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Dirt 3 by THQ
Product SummaryBrand: Codemasters Audio: English (Unknown) Published: 2011-04-30 Release Date: 2011-05-24 Platform: PlayStation 3 Model: 40342 Color: One Color Publisher: THQ Product features: - DiRT 3 delivers mud, sweat and gears the world over: from the intense weather-beaten rally stages of Europe, Africa and the US
- The game boasts more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series
- Rally returns with more than double the amount of the content.
- Gamers can test their car control to the very limi and drift, spin-dry and jump their way to stardom in all new Gymkhana events.
- For the first time in the Dirt series, players will enjoy the unique and exhilarating spectacle of racing on snow.
- Multi-stage rallyes are set at classic locations from the traditional rally heartland of Scandinavia to to the jungles of Kenya
Video Game Reviews of Dirt 3Customer Review: DiRT 3 - its better than standing on the rally circuit in a European country and getting hit by a flipping car! Summary: 5 Stars
Disclaimer: I only just got this game and will be updating this review often so check back for more details as I unlock it.
I played the heck out of Dirt2. Currently I got into the genre due to owning a Logitech G27 Racing Wheel. All of the games I had played on it up to the point I got Dirt2 were, lets say too basic. I wanted a simulated driving game that was also great to look at and sounded real. I then rented Dirt2 from an online game rental place and decided to keep it for good. Where Dirt 2 left some holes in the game, Dirt3 fills. There are many new features to talk about, lets get to it.
Casual, Intermediate, Expert?:
First off this is a racing simulation with a casual mode that helps you out. Basically the 3 modes allow for you to turn on features that help you drive. Expert mode will allow you to do tail kick-out turns whereas casual helps you make the turns more efficiently. Casual mode is for the person that just wants to play and doesn't care about the "realness" of the game. Expert will allow you to tweak the cars feel to your exact requirements. So its basically up to you to pick one you can stick with. If a track requires drifting I will put it on intermediate, if not its pretty hard to compete that way and for some races I will go casual. This is after me nailing Expert on Dirt 2. So its a much more realistic game. Problem is Intermediate is a bit too hard and casual is almost a joke too easy so I have had to go into the sub menu and adjust the settings a bit to make my own level somewhere in-between.
Graphics:
Dirt2 had the most realistic graphics I had ever seen in a driving game to date. Dirt3 somehow improves this by even more details. The dust, the rocks, the scenery. It all pops on the screen. What really blows my mind is how blazingly fast it flys by and yet still has that detail. You really feel like you are driving down some narrow canyon road and having rock walls inches from your bumper.
Hey Joe:
Back is the cool feature that lets you pick your name from about 500 name database (guessing). This seems like a trite feature but it does let you feel more immersed into the game. Your mechanic and pep girl can get a tad annoying though.
Music:
Oh yea its back with a vengeance. Most of the bands on Dirt2 I had never heard of, and by the end of me playing it heavily I had fallen in love with about 2 bands and downloaded 6 of the songs to my iTunes. Same thing here with Dirt3, cool music that most I have not heard of and will most assuredly dig by the end of my time with this game.
Sound:
The engine sounds are spot on. They even have a faint whine from the radio that you hear when watching WRC rally races on HDTheater. The engines roar and scream as you fly passed whistling trees and branches. Hit a puddle and mud flys up on the car with a splat. Its all very realistic. You will hear fans yelling at you in their native languages as you fly by. In Africa they bang cow bells! Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!
Co-Driver:
I never checked Dirt2 but on Dirt3 you can now tell your co-driver to use appropriate lingo for the course. In Dirt 2 and even by default in Dirt3 you get the "medium left, hard right" whereas real rally co-drivers say "left 3, right 2" indicating the suggested gear. Its just another tip of the hat to Codemasters for adding more realism.
Career Mode:
I am just starting the game and will comment more on the career as I get farther in, but the game seems to have taken more of a rally turn which is perfect. If I wanted to drive around Daytona I would pick a different game than Dirt. I want rally racing and this game seems to be pushing more in that direction. You will visit actual WRC event locations ( which is very cool if you watch it on TV). You have to do well to unlock the new maps but its nothing new if your familiar with this genre.
Cars (& trucks):
This part I love. You of course can drive the new WRC cars but also you can go back and drive some of the old Lancias and early rally cars. I always wanted to own a Lancia and in this game I can at least simulate driving one down a narrow road in Norway. There are achievements that you can unlock by driving some cars such as "The Self Preservation Society" if you get that reference you will know which car unlocks that achievement. There are buggies and trucks also.
Controls:
Dont even bother playing this with anything other than a driving wheel. You can play it with a dualshock controller but its just about impossible to make a smooth turn with a joystick. It wants to jerk the nose of the car every time you push the stick even a bit. At high speed the rear end may jump out and youll be fishtailing down a straight.
Weather:
Wow...just amazing detail. The same track can be covered in rain or snow and change the whole race. The snow sticks to the cars like it does in real life. The rain pools in low spots and cause you to hydroplane. The sunset over the desert is just awesome. Matter of fact in some forest stages it can be a beautiful sunny day and the trees block enough sunlight to keep you in the dark in a corner. Its pretty realistic and very cool.
Gymkhana:
I started playing paintball back in the late 80s. Back then we played capture the flag in the woods. Eventually it started merging into a stadium sport. The reason it became more like that is people can watch it in a closed location. Gymkhana is to Rally as stadium ball is to paintball. Rally purists may not appreciate the Gymkhana portions of Dirt3. I do because it is a great way to build your drifting, jumping and turning skills on someplace other than a track. My only complaint is to complete a season you must perfect the gymkhana level. I wish it it was more a fun place to play when not racing and not tied into the game so much. In season 2 you do get a place to just goof off. It is the future of rally racing so might as well embrace it.
Overall:
This game is a must have in your PS3 arsenal. It shows off the power of the PS3 in a fantastic way. It is a must have if you love rally racing. It is a more improved simulation from Dirt2 and even is better in many ways than the venerable: Richard Burns Rally,(yes I just compared it to a game made in 2004, but that game is the gold standard for rally games IMHO). So if you love Rally games and want a kick butt one then by all means grab Dirt3!
Thank you for reading my review.
Description of Dirt 3Dirt 3 (PS3) Dirt 3 is a popular rally racing game for PlayStation 3 that combines the feel of fast-paced arcade style racing action across multiple surfaces and environments with realistic features found on real off-road circuits. The third release in the acclaimed off-road racing franchise, Dirt 3 features a range of racing and driving disciplines at spectacular locations, more than 100 routes, the finest selection of licensed action-sports racing cars, multistage rallies set at classic locations, exhilarating snow racing action and mesmerizing Gymkhana race events. More Cars, More Locations, More Everything Dirt 3 boasts more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series, including over 50 rally cars representing the very best from five decades of the sport. With more than double the track content of 2009's hit, Dirt 3 will see players start at the top as a professional driver, with a topflight career in competitive off-road racing complimented by the opportunity to express themselves in Gymkhana-style showpiece driving events. As players race to elevate their global standing, Dirt 3 delivers mud, sweat and gears the world over: from the intense weather-beaten rally stages of Europe, Africa and the US, to executing performance driving showcases and career challenges where car control is pushed to spectacular limits. The third release in the Dirt series contains more cars, more locations, more everything. View larger. Key Game Features - Be a Pro - Dirt 3 puts players in the racing boots of a professional motorsports athlete. The beaten up RV of Dirt 2 is a thing of the past as gamers compete against stars including Ken Block and Kris Meeke across a range of racing and driving disciplines at spectacular locations across the world.
- More, More, More - Dirt 3 boasts more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the Dirt series. There are now 100+ routes in the game compared to Dirt 2's 41. Dirt 3 offers the finest selection of licensed action-sports racing cars available and the largest line up to feature in any Codemasters racing game, including cars that represent 5 decades of rallying from classics like the Mini Cooper and Audi Quattro to Ken Block's rally spec Ford Fiesta.
- Rally is Back - After consulting fan-feedback, reviews and performing exhaustive data mining, the standout event from Dirt 2, Rally, returns with more than double the amount of content. Multistage rallies are set at classic locations from the traditional rally heartland of Scandinavia to the jungles of Kenya and the forests of Europe and the USA, taking players to the most dramatic, inhospitable and exciting terrain on the planet where only the most fearless drivers race.
- Express Yourself with Gymkhana - The 15 million-plus YouTube phenomenon pioneered by Ken Block now powerslides into to Dirt 3. Gamers can test their car control to the very limit and drift, spin-dry and jump their way to stardom in all new Gymkhana events. Set in specially created arenas packed with props, players can practice their skills, chain together moves, complete challenges or hang out online with friends in this spectacular video game first.
- Let It Snow - For the first time in the Dirt series, players will enjoy the unique and exhilarating spectacle of racing on snow. A highly advanced particle and physics model powers snow that builds up on the track, wheel tread and the car as it falls more heavily throughout the race. As players drive they will feel the change in the handling as the snow compacts at different rates depending on your speed, angle and cornering. This best-in-class feature delivers truly jaw-dropping visual and performance effects.
Additional Screenshots A franchise first, snow racing. View larger. | Unique Gymkhana events. View larger. | Split-screen functionality. View larger. | Multiplayer madness. View larger. |
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