DiRT 2’s More Mature Little Brother

Back in 2008, Codemasters released Colin McRae: DiRT 2. The game was a hit, featuring revolutionary graphics and lots of content with a punk-rock attitude. Three years later, DiRT 3 was released, and right off the bat, it was apparent the game had grown up. Gone were the grungy trailers, camera glitches, andinter-driver banter. They were replaced with new cars, more rally content, and a consuming menu design made up of triangles. I’ll break everything down so we don’t get lost along the way.
***It is very important to remember that this game was released in 2011, and has now been remastered and re-released on the Mac App Store four years later.***

Gameplay:
Right from the start, DiRT 3 plays a lot like all of Codies other games. This is both a good and bad thing. It is easy to understand and makes sure you know what is going on, however, if you’re a veteran DiRT player, all the prompts and text and voiceovers will start to get on your nerves. You start as a rising driver, who has been signed and introduced to some entry level off-road events, and as you advance up the ladder, you unlock new sponsors, series, and ultimately, new seasons. The various disciplines are just as they were in DiRT 2 (rally, trailblazer, landrush, and rallycross), as well as the addition of Head to Head and Gymkhana events.

Graphics and Audio:
The graphics are great, exactly how I remember them from the PS3 version, and can easily be changed to run smoother if necessary. I found that on my mid 2012 MacBook Pro, I could run my game on mid to high settings with about 30-40 fps. Similarly, DiRT 3 runs barely over 30 on mid settings. The cars look great, and the inclusion of all DLC is a good selling point. The sounds are on point, as good as, if not better, than it’s predicessor. And the soundtrack? It is so on-point, you will not believe.

The Drawbacks:
As with anything good, it’s hindered by something bad. In DiRT 3’s case, it’s the overwhelming need to connect you to social media, more specifically, YouTube. All of this is because of your overzealous agent, Christian, who is the steryotypical American, embarrassing slang and all. I didn’t mind him in DiRT 2, but here, where he is upfront and “important.” It isn’t a deal breaker, but it is extremely annoying.

The Verdict:
DiRT 3 makes good corrections to the rally formula. It added more rally, more cars, and improved on the faults featured in DiRT 2. Despite it’s drawbacks, it easily gets a 9/10.

mxartist about DiRT 3 Complete Edition