System: X360, PS3, PC
Dev: Codemasters
Pub: Codemasters
Release: Sep. 11, 2007
Players: Multiplayer (1-100)
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Review by Cole Smith

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

The vehicles are a joy to drive. They are very responsive as they powerslide through sharp turns, only to orient themselves in the right direction to receive a sharp boost of acceleration. They manage to keep themselves right on track, as long as you don't overdo or under-do it. One can quickly develop a feel for taking turns. If you give it too much acceleration and not enough brake, you run the risk of overshooting your turn and possibly hitting a fence, wall, building, or other obstacle. Failure to give it enough gas and braking will stop you dead in your tracks. The balance isn't very difficult to find. Pro mode is a different story. It's not forgiving, much to its detriment. More on that mode later.

Damage modeling is one of the game's best features. Not only will you be able to view your impact on the environment, you'll also destroy your vehicles a little bit at a time with each and every object that you hit. Some objects will result in more damage than others. Hit a large tree for instance, and you might be stopped cold. Sideswiping a fence, wall, or other obstacle can ultimately affect your car's performance.

Any accident will have a negative, accumulative affect on your vehicle. Doors will be torn off. Windshields will be smashed. Tires get shredded. Gears grind, and engines overheat. There are a number of different ways that you can ultimately destroy your vehicle. These are divided into nine different areas, and are amortized over a few different rally races. If you're like me, you'll come on strong at the beginning and suffer some major damage right out of the gate. Then you'll have to drive like a grandma just to finish the rally. There are no magical health potions to bring your car back to its former glory. Receive too much damage in any one category, and it's race over for you.

Pro mode demands more sim than the game offers. The A.I. is taking no prisoners. They don't make mistakes. They drive with predetermined precision, which sees them take the fastest route between two points - typically a straight line. But there are way too many corners to navigate, and you'll always be in danger of sliding out of control. The vehicles don't have much of a sense of weight, and as a result are prone to fishtailing. It feels as though you're driving on ice when you come to a corner. I just can't get the feel for this mode, and I've played it intently for a couple of hours. Hopefully you won't buy this game for the Pro mode.

Buy DiRT for the single-player mode. Buy it for the excellent graphics, amazing camera angles, destructive environments, and damage modeling. Buy it because it's a fun arcade racing game. Don't buy it for any other reasons, and you won't be disappointed.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer