POSTED 2/4/16


DiRT RALLY

Codemasters

Slip slidin’ away. You know the nearer your destination the more you’re slip slidin’ away...

Yay! Finally we have a slice of Codemasters’ ace racingness hitting now-gen. Except that we don’t, while we do.

What the smeg? Well, if you’re expecting a slick arcade-styled racer like their last-gen efforts then you’re in for a nasty surprise.

However, if you’ve been craving a slick, realistic and – inexorably linked with that last one - really fucking hard rally simulator, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Despite bringing rallying from the 1960s to now, over six courses ranging from the tarmac of Monaco to the snowiness of Sweden (where, of course, if something gets in your way you baulk, baulk, baulk), and most any serious rally car you could desire, there’s no instant gratification here.

Want to get hooning in the latest Ford Fiesta? Tough titties, you’ve got to earn that little beauty. This means amassing coinage by grinding through myriad multi-session rallies in basic wheeled weapons like the original Mini Cooper. Sure that’s cool, but over and over and over when you want to be going twice as fast can be a drag.

Then when you get that dream machine you’ll understand the adage “be careful what you wish for”. Yeah there’s all manner of funktastic modern tech, but hitting these tracks at twice the speed (or more) is perilous.

At least you have your trusty navigator barking warnings as to what lies ahead, although he’s so monotonous that you can tune out – like when driving with your mum as a passenger - which will likely result in you hurtling down a cliff. At least Mum hasn’t led us to that – yet.

Add hill climbs, rallycross and online challenges and there’s lots to get to grips with.

While we still crave a new DiRT Showdown with which to do our (Ken) Block, DiRT Rally rams it home that good things come to those who wai- erm, grind.

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