Rally games, hell racing games are hard to come by these days. Publishers either don’t want to take the risk or others see it as a dying breed. One franchise has proven itself again and again however, Collin Macres Dirt. Dirt 3 is the newest iteration of the series and it does not disappoint. With the added weather effects which brings new thought mechanic to the table, the game will keep you on your toes till the end.
Dirt 3 makes a huge splash delivering some nice added additions since the last. Because there is now rain and snow, car controls are tighter, more responsive and feel great. Night time driving in first person view is intense and should not go without experiencing it. You will be driving through Michigan, Finland, Norway, LA, Kenya, and Monaco which all look and feel authentic. What I love is the many tuning options you have before races, the countries feel different from each other so its important to be prepared with these options.
The main Tour has 4 seasons in it with different racing styles. Not all racing styles need to be proceeded in the same way as you can accomplish plenty if your not to fond of one. Triangle cubes are what drives the style of the games menus but have found myself missing the simplicity of having an RV in Dirt 2. Don’t get me wrong it all looks cool but I felt like I had more presence in the last game. Not to mention the cubes make it all feel linear.
The roster of cars is impressive but how you go about getting them is not. There are an array of different vehicles from old to new which is really cool, some of which you probably never seen before. However there is no currency in the game, cars are awarded by your rank level and sometimes cube of which you are in. It takes the fun out of wanting to unlock a certain car if your not sure what’s coming up next. Replays also sort of lack a bit. It’s cool to upload clips to Youtube but they’re only 30sec clips and sometimes an entire race is the most memorable thing.
Online keeps you involved once the tour mode finishes up. There are some good options like party modes, time trials and 8 player ghost modes. All of them give you good fun and can have you playing for quite awhile.
Dirt 3 is a welcomed addition to the series. We’re glad this franchise grows stronger with each run. Some elements add or change slightly, while some others change drastically but the game always feels like Dirt. The game can be played causally but has plenty of options for hardcore, a robust online mode keeps the fun going when you think it ends. Now if only they get to making Grid 2 then I’ll be a real happy camper.
