Because they were both on sale, I decided to pick up Dirt 3 and F1 2012 on Steam. I've only played Dirt so far, but after sinking well over 5 hours into it in a single day, I think it's safe to say I love this game.

To preface this, racing games have always appealed to me, although I sometimes find it difficult to get over the initial learning curve that a lot of them have. For the most part, all racing games feature cars that handle a little differently. In the case of simulations, this handling can be shockingly accurate to real-life, and a large hump to get over. Dirt 3 is not a simulation, instead opting for a looser, more accessible style. This isn't to say the game is all the way on the other end of the spectrum, as cars will realistically rattle and budge while navigating the dirt, snow or tarmac. The handling feels responsive, while still offering up enough realism to shake things up a bit. Rally racing initially seems intimidating, as there is much less traction and spinning out is a constant worry, at least in the begginning. Once the player starts to learn the ins and outs of drifting through some difficult challenge stages, it becomes second nature to apply these skills to standard races. The way the game teaches the player it's systems is completely seamless, creating a very fluid experience.

The game is segmented into events, which are selectable from a series of sleek menus which all have a triangular theme. At this point, I would rather all racing games be open-world, as the process of selecting each race and waiting for loading screens seems antiquated, but maybe that's just me. In any case, the events are varied, offering up point-to-point sprints, standard races, trick-based Gymkhana events, among others. The tracks are similarily varied, ranging from snowy mountaintops to sandy desert roads. My only gripe with the tracks themselves was that they tend to be repeated. This would be alright if there were breaks between recycled tracks, but sometimes an event consists of racing the same course three times. It doesn't happen often enough to be a significant flaw, but it is noticable.

The presentation of the game is excellent. From the afore-mentioned sleek menu designs to the gorgeous locales on which the races are set, Dirt 3 still impresses over 2 years after it was released. Mud and snow are kicked up from behind the cars, sometimes obscuring visibility and further immersing the player in the experience. The cars sound suitably gutteral, along with the occasional gasp from the crowd after the player collides with a barrier. Occasionally, in-race commentary provides insight on what kind of turn to expect up ahead, something which I've never seen in a game before but I enjoyed a lot. The two voice actors encouraging you throughout the menus and at the beginnings of events are annoying, and become tiresome quickly. Along with their need to remind you to "upload that race to YouTube", they simply seem unnecessary, and only serve to tarnish the experience.

Really though, there aren't many complaints I can level at Dirt 3 as of now. It's an extremely polished racing game which has impressed at every turn (pun not intended) and I look forward to hopefully finishing the game in the next few weeks. I'll also post thoughts on F1 2012 once I've played enough of it.