click me to buy(reviewed on XB360, available for XB360, PS3, &PC)
Let me start by saying I am not very big on racing games, however, this is a brilliantly done racer. This rally car hybrid racer is stunning to look at and pretty entertaining to even a person such as myself. The gameplay is varying enough to test the most skilled rally drivers or make the worst drivers feel a little better about their lack of skills. The game offers up a multitude of things to do, you can race in the preset single player seasons, hone your skills in time trial or single race, or take your drifting skills online to compete against other drivers from around the world.
Now on to the single most impressive part of this game. The graphics are gorgeous! My eyes are now obese thanks to the wonderful visual feast this game is to behold. From subtle nuances like rain collecting on the hood, to snow buildup on the back bumper this game is fantastic. My favorite in particular was during a race with tar mac, gravel, & dirt...my car got filthy, but low and behold the puddle in the middle of the track cleaned it all up! Wow! The environments are beautifully rendered as well, with settings as diverse as Finland forests to Michigan lumber mills, and even Kenyan deserts to the slopes of Aspen. The vehicle detail is precisely done down to the tiniest pixel. From your navigator holding pen and pad with track notes to realistic vehicle damage occurring in real time. Oh yeah and a little personal touch on the rear view mirror(play to see it) ;].
The gameplay for Dirt3 is separated into 3 levels, Casual for beginners, Intermediate for experienced Dirt players, & Expert for just down right crazy people. The controls are very tight and easy to grasp, how well you grasp is based on your skill level. Regardless, the mechanics are sound and the game plays very true to life physics and the AI is not otherwise Godly and unbeatable. Simply put, you will know within one race where your skill level stands.
This game offers a ton of things to do off & online. Including uploading your select choice vids onto you tube! There are a bountiful array of tracks, race modes, & vehicles to use and abuse. This game is definitely worth a look (oh yeah online requires a V.I.P. pass so be prepared to buy new or pay 800 MP...or variation thereof) even if you're not a racing game fan. The graphics alone constitute a rent for this title....I give it 4 bags and 1 chee whoo for a grand total of 4.5 out of 5. This game could very well entertain you for months to come.