Is it really better than Dirt 2?
The 1st thing that you say after the game finally installs is "WOW!!!". The presentation is top-notch, the soundtrack is superb, the graphics are breathtaking (1680X1050 view).
Gameplay is pretty much like DIRT2, with a different variety of tracks.
The main changes actually take away from DIRT3 gameplay when compared to DIRT2:
1. All the cars have the same performance. It's foolish, because they don't, in real life, as in Dirt2 - some accelerate faster, some are easier to handle. In DIRT3, performance is a communist - all the cars drive the same...
2. No branded cars - If in Dirt2 you could choose a manufacturer, here you can only play with generic vehicles when it comes to trucks and buggies. Pretty lame, what a shame.
3. Damage model is poor. You can crash as much as you want, and even if parts are flying around, wheels and car controls never really hurt, even if you crash into a wall. Dirt 2 was much more realistic.
4.Last, and the least fair thing gamers could hope for - you pay for a full game, you get just some of the shell. Yes, you can play the whole game, but the developer and Microsoft wants to earn a lot of money, so there are many cars and many tracks (even season events) missing, and you see them as "holes" with a notice that you can buy these DLC's. Its' very annoying - in fact there are 20 pay to play DLC's.
Knowing that, I should probably have waited a year or two and buy the whole thing for 10$.
So while quite enjoyable, looking and sounding great, keep the money in your pockets for games that are not served in pieces.
Play Dirt 2 instead.