Review
Played on: Xbox One X
Released: 2019
Played on: Xbox One X
Released: 2019
Released: 2019
Introduction
Codemasters are, once again, back with a rally racer. This time it's a continuation of Dirt Rally, a super realistic subseries of the Dirt franchise. Confusingly titled 2.0, as the previous mainline Dirt game was Dirt 4. However, this is the sequel to Dirt Rally, which debuted on PC back in 2015.
My experience with the first Dirt Rally and Dirt 4 er somewhat bland. The first Dirt Rally seemed barebones and experimentally structured, while Dirt 4 found itself confused inbetween realism and semi-realism. They both had an average visual appeal too.
Luckily, Codemasters have gone the extra mile when it comes to appearance, sense of direction and focus this time. So, let's let the handbrake go, press down the accelerator and take a look at Dirt Rally 2.0!
Luckily, Codemasters have gone the extra mile when it comes to appearance, sense of direction and focus this time. So, let's let the handbrake go, press down the accelerator and take a look at Dirt Rally 2.0!
Premise
The main seasonal mode, the bulk of the game, takes you through famous rally locations across the globe. Each season ups it's difficulty by putting you into increasingly powerful rally car classes. There's a small managing aspect, where you need to buy cars, manage staff to help keep repairs quick and make car upgrades, too. It's a simple enough structure, although some of the more complex choices are too lightly explained to the player.
There's no story or cutscenes, as we've seen in a few Codemaster racers, but then again I'm not a huge fan of that stuff either. It has a simplistic approach, something inherited from the last Dirt Rally, giving a somewhat empty, menu driven, feeling of how racing simulators sadly are.
There's a nice visual variety of locations to race on, though, albeit with a small roster of actual countries. Going from sun-drenched Spanish tarmac, orange sanded Australian forests, fast and bumpy Polish gravel roads, autumn leafed American countrysides and rain soaked, muddy New Zealand and so on.
I'd strongly recommend the deluxe edition, as they're adding new world locations regularly. Especially the snow locations are weirdly missing in the base game. At the time of writing, both Monaco and Sweden rallies have been added and Germany is right around the corner. I very much appraciate seeing these new locations blended automatically into the main seasonal mode.
There's a lot of diversity in the rally locations when it comes to the surfaces and feeling of rallying. Gravel roads are fast, with a lot of grip, tarmac is even faster, but require more traditional road racing skills and ,of course, the weather drastically changes the amount of grip your car has, especially in rain. Snow surfaces are hell, but again, they offer a nice variety to the challenge.
There's a lot of diversity in the rally locations when it comes to the surfaces and feeling of rallying. Gravel roads are fast, with a lot of grip, tarmac is even faster, but require more traditional road racing skills and ,of course, the weather drastically changes the amount of grip your car has, especially in rain. Snow surfaces are hell, but again, they offer a nice variety to the challenge.
Gameplay and features
For further variation, outside the main mode, the game offers other events to participate in. There's historic rally events, where you can race classic rally classes through the years, and with all the lovely modelled classic cars it's a treat to play. In fact, the historic mode even lets you change the difficulty of the A.I. competitors at any time, rather than the progressive style in the main mode. It's actually the best place to begin for newcomers to the Dirt Rally series! Because, believe me, this game has a ruthless difficulty curve.
Rallycross has it's own mode, for those that love racing around rallycross circuits in a more traditional races against competitors. These races are quite tough, requiring a different kind of driving style. I found them a little repetitive for the duration of completing them all, but it's a nice addition.
There's also daily and weekly challenges to compete your best times against players worldwide.
For hardcore players there's ton of customisation options to dig into, tweaking each part of the car to your style of rallying. Plus, an option to turn on an even more realistic damage simulation. It really is a simulator at heart.
Video
2.0 has made a huge leap from the first Dirt Rally, or Dirt 4 for that matter, visually. Gone is the auto-generated feel of the Dirt 4's rally stages and in it's place some beautiful and detailed hand crafted stages. It really pays off, as each stage looks stunningly modelled. Especially foliage and lighting makes it look, not only pretty, but also organic. Combined with a slightly soft visual appearance, it suits the natural environments so well.
HDR brings out even more colour and makes the lighting powerful. Sunlight cuts through trees and gives a blinding impact when driving towards it. The car models are great, with lots of interior and bodywork detail, that can be damaged a fair amount in crashes.
Even more impressive, is this Xbox One X enhanced version I'm playing. It runs at an almost consistent native 4K, relying on some dynamic resolution if too much is happening onscreen, mostly in rallycross. What's even more impressive, is that it runs in 60fps, resulting in really responsive car control.
Even more impressive, is this Xbox One X enhanced version I'm playing. It runs at an almost consistent native 4K, relying on some dynamic resolution if too much is happening onscreen, mostly in rallycross. What's even more impressive, is that it runs in 60fps, resulting in really responsive car control.
I've sadly noticed some short lasting framedrops here and there. They should look into fixing these. Otherwise, it's hugely impressive visual leap Codemasters have done on the X from the base XB1, PS4 and PS4 Pro, which all run in 1080p. It comes very close to what PC players can enjoy visually!
Audio
Car sounds are the star of the audio department, each vehicle sounds distinctly different and powerful. Growling engines, whistling turbos and crunchy gravel flung up beneath the car, making the audio really pop. I've enjoyed cranking up the sound and beholding the beast like nature of these rally monsters in my headset. The cockpit view brings the best and most intense sound experience!
There's little worth of mentioning the music, most simulators and rally games are absent of music during races. The menu music is just typical background menu music.
There's little worth of mentioning the music, most simulators and rally games are absent of music during races. The menu music is just typical background menu music.
Summary
As mentioned, be warned, 2.0 is a brutally hard. The main seasonal mode stupidly offers no difficulty changes and, as such, the later seasons require incredibly fast and professional driving to win. It's not a rally game for newcomers at all, for a more approachable and forgiving experience, albeit visually plainer, check out Dirt 4.
However, if you decide to dig into a rally simulator, what better place to begin?! With a huge visual leap from the first game and a more meaty package of modes, I'd highly recommend it. I haven't had so much fun rallying in ages and the 60fps focus really helps put the responsive controls at your fingertips.
The whole scenario of speeding down a claustrophobic, tight, gravel road while jumping on small bumps and having to hammer down the brakes as you enter a sharp corner, while throwing your car sideways and hearing the amazing audio growl from your engine, while passing so natural looking country roads, is just an experience Dirt Rally 2.0 nails down more perfectly! More so than any other rally game has to date.
The whole scenario of speeding down a claustrophobic, tight, gravel road while jumping on small bumps and having to hammer down the brakes as you enter a sharp corner, while throwing your car sideways and hearing the amazing audio growl from your engine, while passing so natural looking country roads, is just an experience Dirt Rally 2.0 nails down more perfectly! More so than any other rally game has to date.
Codemasters are in league of their own these days when it comes to rallying. A warmly recommended rally title for those that can handle a realistic simulator, but also enjoy the intensity of what rallying is about. Even more recommended for console players with an Xbox One X, as the team have gone an extra mile to bring incredibly visuals to the console!
It's one of those titles that comes together as a fantastic package in it's genre, while at the same time catering for high expectations of hardcore rally fans.
It's one of those titles that comes together as a fantastic package in it's genre, while at the same time catering for high expectations of hardcore rally fans.
