Unnecessary capitalization issues aside, DiRT is an absolute blast.
Graphically, DiRT is probably the most beautiful driving game I've ever seen. But even before the actual driving starts, the user interface - where you select what you want to do, etc. - is as slick as can be. It's hard to explain without actually seeing it in action, but with the exception of the very beginning of Psychonauts, I've never been so entranced with a game's menu system. And the somewhat lengthy load times before each level are at least made interesting showing you your in-game statistics, which are also quite slick to look at (and you can even move the camera around during these sequences, for whatever that's worth). As for the driving itself - well, goddamn. Let me put it this way - any hunger I had for the PS3's MotorStorm was very quickly snuffed out once I took a buggy for drive in the mud here in DiRT. The game is pretty much perfect - there are a few minor things here and there, but I only notice them if I'm actively looking for them. When the game is in motion, it's a sumptuous feast for the eyes. And even better - when a race is over, the game automatically starts a replay, which you can then manipulate. Lots of games offer this, but the replay is instantaneous and the slo-mo option is damned-near addictive in and of itself. (The game audio will even become muffled and distant when you hit the slo-mo button, which is just totally awesome.) As for the game's physics - well, I've put Forza 2 through its paces recently, which has a bleeding-edge physics system, and yet it would be utterly pointless to try and compare Forza and DiRT, because Forza only has one driving surface, whereas DiRT has any number of them, often within the same race. Certainly DiRT is a bit less of a sim than Forza, although even if it wasn't, the fundamental styles of driving are so radically different that there's pretty much no basis of comparison at all. The cars do feel a bit floaty, but never unfairly so - the controls are very, very responsive and whenever my car goes flying off the track, I know it's because I screwed up. And that's really all I'd ever want out of a driving game, regardless of the game's particular genre.
I haven't experimented with the online side of the game, as I was hoping to get better through the career mode before branching out - all reviews seem to indicate that the online side is pretty much worthless, which is disappointing. However, since I haven't actually tried it, I can't yet be personally offended. Still, though, at some point I am going to want to check it out, and there appears to be little incentive to do so. Oh well.
My experience with rally-style racing games is pretty much limited to the Xbox's Rallisport Challenge franchise - for whatever reason, I never got into the Colin McRae franchise, of which DiRT is apparently the heir apparent. The RC games were fabulously beautiful and a great deal of fun; DiRT is, as I've said already, the most beautiful driving game I've ever seen and an absolute blast to play. (There's a healthy dose of Achievement Points that can be acquired through the game's first few hours, as well, which is always nice.)