Developer: Codemasters
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Reviewed), PC
Genre: Racing
Publisher: Codemasters
Dirt Rally 2.0 Game of the Year Edition (GOTY) is an amazing super realistic rally game that you need in your life.
For the uninitiated, this is probably the best rally game on the market. It’s probably to closest to real-life rallying you can get in a game. It has amazing attention detail from the cars, tracks, environments, drivers, sound effects, engine noises and stages.
Things that I noticed off the bat, there isn’t a tutorial to show you the ropes, you are thrown into the deep end, you have been warned, this goes against the grain of most games. There is no easing you into it. It’s do or die time, there will be a lot dying. Â
Once you get over the no tutorial, it’s all about the controls – you will find the learning curve quite extreme in a good challenging way and it makes the whole experience more enjoyable It reminds me of Dark Souls in the difficulty scales. You do need to persist if you are new the series or racing games. I’m usually fairly comfortable with racing games but this was challenging. I had to put a lot of hours to just get to a level where I understood the controls and game. The driving dynamic is slick and gives you a real sense of control on the car. Playing in the first person gives you a real sense of being in the driving seat, it’s chaotic and wonderful. It’s a really immersive game and as you play for longer you will find yourself drawn into even more.
The stages and race tracks are really well designed and they do look amazing, they are stunning and unforgiving. There is a real sense of driving along dirt tracks and wilderness, there is a jerky sensation of driving on uneven roads and being bounced around the car while you get instructions yelled at you. The tracks aren’t pristine F1 tracks, they really get the rally feel done well. The controls, tracks and gameplay are lifelike, it’s super realistic and plays on being as close to real-life as humanly possible. All the elements combine fantastically well from the noises, sound effects, the flying dirt and car damage, it’s the small details that bring the game together so well.
There is a career mode if you are inclined, I played it and you can build a garage, a team etc. But I just went to the stages and rallied. I’m more of the get me in a car and let’s go driving person.
The game strives to be lifelike and from actual limited real-life rallying experience (I have none) seems to hit the nail on the head. The visuals, mechanics, sounds, stages and the look and feel are superb. It’s a really fun and equally difficult game which makes it even more fun. Looks wonderful and plays fantastically.
Overall: 9/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
