Reviews - DiRT 3 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC

[HEXUS]

Learn to master the conditions on tarmac, gravel and snow in dry and wet conditions in DiRT's latest filthy rally experience.

Read more.

[crossy]

Was looking at the car list - quite impressed. Chance to play through with an Audi Quattro got my interest, and then I saw that (according to the Codies forum) that Lancia S4, Stratos and especially
Delta HF Integrale
are also there. So the game'll definitely be on the "must buy" list for me.
(Spot the mad Lancia fan!)

Only thing about Dirt3 (and to a lesser extent Dirt2) that really put me off was the US focus. Okay, I wouldn't count myself as a dead-mental rally fan, but I had to go look up pretty much everyone in Dirt2. I'm assuming that the car selection in '3 will be even more US-slanted. In which case, I'll be a bit sad, because I really thought that rallying was a European sport, (leaving the US with buggy and truck racing).

Here's a question - does anyone (other than a total anorak) go and play with all the suspension settings etc? (I wonder this not only about Dirt3 but also other racing games).

Pretty good review by the way.

[kalniel]

Here's a question - does anyone (other than a total anorak) go and play with all the suspension settings etc? (I wonder this not only about Dirt3 but also other racing games).

If the game engine is such that you can do it and get a predictable and beneficial result, then definitely. It's only applicable for games that have a very good 'feel' for what the car is doing, which tends to be track based sim-racers, then you can use the settings to tailor the car handling to your liking and the particular track characteristics. On a rallycross type game I wouldn't change much apart from rather obvious big changes like 'soft' for off road, 'hard' for road, ride height etc. which should be something that's changed for you by default as it's so obvious.

How are the graphics Hexus? Any difference running DX11 verses DX9/console?

[Lowe]

It's not particularly US slanted. All the classics and new rally cars are there.

The adjustment of the cars is very simple - 1 to 5 with 1 being soft, 5 being hard etc for about 6 or 7 parameters like suspension, diff, downforce etc.

Handling is good, but even with all assists off it's still very firmly in the half and half between sim and arcade.

[GheeTsar]

The gymkhana sections are very arcadey, and actually feel more akin to Tony Hawk than a racing game in my opinion. For me that actually makes that section quite fun.

That said I would say the rally sections are very good control wise and much harder to control than Dirt 2. Driving smoothly rather than drifting around the corners seems to be the most effective I would also say that it is less US based than Dirt 2

[crossy]

It's not particularly US slanted. All the classics and new rally cars are there.

Looking at some of the (p)reviews out there and there seemed to be a lot of the US-based variants of the cars - so there's Ken Block's Ford, and the other rides specific to the (all US) "experts".

Don't want to sound like I'm coming across all Daily Torygraph "I hate all foreigners" but I'd kind of hoped that they might of got at least one of the European names in there.

The gymkhana sections are very arcadey, and actually feel more akin to Tony Hawk than a racing game in my opinion. For me that actually makes that section quite fun.

Must admit to some minor guilt in liking the box-bash sections in '2.

That said I would say the rally sections are very good control wise and much harder to control than Dirt 2. Driving smoothly rather than drifting around the corners seems to be the most effective I would also say that it is less US based than Dirt 2

Ah great, that kind of sounds like it'd be a bit more to my liking, although the "harder to control than Dirt 2" doesn't sound like a recommendation.
Cutting down on the need to get pin-sharp with drifting sounds nice - NFS:HP gets my recommendation for that.

Not too keen on the Touareg and Bowler bits, but that's probably because I could never place higher than 3rd on the sections with those cars.

[GheeTsar]

Ah great, that kind of sounds like it'd be a bit more to my liking, although the "harder to control than Dirt 2" doesn't sound like a recommendation.

IMHO it's better for it - it's still not that hard on normal difficultly, but it does require more concentration. I found that I couldn't take in the scenery all that much as I was concentrating on the road ahead so much.

[Lowe]

Looking at some of the (p)reviews out there and there seemed to be a lot of the US-based variants of the cars - so there's Ken Block's Ford, and the other rides specific to the (all US) "experts".

Don't want to sound like I'm coming across all Daily Torygraph "I hate all foreigners" but I'd kind of hoped that they might of got at least one of the European names in there.

Must admit to some minor guilt in liking the box-bash sections in '2.

Ah great, that kind of sounds like it'd be a bit more to my liking, although the "harder to control than Dirt 2" doesn't sound like a recommendation.
Cutting down on the need to get pin-sharp with drifting sounds nice - NFS:HP gets my recommendation for that.

Not too keen on the Touareg and Bowler bits, but that's probably because I could never place higher than 3rd on the sections with those cars.

I hear what you're saying - the sponsorship is mostly US based agreed, but given that's where the money is I'm not surprised. That said though, the cars more than make up for it; the Group B monsters are especially fun, it's not all Scoobs and Fords.

[Tunnah]

i personally love it when games break from simulation and offer some sort of arcade take on the whole premise, it lightens the whole experience and gives an enjoyable contrast to the whole thing

[=assassin=]

I won't be getting this due to no DVD release on PC for the UK; it's download only. Quite annoyed about that tbh.

[crossy]

IMHO it's better for it - it's still not that hard on normal difficultly, but it does require more concentration. I found that I couldn't take in the scenery all that much as I was concentrating on the road ahead so much.

Thanks for that mini-review, sounds like I better take a break from the old stuff I'm playing through at the moment (GRAW2, JustCause) etc and schlepp off to Gamestation (Game closed my local store) and get a copy at the weekend.

I hear what you're saying - the sponsorship is mostly US based agreed, but given that's where the money is I'm not surprised. That said though, the cars more than make up for it; the Group B monsters are especially fun, it's not all Scoobs and Fords.

Hmm, Group B ... Don't think I'm good enough to earn one of those. Of course if I practise, and practise, and practise ....

[chaotic_russ]

over 50 rally cars ? , where ? as i do not see 50 to choose from

[crossy]

over 50 rally cars ? , where ? as i do not see 50 to choose from

Not that I'm claiming it's anywhere near definitive but http://www.fookops.com/index.php?topic=57.0 enumerates 52 cars - okay most of them (as far as I can see) are respins of "core" ones - there's more than one occurrence of the Ford Fiesta for example. That list seems to reoccur else where, e.g. http://game.downloadatoz.com/tutoria...lete-list.html

Maybe the best way though is to just buy the game, get good and play all the cars ...

[redddraggon]

I wish they'd made another Grid rather than 2 more Dirts. Grid was a million times better than Dirt and is due an update.

I have Dirt and Dirt2 but I'm fed up of Dirt so much now that I won't be adding the third to my collection.

[Joeroe_92]

after seeing the recent drivel of car games that came out(of which i didnt buy any) id liek to say that i shall be buying dirt 3 because it looks absoloutly IMMENSE! and dinosaur pileup in the trailer sold it for me, also i found out that when you preorder on steam you get dirt 2 free!

[chaotic_russ]

Not that I'm claiming it's anywhere near definitive but http://www.fookops.com/index.php?topic=57.0 enumerates 52 cars - okay most of them (as far as I can see) are respins of "core" ones - there's more than one occurrence of the Ford Fiesta for example. That list seems to reoccur else where, e.g. http://game.downloadatoz.com/tutoria...lete-list.html

Maybe the best way though is to just buy the game, get good and play all the cars ...

29 rally cars is all i see