Gone are the lavish 3D animated menus and pumping dance music from previous DiRT games, replaced with a dreary table menu and a sombre soundtrack that befits DiRT Rally’s more earnest tone.ĭiRT Rally is still the same perpetually punishing experience on console as it was on PC. Back to its rally rootsĭiRT Rally’s back to basics approach is immediately apparent in its minimalist presentation. DiRT Rally is one of the most focussed, hardcore and downright compulsive games from Codemasters in a very long time – even if it isn’t the follow-up to DiRT 3 many fans were expecting. Its unprecedented success meant that a console release was inevitable, but it was still a risky move – particularly as hardcore racing games aren’t as established on console compared to the PC. There were none of the aforementioned gimmicks in DiRT Rally: this was a stripped back, thoroughbred simulation with hardcore handling, unforgiving stages and a firm focus back on traditional rallying directly in response to community outcry. Free of any pre-release marketing hype, DiRT Rally took everyone by surprise when it was simultaneously announced and released on Steam Early Access last year. Factor in some subpar Formula One releases, and Codemasters were starting to become a shadow of their former glory.Īnd then something unexpected happened. Rallying was removed altogether and replaced with demolition derby events among others, and the handling was dumbed down to create an arcade spin-off that was seemingly rushed to capitalise on the brand’s popularity as a stop-gap before development shifted to current-gen consoles. The last entry in the series DiRT Showdown was a particular low-point in the series. Over time, DiRT essentially became an extreme sports series with cars. Then there were the polarising Ken Block-branded Gymkhana events wherein you performed stunts and chained combos to earn points much like the Tony Hawks Pro Skater games. To the dismay of some of its fanbase, traditional point-to-point rallying took a back seat to make room for more off-road disciplines, from extravagant rallycross events set in LA and, erm, Battersea Power Station with fancy firework finishes, to Trailblazer events that had you smashing through coloured targets. Since DiRT’s debut on last-gen consoles, Codemasters’ off-road racing series has strayed increasingly further from its Colin McRae Rally roots, becoming increasingly flamboyant and accessible in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience.
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