One step forward, two steps back.
Unparalleled graphics; Good balance between arcade and smiluation; Excellent physics and damage modelling; Well optimised; Detailed cars; Gymkhana mode; Group B rally cars; Flashback system returns.
DRM from hell; DiRT Tour lacks the usual rally locations; Lacklustre soundtrack and voice-overs; Annoying cyan tint; In-game YouTube uploader is lame.
REVIEW:
Developer: Codemasters Southam
Publisher: Codemasters
Genre: Racing
Game Engine: Ego 2.0
Cross Platform: PS3, X360
Price: Rs 699
INTRODUCTION , GAMEPLAY AND GRAPHICS
The DiRT reboot to Codemasters' Colin McRae franchise may not have been as hardcore as the earlier Colin McRae Rally games, but that didn't take anything away from its brilliance. Yes, it went easy with the driving mechanics and toned down the rally content to accommodate the more inclusive off-road racing elements, in a nod to the Mountain Dew generation's "extreme" culture. However, DiRT 2 struck a balance between the hardcore and casual in a technically competent package. It achieved that with a polish that made even a seasoned simulation junkie like me embrace it unconditionally. DiRT 3, therefore, has very large shoes to fill.
The first major revision is evident from the get-go in the menu screen itself. Gone is the banged-up RV and, along with it, the awesome 3D menu system from the last game. The UI is now a boring pyramid-themed affair. Codemasters had no business fixing something that wasn't broken. I surmise this polished look is meant to reflect the player's transition from an amateur in DiRT 2 to a professional racer in this instalment. That means you now have access to a much larger roster of vehicles and racing teams, including tonnes of new WRC-licensed content that Codies has scored this time around.
Group B Ahoy!
This includes the elusive Group B Rally cars - the 600+ BHP titan-killers that were banned by the FIA following an alarming number of driver and spectator fatalities. Unfortunately, despite advertising a full Group B roster in the promos, the retail version ships without some of the iconic cars, such as the Ford Escort Mk. II, Lancia Delta S4, andPeugot 205 T16. Apparently, these cars will be added through the DLC packs soon enough. I just hope Codemasters doesn't have the gall to charge money for those.
The single-player career mode, dubbed the DiRT Tour, has the same basic structure as the last game. You start off at the bottom of the rung, participating in races and earning points for podium finishes in order to unlock events, cars, sponsorships, and liveries. The events are carried over from DiRT 2 and include the usual Rally, Landrush, Trailblazer, Rally Cross, and Raid, with their own set of SUVs, stadium trucks, rally cars, and baja racers. This update introduces the crazy Gymkhana discipline that lets you run amok against the clock in a multi-surface obstacle course. In this mode, you are expected to string together 180/360 degree spins (doughnuts), massive drifts, crazy jumps, and other flamboyant driving manoeuvres to earn points.
DiRT 3 includes these events in the career mode, as well as the DC Compound, which lets you hone your freestyle skills at your own leisure; albeit with tid-bits such as hidden packages, unlockable manoeuvres, crazy stunt bonuses, and other missions locked away as an incentive to unleash your 4WD creativity. Yes, this also marks the return of Ken Block to the franchise. Finally, it features snow tracks for the first time since the DiRT reboot.
Spectacular, Yet Well-Optimised Graphics
DiRT 2 was the best looking racing game till date. DiRT 3 is no exception, with its splendid Ego 2.0 engine that delivers the best lighting and particle effects I have seen in a racing game. The vehicles sport noticeably better meshes, with stunning exterior and cockpit detail. A high polygon count beautifully fleshes out not just the exterior, but even mechanical components - such as the suspension, driveshafts, exhaust, and engine components - seamlessly integrated with the vehicle.
The volumetric dust effects evident in the desert and gravel stages are mind-bendingly realistic. Night races are brought to life by a competent lighting engine. DiRT 3 also carries over the dynamic weather effects debuted in F1 2010. Foliage is rendered with more detail than what's found in most FPS titles, let alone racing games. Atmospheric effects, for example droplets on cars during wet races, are rendered with an impeccable level of detail. Call it Crysis on wheels, if you must.
SOUND, PHYSICS AND MULTIPLAYER
If there's something more impressive than the graphics, it's how well-optimised the game is. I managed to get fluid framerates at 1680x1050 with everything set to High, even on an ageing Athlon system with an NVIDIA 9600GT. It's a pity that Codemasters decided to use an annoying cyan filter, which simply kills the colour fidelity.
Aural Mediocrity
Sadly, the excellent graphics are offset by a mediocre sound department. DiRT 2's brilliant soundtrack makes way for something that's downright boring. The last game cleverly played the best parts of songs during loading screens, but Codemasters has strangely discarded that smarter approach for a more traditional (read lame) one. The vehicle sounds are equally mediocre, which is underscored when you consider how tame the high-revving Group B monstrosities sound. There's nothing as loud and visceral as the 600 BHP Audi Quattro S1, and having heard it in innumerable archive videos makes the DiRT 3 version sound all the more disappointing. The developers haven't put their hearts into the sound design and foley work.
A clear lack of homework is evident with the Group B rally cars. I could hear the generic turbo whistle and blow-off valve racket in the MG Metro 6R4, which is quite dumb because it was the only naturally-aspirated Group B entry (no turbocharger). None of the Group B monsters had the tell-tale transmission whine of the straight-cut dog gears, which should ideally be heard when you lift off the throttle. While this is certainly not a deal-breaker, I expected better from DiRT 3 in the wake of the awesome foley work found in the Need for Speed: Shift series.
DiRT 2's precise physics engine did a good job of emulating the interactions of the suspension system with the uneven terrain. When combined with an honest-to-god damage modelling, this led to some spectacular crashes - each one as unique as your fingerprint. Just type "DiRT 2 crash" in YouTube to know what I'm on about. DiRT 3 delivers an in-game video uploader that lets you share your stunts, crashes, drifts, and what will eventually turn out to be a zillion Gymkhana videos on Google's video service. This is very convenient as it saves the hassle of capturing, editing, converting, and uploading videos to the channel.
In reality though, you are chucked into the midst of a long queue as you wait with about 400-odd people. No, you can't put the upload process in the background and get back to the game either. The 30-second limit is a dampener for those wanting to share entire races as well. However, the fact that you can only name your video from a a few predetermined names and descriptions is the worst transgression of the YouTube uploader. This renders the whole exercise futile, because a zillion videos with the exact same name and description turn your creation into just another needle in a stack of needles.
Damn You, Games For Windows - Live!
I was quite excited at DiRT 3's FPS spin on its multiplayer modes. There is a Capture The Flag (CTF) mode dubbedTransporter, and the zombie-esque Outbreak that lets you play a vehicular version of tag, in addition to online Gymkhana madness. Unfortunately, this game is cursed with Microsoft's infernal fake gaming service Games For Windows - Live (GFW-L). While the DRM allows you to play offline, multiplayer gameplay requires you to download whatever humongous updates it forces on you.
Just a day into the game, and GFW-L threw an update so large that even eight hours later I was nowhere near the halfway mark. Now, I can understand mandatory updates for a uniform multiplayer experience, but forcing gamers to wait at the game menu, as the download bar interminably and imperceptibly crawls across the screen, is pure sadism. No, there is no way to use your energy-efficient download rig to fetch the update and apply it to the game. No sir; DiRT 3 insists that you use your quad-SLI rigged, 1200 W PSU powered monstrosity to download the update.
CONCLUSION
You've Pissed Off Captain Planet Now!
The worst part, however, is that the UI is powered by the game engine itself. I found my GPU running at full clock speeds and my overclocked, core-unlocked Phenom II at 80% load during the compulsory download. The average gaming PC draws well over 300 W. Now, multiply that number with the hundreds of thousands of DiRT 3 (PC) owners consuming millions of watt-hours of energy for the compulsory download. Codemasters might as well blow up an oil tanker in the coral reefs, or employ professional baby seal clubbers on its payroll, or just set-off thermonuclear devices while it's at it.
If you live anywhere outside the heart of Bombay, like I do, the planets have to be in perfect alignment for the internet connectivity and the power grid to be functional at the same time. Combine this with the fact that there is no way to resume the update if anything goes wrong, and you might as well head over to the torrents and download a pirated copy instead. That way, at least you don't have to face the excruciating pain of the GFW-L nonsense.
This is why DiRT 3 gets no marks for its multiplayer modes, because there is no way in hell that I'll use my overclocked gaming PC as a download rig, while my nettop lies unused. If it were the 90s, Captain Planet would have kicked Microsoft's and Codemasters' collective asses for this. The experience left a bad taste in my mouth, which is reflected in the low Mojo (experience/reviewer's tilt) rating, thus resulting in a whole star being taken away from the final score. Finally, the offline split-screen multiplayer, with its lack of a cockpit mode, is utter crap.
A DiRT 2 For Me, Please
The question is: should you buy DiRT 3? While this instalment has certainly mucked over some of the better features of DiRT 2, it has also ushered in some equally compelling new ones. If you loved DiRT 2 (there's no reason why you shouldn't) you will enjoy the sequel as well. The souped-up roster of cars is offset by a marked reduction in the familiar rallying locations (no Spain, Japan, UK, Italy, and France). However, the addition of Group B cars and an increased emphasis on rally events should get rally nuts and Colin McRae Rally aficionados excited.
Mechanics-wise, DiRT 3 adopts its predecessor's fine balance between simulation and arcade, making it appeal to both hardened sim fans as well as casual gamers. If you don't mind using your gaming rig like a download machine, there's a seemingly innovative multiplayer mode as well. The game could have potentially topped its predecessor with solid new features such as the Gymkhana mode, but Codemasters screwed over many of the things that DiRT 2 got right. To be honest, if you are new to the franchise or haven't played DiRT 2 yet, I recommend picking that up before you try DiRT 3. I personally prefer the former.
Test Rig
Processor: Phenom II X3 3.2 GHz
Mobo: MSI 790GX-G65
Memory: 4GB (1333 MHz)
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD6850 (1 GB)
PSU: Corsair 550VX
Controller: Razer Onza Tournament Edition
Rating
Gameplay/Design: 3.5
Graphics: 4.5
Sound: 2.5
Mojo: 2
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