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Review: DiRT Rally 2.0 (PlayStation 4)

by · Published · Updated

DiRT Rally 2.0 dares you to carve your way through a selection of iconic rally locations from across the globe, in the most powerful off-road vehicles ever made, knowing that the smallest mistake could end your stage.

Pros:

  • DiRT Rally 2.0 has crisp highly detailed graphics.
  • 43.05GB Download size.
  • Platinum trophy.
  • Profile creation- Name/nationality/choose from 9 preset avatars and your race number.
  • Controller- Rebind buttons, Tweak dead zones and sensitivity, Vibration and feedback. Has a handy check input reports feature.
  • HDR support.
  • Full Racenet support (optional)
  • Online leader boards- PlayStation 4 only or multi-platform.
  • Rally racing gameplay.
  • DiRT Rally 2.0 supports daily/weekly/monthly race events.
  • My team (career modes)-Events-races/events, Hire/fire staff and buy/sell/upgrade/tune cars in the garage.
  • Full team control and you are free to build the team how you see fit. Every member of staff affects something, Could be how long a repair takes to how much extra power you get.
  • Two careers- Rally and Rallycross.
  • Freeplay – Historic/rallycross/custom/timetrial.
  • Weather-Rain/snow/heavy rain/dry/overcast and day/night cycle.
  • Realistic improved handling.
  • Service area(before a race)- Shakedown/repair vehicle (manual selection or auto)/tyre selection.
  • Pre-race flyover.
  • Fully voiced co-pilot.
  • Historic races-4 tiers: Classic/80s/modern/Present day.
  • DiRT Rally 2.0 uses a difficulty- Slider from 0-100 and hardcore damage on/off.
  • Historic events also boast cool archive footage of the era(tier) you are playing.
  • Loading screens show the map, details on the conditions, weather etc.
  • Manual starts (optional) hold handbrake then release on the lights.
  • Assists- Clutch override/transmission/auto repairs/antilock brakes/off throttle braking/windscreen wipers auto/launch control/stability/traction/time control braking.
  • DiRT Rally 2.0 boasts improved animations and character models especially for the stewards and crowd.
  • Clear HUD showing race progress that also shows green/red depending on your split time and shows an icon for the class leader.
  • Six driving views- 2 in the car, bonnet, bumper, behind and far away.
  • DiRT Rally 2.0 maintains a strong cosmetic damage model from doors falling off to lights smashing.
  • Reset to track button.
  • Edge of the seat driving action.
  • Gorgeous locations.
  • 50 odd cars to unlock from the classic cars of yesteryear to the new beasts of today.
  • Locations are not just beautiful but are also a lot more vibrant and colorful this time around. You get to visit New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Poland, Australia, and the USA.
  • Deep tuning model, You can do as much or as little as you want for each stage.
  • The official game of the Rallycross championships.
  • Fun to play, The driving is just some of the best.
  • Enviromental effects are a lot more refined, Get blinded by the sun, See nothing when driving through a forest at night, Snow/ice is even more treacherous.

Cons:

  • No explanation on what all the assists do.
  • Few graphical glitches like lighting going all over the place or a tree appearing and disappearing.
  • No driving school! Obviously but I miss driving school so much.
  • Each car is so different and unique that a learning curve approach is needed every time.
  • Some very long races.
  • Cannot reset to track until the prompt comes up and that can take a while.
  • Few instances of invisible walls or debris.

  • 9/10
    Graphics - 9/10
  • 8/10
    Sound - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Accessability - 8/10
  • 9/10
    Length - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Fun Factor - 9/10
8.6/10

Summary

There is no denying that DiRT Rally 2.0 elevates its game and brings a much tighter more robust experience than ever before.DiRT Rally 2.0 improves in every way from handling to tuning to team management to a brighter palette of colors. For me, it is like a greatest hits collection with a splattering of tightening up. It uses the 2.0 tag in its title and that for me accurately describes it. 2.0 means you get the classic Dirt experience but also get a host of new locations and events. It at launch doesn’t support VR in any way but I heard it is indeed coming. So lets wrap this up, DiRT Rally 2.0 is a lot of fun and so many improvements have been made that the game in a lot of ways is the definitive one but without VR at launch and the 2.0 tag confusing people to think its just a rehash, DiRT Rally 2.0 is a rally game for anyone but the true rally fans will be well and truly catered for, New players will get the same experience from the older much cheaper Dirt 1.0 game.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!