Dirt Rally

Pure XboxKen Barnes

9/10

With DiRT Rally, Codemasters have thrown the conventional way of looking at the sport of rallying in videogames out of the window and done it with such aplomb that the end product is all but irresistible. It could be said that the learning curve could do with being flattened just a little. We say that the harder the climb is, the greater the feeling of success is when you finally put in that perfect run, but it's understandable that not all players will feel that way in an age where going into a menu is considered to be achievement-worthy. For our money, this is easily the best rally game ever...

Xbox AchievementsRichard Walker

90/100

The DiRT game that rally fans have been craving, DiRT Rally is a triumphant return to form that every self-respecting video game racing aficionado needs to own. Don't be put off by the steep learning curve, DiRT Rally is worth getting to grips with; it's super rewarding and ultimately a fantastic rally title. Pretty much one of the best of all time, in fact.

GameSpewRichard Seagrave

9/10

Overall, Dirt Rally is undoubtedly the finest rally game currently available, and is a worthy successor to the Colin McRae Rally series. Going back to basics has allowed Codemasters to create a tight experience which awards those that put in the effort with moments of excitingly edgy rally driving action, and by eschewing the arcade-like aesthetics of the last few Dirt titles they have created something that feels mature and refined. Sure, its stripped down nature and more sim-like experience won’t be to everyone’s tastes – casual gamers may lament the absence of features such as the rewind fu...

GamingBoltKurtis Simpson

9/10

DiRT Rally is a game that CodeMasters needed to create. While the similarities between prior games are obvious, DiRT Rally feels new and plays great.

Press StartMehdi Zadnane

8/10

But whilst the game’s core gameplay is excellent, the question remains how this gameplay is packaged as a whole. Focussing on a pretty straightforward career model DiRT Rally is pretty much the definition of grinding at times, which is problematic due to the fact that the events in the available championships itself are great and to a certain extent diverse, but the simplistic nature of its setup and career management is rather disappointing with the lack of depth it has.

VideogamerTom Orry

8/10

DiRT Rally, then, isn't a true successor to the DiRT series you might know and love, but it's a better rally experience if you're willing to put in the work.

COGConnectedSidd Masand

80/100

The last racing game I played prior to DiRT Rally was 2015’s Need for Speed title. Going into DiRT Rally, I assumed I would approach the racing the same way I did in Need for Speed. I was in for the shock of my life. DiRT Rally isn’t Need for Speed or even Forza. It’s the furthest thing from it. When I played my first race I was greeted by my co-pilot who would warn me about upcoming obstacles and turns. I didn’t think much of my co-pilot and thought I would just ignore him and navigate the track myself.

DiRT Rally is an excellent game that has a fairly high barrier of entry due to its uncompromising control scheme and challenging style of play. Some better race training could have really helped to offset this difficulty, and is one of the few areas where this title missed a golden opportunity for its players. The end result is a game that can be difficult to get the hang of, but also provides a great sense of accomplishment than most racing titles once you do learn how to race the way it wants you to. While there is not a ton of content, there is more than enough to keep a racer busy and the…

StuffSimon Strang

Two generations of consoles ago, you couldn’t move for rally games. But then much like the sport itself, their star waned and headliners have been thin on the ground of late.

WellPlayedJosh Gahan

8/10

DiRT rally is a must-buy for those looking for a realistic rally experience; nothing comes close to this type of simulation.

GameSpotRichard Wakeling

8/10

Adapt or perish

Checkpoint GamingMeagan Stearn

Unscored

I love my racing games. Always have, probably always will.