ranking system sorts the mediocre from the hardcore.
Damage can be set to either full or visual only. Full includes performance and steering alterations depending upon the severity of the collision whilst visual just alters the appearance of the car, performance remains the same. It looks fantastic with genuine-looking crumples in the cars. Terminal damage can occur if full damage is turned on when a very severe crash happens. The 'flashback' feature allows you to rewind the race and resume from before the collision, up to five can be used in one race; but using them in the DiRT Tour reduces reputation. I was not a fan of this feature in Racedriver Grid, but it is far better suited to a rally game such as this and is implemented very well.
Gameplay Score: 9.5/10
Sound:
The music in the game is brilliant, with artists such as Biffy Clyro and Chase & Status popping up every so often. Unfortunately, there is no obvious way of using your personalised music, which I always like in a game.
The sound effects are fine, the engines sound realistic and collisions sound good too, which only adds to the excitement.
Sound Score: 9.5/10
Interface and Menus:
The funky menu design is unique and easy to navigate. The continual notification of new, not-yet-downloaded DLC is somewhat annoying after a while; but nonetheless, the menus are fully functioning and look good.
The load time are reasonable, the game takes a while to start up, but every loading screen allows you to zoom in and look at different areas of the car you will, in moments, be racing in, so this interactivity, in a sense, makes up for the extended load times.
Interface and Menus Score: 8/10
Overall:
The wide variety of game modes and stunning graphics make this the must-have rally game. Although improvements over DiRT 2 are relatively minor, I believe that PlayStation's Official Magazine were spot on in awarding the game a 9/10 score.
Overall Score: 9/10