![]() ![]() Rallycross fares better, pitting up to eight rally cars against one another on officially licensed FIA World Rallycross tracks. It's a palate cleanser that removes nippy rally vehicles from the equation, but with overlong races, a lack of variety in course design, and only a handful of tracks, it eventually grows dull and repetitive.ĭirt 4 maintains the robust depth of Dirt Rally's full-blooded simulation, while smartly opening things up to a wider audience with a heaping of difficulty options Landrush encases you inside heaving trucks, buggies, and Crosskarts, and matches you head-to-head against other drivers on sandy courses crammed full of jumps and tight corners. Whether that's in rally, Landrush, or Motorcross events is up to you. The bulk of your time, however, will be spent out on the track. There's even a touch of team management involved as you hire mechanics to fix your car in between stages, and purchase facility upgrades to, say, hasten that repair time, or expand your garage to fit more vehicles. ![]() It's a familiar progression loop, gradually increasing in difficulty as you gain access to faster cars and trickier tracks. You'll strap into the majority of these unfettered beasts throughout Dirt 4's globetrotting career mode, which has you driving for sponsors until you have enough money to purchase your own vehicles and design your own racing team. There's a plethora of cars available, too, and a singular pleasure to be found in learning each one's intricacies. It's this heart-quickening thrill-of knowing you're on the precipice of failure at all times-mixed with the proficiency of its mechanics, that makes Dirt 4 such an engaging rally game to play. But take the risk and you might receive a reward in return, like the unmistakable elation that arises when you emerge through a stage unscathed. There's a sense of dread that creeps in during moments like this, when you're about to eclipse the top of a hill and have no idea what's waiting for you on the other side. You have to be patient and precise, knowing when to push the car to its limits and when to take it steady, tussling with an antagonistic wheel just to keep the car on the track where one slight miscalculation is likely to end in gut-wrenching disaster. In Simulation mode Dirt 4 transforms into a game focused on efficiency and adaptability. It's here-similarly to Dirt Rally-where Dirt 4 really shines. ![]() Once you're confident enough to move up to Simulation mode, there's a palpable sense that you're unlocking a car's full potential. Yet, upon stepping down a level from the robust sim, there's this nagging feeling that you're playing with the stabilisers on. ![]() Click image to view in full screenĮven in Gamer's relatively muted state, barrelling through each stage and gliding around hairpin turns under the tutelage of your co-driver is immensely enjoyable. Combine this with the deluge of playable tutorials in the Dirt Academy-that teach you everything from how to transfer weight, execute pendulum turns, and handle the differences between front, rear, and four-wheel drive cars-and Dirt 4 is a much more intuitive game to get to grips with than its immediate predecessor. The effect of certain weather types and surfaces is also less pronounced, and it's generally a more forgiving ride, with a host of variables-including AI difficulty and myriad assists-allowing you to further tailor its challenge to your liking. Gamer makes things considerably softer, minimising your car's stopping distance, and making it much harder to spin out of control-even with imprudent use of the handbrake. This isn't just a simple rearranging of assists and difficulty options, but two disparate ways of heaving your chosen vehicle from one corner to another. This begins at the game's outset, as you're presented with two distinct driving models to choose from: Gamer and Simulation. Rather than go back to the mainstream, American flavoured well with Dirt 4, Codemasters' latest feels like a natural continuation of Dirt Rally's grounded, white-knuckle philosophies but with one key difference: there's been a concerted effort this time around to appeal to both veterans and newcomers alike, bridging the gap between the impenetrable and the accessible. With its steep learning curve, uncompromising difficulty, and an adherence to nerve-wracking authenticity, it was an altogether different beast than the Dirt series' more histrionic entries. 2015's Dirt Rally was a game designed for off-road enthusiasts. ![]()
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