Title DiRT Date 08.01.2007 Genre Racing Platform PC Developer Codemasters Publisher Codemasters

The king of rally racing games, the Colin McRae series is back from vacation after two long years, with the latest installment in the series titled Colin McRae DiRT. Developed by Codemasters, the developers have not only improved the main point to point rally racing but expanded the franchise into other off road racing disciplines thus making this game the biggest rally racing game yet.

In single player mode you have 3 types of main events that you can participate in. There is Career mode, Championship mode and Rally World. In championship mode you take part in various rally races held in different parts of the world. Rally racing means that it's just you on the track against the clock. It's a point-to-point racing discipline where the driver who posts the fastest time for the track wins the race. In this mode you can choose vehicles from different classes such as Four Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive, and Classic etc. The Rally World mode lets you compete in Championship Off-Road Racing events or better known as CORR. What exactly are CORRs? That I will get to later.

The career mode is by far the biggest and lengthiest mode in DiRT. Starting at the bottom of a multi-tier pyramid, you will race in various kinds of events and try to make it to the top to prove that you are the champion of champions. This mode features many different kinds of race events such as Rally racing, Rallyraid, CORR, Hill Climb, Crossover and much more.

Rally racing as mentioned above is a point-to-point race where the driver who posts the fastest time wins. You have a co-driver in these races and while racing he tells you all you need to know about the track and how to tackle each twist and turn. Rallyraid racing pits you against a number of opponents and in these races also you have your co-driver with you to give you instructions on what to expect on the track. CORR again pit you against multiple rivals on dirt tracks, but in these types of races you don't have your co-driver besides you which means that you have to navigate the track yourself. Also normal rally cars are not featured, instead, buggies, monster trucks and big rigs are used for racing in these events. Hill Climb is very similar to rally racing but in these races also you don't have your co-driver to tell you track.

These tracks feature normal rally cars and are a real test of your driving skills. Finally, Crossover races pit you against a single rival in a one-on-one race on the same track at the same time. These races were known as Super Special Stages in previous games of the series, so fans of the series will be familiar with them and also Rally Racing. The rest of the events are brand new to the series which fans and new comers will both enjoy, not only because the five different types of events require different technique as far as driving on them is concerned but also because of the fact that each event has its own unique vehicles which changes the pace of the game nicely.

Like other racing games, before entering a racing event itself, you can do a ton of different things. You can enter the vehicle setup area and change different settings such as Suspensions, Downforce, and Wheels etc of your car. You can also take a practice run on the track so that you get better acquainted with the track and the car. You can select Damage Repair and repair any damage that your car might have taken during a race. If your car doesn't need repairs then if you want you can get more info on the track from Christian, your co-driver and Travis (the other guy who provides his voice in the game). Not only can you get info on the track, you can also get information on all the different race types and cars also. There are five difficulty settings in the game and you can adjust the difficulty setting before the start of each race. Although you get the same amount of points no matter what setting you race on, the amount of money that you get varies. The higher the difficulty level the more cash you will get and vice versa.

Once you finally get on the track the first thing you will notice is how beautiful this game looks. The cars are highly detailed and beautifully designed and on some vehicles you will also get to see engines vibrating as you push the accelerator to the ground. The game also features a great cockpit view that allows you to experience off road racing like you are actually sitting in the driver's seat. Each vehicle has its own unique cockpit which is always great to see in a racing game. The places where you will be racing are also simply stunning. Black clouds in the distance on a rainy day, trees and bushes on the side of a dirt track casting their shadows on the road, houses on the sides as you drive through towns and people cheering on the sidelines all looks very . Not only are the environments great looking, it is destructible too. Thus, you can trample bushes, destroy railings and fences and do all sorts of damage while racing.

Besides the environments, your vehicle is also fully destructible. The game features a damage model, which is even better than that found Forza Motorsport 2. You will see doors swing wildly, glass break off from the windows and windscreen, smoke coming out of the engine, fenders breaking away and much more as you try to reach the finish line in time. If you collide with an obstacle very hard or drive very roughly on the track, you will terminally damage your car, which immediately stops as your car is in no shape to race further. As a race progresses you will also see dirt and mud accumulate on the sides of your car, which is a very nice effect.

A special mention also has to be made about the presentation and menu screens of DiRT, both of which are top notch. Such cool looking menus and selection screens in a game especially a racing game are very rare. Also, when an event is loading you will get to see all kinds of different statistics such as your favorite vehicle, your fastest speed, your number of wins and much more. All these little touches make the game look all the more stylish and fresh.

The audio of the game is also as great as the graphics are. Each vehicle has its own unique engine noise and driving on different surfaces also produces different sound effects. Crickets and birds chirping can also be heard as you drive through the countryside or wooded areas. The voices of both Christian as your co-driver and Travis as the announcer are also up to the mark. The instructions that Christian gives you during a race are clear and accurate while Travis's voice can be heard at various points in the game. He congratulates you when you win, gives you words of encouragement if you come second or third and even insults you if you do very badly. At other times he can be heard giving you advice on cars, events, car parts and much more.

There are forty-six vehicles in the game and 182 liveries. Liveries are color variations of vehicles in the game. With each vehicle offering a different kind of driving experience you can be sure to have a long career mode as you try each and every vehicle. Do keep in mind that you will require a very heavy duty graphics card and a high end machine if you want to play this game on the high settings. Also, you will need some kind of a controller so that you can drive your vehicle with ease and its more fun than driving with your keyboard

Finally, DiRT is undoubtedly one of the best racers to be released on the Xbox 360. This game is a worthy addition to the collection of any gamer who even has a slight interest in racing games.

Game Score

B+

Reviewed By: Sohail