Title DiRT Date 08.01.2007 Genre Racing Platform Xbox 360 Developer Codemasters Publisher Codemasters

Colin McRae: DiRT is my first rally racing game. However, it has really made me interested in other rally games and really stands up against other competitors. It feels different to Project Gotham Racing 3 and plays completely differently to Forza Motorsport 2, so even though it's still a racing game it still feels unique.

Graphics
I know this may seem a bit generous to some people, but the game just looks brilliant. It's hard to rate a game graphically when games Like Gears of War have set the benchmark for graphics, but this game still looks fantastic, given that it's a racing game.

The intro movie for the game is good enough to show off the graphical power of this game, let alone the gameplay itself. The lighting may seem a bit odd and too bright in some places, but it works. The detail on the environments is great, and the shadows and reflections on the car are fantastic. The detail on the roads and surfaces are really appreciated when you go into the lowest view where you are essentially the front number-plate, and you can see the floor close up. The details on wet roads and the dusts and splashes are just great.

The replay mode really takes advantage of the graphics. Although you can't save replays, which is a shame, it really feels good to be able to speed up your race and use the slo-mo button whenever your car breaks. One of the best bits was when I crashed into the edge of a tree in mid-air and the front bumper and wheel just flew off, with the brakes and suspension coming out separately alongside the wheel. Now that's detail, and it's even better in slow motion. The range of different views available to the player is great too, which really help add to the experience.

People will of course complain that the game runs at 30fps, but personally it hasn't had any effect on the gaming experience whatsoever. I've had no slow-down whatsoever, and if anything the 30fps slightly helps. It may sound weird, but because the game is so fast paced and there's more action compared to others, the frame-rate fits the gameplay. This is just me however, and I'm sure there will be other views on this.

Gameplay
Well, it's a racing game. You drive around the track in your car and try beat everyone else. As generic and similar it sounds compared to other racers, it plays really quite well. Each car feels different, and the surfaces are done well to add even more depth. The are several types of cars, ranging from classic rally cars to large buggies and trucks. This also adds well to the gameplay, as well as the game modes. There's the Rally mode where you drive through the race with your co-driver telling you about every corner. Next is the Crossover mode where you and another car compete on the same track, but on different sections. These two sections, surprisingly enough, cross over half way through the race, so that you both end up driving the whole track. There are also several other modes.

Xbox Live is also used well in this game, with online leaderboards and multiplayer. However, the multiplayer races can go from 2 players to 100 players all in the same race. However, as fun as it would be, there aren't 100 racers all smashing each other off of the same track. Each person gets their own 'copy' of the track, and at each checkpoint all of the times from each racer are submitted and the top few are shown in the top-right corner. Personally I think this is a good idea, mainly because it prevents people barging you off the track for 'fun', and also stops people complaining like, "He wouldn't let me past! No fair! Hax!" and all the rest of it. However, as I said previously, it would have been more fun to smash tens of other around on the same track.

Sound
The sounds of the car itself, crashing and racing are fine and work well whenever they should. However, the music is underwhelming, and you may find yourself wanting to use your own music instead. However, music is very opinionated, so the fact that I wasn't overly impressed by the music doesn't mean you won't be.

Replayability
There's quite a lot of stuff to do in the game, with 46 cars and over 180 liveries to buy and collect, you'll have your work cut out. As well as the extensive Career mode, there's the Championship mode where you do several races in a row to try and win each trophy. There's also Single Races, and of course Online Play. However, you may find that once you've collected everything and completed Career and Championship, it may have got a bit repetitive and you might not want to play it as much again.

Overall
This game really does stand out from the crowd, and with such fantastic visuals and gameplay, why wouldn't it? If you are a fan of racers, this is a must buy game and you won't regret it. The variety of modes, terrains and vehicles are just the start to one of the greatest racers on the 360.

Game Score

B+

Reviewed By: Will Davey