DiRT

There's a lot of off-roading to be had in Dirt. The Colin McRae series' first current-gen iteration keeps it's focus on traditional rally events, but a variety of alternative race types are readily available to prevent the content from growing stale. From enduring hill climbs to catastrophe-waiting-to-happen buggy corr races, there are a lot of viable race options to select from when you're exhausted of typical checkpoint rally events.

The racing itself is solid. The handling successfully differentiates between different terrains, vehicle types, and individual cars. While some peg the handling as feeling too "floaty", it remains accessible and the game as a whole is easy and fun to pick up and play. Dirt also has a ridiculously good damage modeling system. Vehicles are beat up in a realistic fashion and reckless driving can take it's toll, both visually and performance wise. Bumpers cave in, doors rip off, and the entire vehicle can become misaligned. A fresh coat of dirt won't matter when the entire vehicle needs facial reconstruction.
 
Also, for a game titled Dirt, the menu interface is resoundingly clean and slick. Menus had never looked this cool by 2007, and the only menus to outdo these come courtesy of Dirt 2. The leaderboards also have a great touch, representing the player's national flag next to their gamertag. It's interesting to see which country rules the roost for each event.

Rally racing is one of those sports that naturally translates to video game form. Dirt carries the torch well for the premier rally series, offering an off-road experience with many ways to race. It has opened the door to a wider audience, much like the sport itself in recent years.