Codemasters will be letting the mud fly again on February 26th 2019, with the latest instalment of the legendary DiRT series perfecting realistic off-road racing action. 21 years ago, the developer laid the foundation for its successful off-road series with the Colin McRae Rally, with the 13th part of the series only continuing to put the pedal to the metal with its merciless rally simulation.
Vehicles that pack a punch
Gamers, as well as Simracers, will get their money's worth both in the classic time trial on the stage or in the spectacular WRX mode on the circuit. Even before you hit the track, the vehicle selection is already a tricky part. Players are able to drive the most legendary rally machines, one more spectacular than the other. If you choose to follow in the footsteps of Walter Röhrl or Colin McRae, for example, you can sit behind the wheel of the Audi Sport Quattro S1 or the Subaru Impreza WRX - these two icons represent only two of over 50 delicacies from six decades of rallying.
As usual, you can make detailed adjustments to the car when setting up, with a new option thrown into the mix: In addition to the predecessor, you can choose between three tyre mixtures to adjust, not only to the road surface but also to the weather conditions.
Tracks that change their conditions
As a playground for these classic rally cars and their modern offshoots, locations are available in six countries. In terms of track design, the developers have taken a groundbreaking new step. For the first time, the road surface changes in a course of an event. More than 100 layers ensure that the last racer in a row drives on a road that is completely worn away by the vehicles in front, making the hunt for fast times on gravel, mud or asphalt even more nerve-wracking. Jon Armstrong, in particular, is contributing to the most realistic possible implementation of driving physics. He is the reigning eSports WRC Champion, which of course doesn't make him a representative for realism. However, the 24-year-old's experience in the real rally world, even at the European Championship and World Championship level (WRC2), definitely seems to be helping out the realism in DiRT a lot.
This is especially true when you are driving in Argentina, where according to Codemasters the most challenging stages in the rally simulation take place. In fact, the narrow and winding streets with their nasty hairpins and the ubiquitous rocks on the edge of the track demand maximum concentration and tactics - especially if you're on long tracks for ten minutes or longer. There is no rewind function here and damage has not only a visual but also a mechanical effect. The trips to Australia, Poland, Spain and the USA are still challenging, but much more pleasant. Although, you also have to struggle with dirty weather conditions and a sometimes extremely dazzling sun, in which you literally have to rely blindly on the announcements of your co-pilot.
The official license of the FIA World Rallycross Championship furthermore provides the game with extra action - eight challenging circuits from the World Championship are available, with the four corresponding vehicle categories also including the 600 hp WRX Supercars - normally driven by stars of the scene like Mattias Ekström.
Where can you buy DiRT Rally 2.0 the cheapest?
Colin McRae would surely have a lot of joy with the newest offshoot of DiRT. The realism of the driving physics, the vehicle models (including the damage model), the sound, the attention to detail on the tracks - the game awakens old and new play instincts and you can find the cheapest price for DiRT Rally 2.0 in our price comparison.
