Why I like Dirt4

So many people hate Dirt4. Coming in after Dirt Rally at a time when realism is becoming expected in rally games, and for arcade, there was Gravel (in or around then) it really didn't have a home.

And then there was the track 'builder' which made tracks on a whim, dial in length and complexity and it makes a new stage. Sounds great but in the hour or so I've played it I've started to see repetition, in fact on the same stage. Think of Scalextric and you're not far away from reality.

But... and it's a reasonably big but, I am actually digging it quite a bit at the moment, here's the reasons...

1. It was cheap. Really cheap. It's currently on sale in the PSN store for <$20 which means that if it's little more than a night's entertainment then it's worth it. 

2. Cars. It has many cars. Old and new, and all are available from the outset in freerun mode. So I can run GroupB 2wd or 4WD, WRC and more on rally stages.

3. Stadium trucks. Actually quite a laugh, not that I'll play them much but certainly a nice addition to the game.

4. The tracks. Hated by so many, but actually the reason I bought the game. Why? Well I like tarmac rally, and I'm loving another discount game, WRC7, at the moment but it's limited in it's car selection. To the point that it's a playthrough game and then really that'll be it. But, I want to take cars on roads and enjoy ragging them about. And Dirt4 will do that. I can create a long open track to race on a night stage or, as I have done already a super short stage that's complex, ala hill climb. And this is ace. 

So, as a package, it isn't half bad. If you want to recreate a genuine WRC rally I can see the problem. But if you hanker for a quick rally, or to have a go in a few cars then this is not half bad. What's more you can save stages (so don't lose them) and try them with different cars.

And what about the physics? Not bad. There's sim and arcade (or something like that) and I chose sim and was pleasantly surprised. Then I tried arcade and went back to sim. Arcade is bad mmmkay.

I can't say they're realistic - I didn't crash anywhere near enough. But I think, like how you want to drive is about right. Not too much oversteer and not too much grip. The replays don't do it justice actually, making it look like the cars are crabbing. 

And here is a reply, a short track in one of my favourite rally cars of all time in fact;

What am I comparing this too? I'll see if I can get the list out in order of preference:

1. WRC7 - I'm really liking the career mode in this. Just a great game.
2. Seb Loeb Rally - Dated graphics but a good solid rally game for sure.
3. Dirt4 - It's around about here, possibly above Seb, I'd chose this for an easy night's gaming!
4. Dirt Rally - An excellent game for sure, but damn hard to master.
5. WRC6 - So very slightly less polished version of WRC7, hence being lower, I'd have that first.
6. Dakar 18 - Only got this as it's on major sale. Ingredients are great, meal terrible. Undercooked by far.

I think that's the collection, I do have WRC5, it was part of a pack of three on discount, but all reviews say steer clear and as you can see from the collection I have plenty of tier one racers before I scrape really poor review games!

Would I buy Dirt4 at full retail? Absolutely not. I'd buy a current gen game or something else - it's just not a rally solution. But for less than the amount I've paid for a maccas (I was hungry OK!) I'd say it was well worth it, if only for the relative cholesterol benefit...