A Diamond in the Rough
And here I thought I would never get into the modern racer. Attempts to get into the genre with Forza and Gran Turismo have left me non-plussed, but I think I have finally found my gateway into the genre with this rally racer by the name of DIRT.
I went without serious racers for a long time. F-Zero GX was (and may always be) my favorite, and I had never bothered to try anything in the Colin McRae series, not expecting it to play so differently from the many street racers that have hit consoles in the 3D era. When I finally did pick DIRT up, it was mostly on a whim. Sure I had it on my wishlist, but it was near the bottom, and games near the bottom come and go. It ended up being the "free" game in a buy two get one free at Gamestop, and became a lesson in why being as picky as I am about the games I spend my cash on isn't always a good thing.
Unexpectedly, of the 15+ games I bought around black friday, DIRT was the first I elected to pop in. The effect it had was almost immediate. I was first impressed by the ironically clean menus, which were stylish and useful.
While the first race I took part in wasn't my cup of tea (my least favorite event in the game would have to be the buggies) once I played my first rally event I was completely hooked. There is something about drifting in an Evo down a steep dirt corner that really made me feel like I was having fun. So much so in fact, that since then I have played through one of each of the 11 tiers nearly each day. Having a teammate in the passenger seat completes the realistic effect of being a real Rally driver. For whatever reason, Dirt appeals to me for the same reason that Project Gotham never has.
I am often shocked at how good the game looks. Occasionally on a straight run of ground I'll take my eyes off the road and just look at the beautiful scenery I'm passing by. Mountains in the distance, trees in the foreground, the sand and mud building up on the back of the car, all are as good as anything I've seen this gen. It's not beautiful in the same way as Assassins Creed, but it looks spectacular in its own way.
If there is fault to be had in this game, it would be with the lack of variety. Rarely does any one event have more than four vehicles to choose from, and you will become quite familiar with the same 10-15 locations over time.
That said, this game is less than 20 dollars these days, and is well worth the money you'd pay for it.
