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Rallying is a kind of motorsport that seems tailor-made for videogames. Yet
the sheer thrill of high speed racing on the most challenging courses doesn't
really get as much attention as the Ridge Racers or the Gran Turismos of this
world. DiRT not only combines concentration and precision of the most hardcore
SIMs, but also the immediacy and thrills of the best arcade racers; with a
superb next-gen engine to boot. So, has rallying finally made it to the
mainstream?
Well, one thing's for sure-you'll straight away fall in love with DiRT's
excellent presentation style. The fully 3D menus are as slick as anything you're
likely to see.
In the career mode you'll witness a series of tiers, each serving a mixture
of rally events. Earning points in these events unlocks newer ones, with the
goal being to reach the very top tier and final event. Event types include
circuit-based racing against rival racers, off-road racing against other
drivers, crossover racing, truck and buggy racing, hill climbing, and more.
The racing experience in DiRT is simply exhilarating, to say the least. It's
an undeniably stunning looking racer that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with
what the best next-gen systems have on offer. The environments look gorgeous,
the use of motion blur is impeccable and damage modeling is exceptional; but a
key part of each racing title is its frame rate and this is where it comes
undone. Considering that its presentation makes it stand tall amongst all other
available titles, the lack of finesse in such a critical area as the frame rate
is really disappointing.
 A word of special praise for the in-game audio, though, which turns out
to be incredibly immersive through a 5.1 setup.
MP modes in racers are a given nowadays, but DiRT doesn't make the most of
what it has to offer. You're restricted to system link and online multiplayer,
and that too in hill climb events and rallies. With the likes of the crossover
races, designed for head-to-head racing, becoming a rage; it's strange we don't
have such an option with DiRT-even split-screen mode isn't available. The
evident frame rate issue doesn't help matters as well.
Colin McRae: DiRT is a solid, first, next-gen effort from Codemasters. The
core racing is thrilling and the amount of content on offer will keep players
enthralled for quite some time. Some inexplicable frame rate issues and a
lackluster MP mode prevent this from being a classic, but DiRT is still one of
the premier racers of 2007.
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