DiRT 4 | Xbox One

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Brum, brum, as they say in Codemasters’ midlands-based world of speedy motorcades! Can Codies keep up their mastery of all things diesel-burny with Dirt 4, or is it a mucky stain that even the most efficient of washing machines couldn’t get out? Gentlemen - and ladies - start your engines!

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by Rob
​Holt

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​@acousticmagic

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Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Platforms: Xbox One,
PS4, PC
Players: 1 - 8

From your first moments on the grid - hey, isn’t that another Codemasters racing game? - the attention to detail is obvious. The cars looks shiny, the dirt looks dirty, engines crackle and tarmac bears the signs of burnt rubber. Everything screams authenticity, from the fabulous array of cars, to the vast selection of competitions, to rain splattering on your windscreen, to the familiar tones of your co-driver, all adding up to a truly immersive experience.​
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From the get-go you’ll be asked to select between the more arcadey handling of gamer mode, or the simulation-y simulation of, well, simulation mode. Both have their obvious merits, but, being more of the Sega Rally type of racers, we stuck mainly with the looser, power slidey gamer style. It really is impressive to feel the difference between each car, and how they behave in different weather conditions and on different surfaces. It’s here where the skills learnt in the game’s resourceful Dirt Academy really start to pay off. The only disappointment is the ridiculously hard to navigate crosskart stages, where you’ll feel like Bambi on ice as you oversteer on every corner - get these stages out of the way early, if you want our two penneth.

Handling options don’t end there, either: you can toggle a myriad of assist types on/off, as well as selecting manual/automatic gears to suit your style within both arcade/simulation frameworks. Those in for the long run - and there’s a great deal of meat on Dirt 4’s bones - will probably opt for simulation, but either way make sure you learn how to drive in manual, as in time it leads to faster starts and cornering.

Thankfully, Dirt 4’s excellent handling is put to great use within a wide array of modes. There’s the main thrust of career, covering everything from traditional rallying, to American-style landrush events, to rallycross and finally historic rallying - these are a real treat for long running fans of the sport and Codemasters’ Colin McRae series. There’s so much depth in this mode alone, as you progress up the ranks achieving goals (drive a stage clean, get the fastest split time, etc.) to earn reputation points and funds to buy new cars, with the end goal of making your own team a success.

From your first moments on the grid the attention to detail is obvious.

Alongside career you’ll find sack loads more - there’s a wealth of online options under both the competitive and multiplayer monikers. Competitive floats a weekly supply of challenges to undertake and work your way up the leaderboard, plus there’s a divisional, FIFA-style mode that will suck many in. Multiplayer fleshes things out nicely with an assortment of head-to-head modes, but clean drivers should beware, as you’ll come across plenty of corner-cutting hacks like yours truly!
 
Special mention has to be saved for the literally game changing Your Stage creation facility. Here you’re left to your own devices to create rallying stages and events, which can then be shared online. The track design initially seems limiting, as you can only alter a few sliders - track length, difficulty, etc. - but the game’s superb algorithm chucks out some fantastic stages in just a few seconds, something that just wouldn’t be possible with a full fat design suite. There are endless options here, too - even with the same slider settings, the generate stage option throws up another, completely different track, giving the game real legs when it comes to longevity.

The audiovisual side of Dirt 4 also impresses for the most part; as mentioned earlier, the car models are beautiful, from the authentically placed sponsorship logos to the ever-changing vehicle shell. Crashes often result in bits of the car body falling off, with the wake of crashes ahead affecting you as you pass.

Unfortunately, the off-track visuals are on the more basic end of the spectrum - trees and crowd members look very simplistic, which is a shame, but undoubtedly assists the game in running smooth as silk. Backend elements are also on the unglamorous side of things, with simple, easy to understand menus and options that are functional, but definitely bland.

The Your Stage creation facility offers up endless possibilities, giving the game real legs when it comes to longevity.

Dirt 4 contains the standard array of radio-friendly hits from the last few years, much like EA Sports’ many offerings. If you like that kind of thing, you’ll love being in the menu screens, if not, you’ll be jamming the A button as quickly as possible to advance to the race. The on-track audio is spot on though, with firing engines, screeching tires and colossal bumps and smashes as you take out yet another tree/sponsorship board. Just be careful not to turn the volume up too loud, as your spouse/family/neighbours might find Dirt 4’s tones grating in time.
 
As we reach the chequered flag, we have to hold our hands up and praise Codemasters for producing another excellent racing game. The sheer wealth of options available in single and multiplayer are backed up brilliantly by the endlessly entertaining Your Stage feature. Though the presentation might be bland in places, and crosskart events can be painful, it’s impossible to overlook how good the actual rally racing is. Grab your helmet and race suit, get in the car, and go get dirty!

Pros
 

• Large variety of game modes
• Bags of longevity - especially with Your Stage feature
• Gameplay style can be tailored to arcade or simulation
• Car models are beautiful
• Fabulous attention to detail

 
Cons
 

• Crosskart events suffer from unbalanced handling
• Overall presentation and backgrounds are bland
• Engine noise & song selection can begin to grate

 
Score 8/10