Photo Credit: Codemasters
For many automotive fanatics, rally racing is the ultimate test of driving skill.
Think about it: Nascar and F1 drivers, skilled as they may be, drive the same tracks and corners over and over again, while rally drivers are constantly being tested to maneuver through new situations and turns that they’ve never encountered before.
There’s no question about it: rally racing is one of the most thrilling motorsports out there.
If you didn’t have the chance to play Codemaster’s original DiRT Rally or any of the other titles in the DiRT series, now is the time to check out DiRT Rally 2.0.
Whether you play PC, PS4, or XBOX, Dirt Rally 2.0 is the white knuckle thrill ride you’ve been waiting for and one of the coolest motorsports simulation games ever released.
Keep reading to learn more about the best rally racing sim available on the market today: DiRT Rally 2.0.
Photo Credit: Codemasters
Premier Content makes for an Epic Game
Featuring over 50 real world cars spread across 14 categories, DiRT Rally 2.0 offers plenty of variation to keep gameplay constantly challenging while still being rewarding.
The full list of cars available in the game includes many rides you might expect such as versions of the Mitsubishi Lancer, VW Golf and Suburu WRX along with several that you might not such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Aston Martin Vantage.
Check out all the cars included in DiRT Rally 2.0:
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Rally – Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4
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Rallycross – Audi S1 EKS RX quattro
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Rally – Audi Sport quattro S1 E2
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Rally – BMW E30 M3 Evo Rally
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Rally – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
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Rally – Citroen C3 R5
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Rally – DS 21
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Rally – Fiat 131 Abarth Rally
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Rally – Ford Escort Mk II
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Rally – Ford Escort RS Cosworth
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Rallycross – Ford Fiesta OMSE SuperCar Lites
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Rally – Ford Fiesta R2
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Rally – Ford Fiesta R5
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Rallycross – Ford Fiesta Rallycross (MK7)
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Rallycross – Ford Fiesta Rallycross (MK8)
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Rally – Ford Mustang GT4
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Rally – Ford RS200
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Rally – Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
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Rally – Lancia Delta HF Integrale
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Rally – Lancia Delta S4
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Rally – Lancia Fulvia HF
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Rally – Lancia Stratos
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Rally – MG Metro 6R4
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Rally – MINI Cooper S
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Rally – Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI
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Rally – Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
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Rally – Mitsubishi Space Star R5
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Rally – Datsun 240Z
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Rally – Opel Adam R2
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Rally – Opel Ascona 400
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Rallycross – Opel Corsa Super 1600
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Rally – Opel Kadett C GT/E
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Rally – Peugeot 205 GTI
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Rally – Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2
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Rally – Peugeot 208 R2
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Rally – Peugeot 208 T16 R5
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Rallycross – Peugeot 208 WRX
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Rally – Renault 5 Turbo
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Rally – Alpine Renault A110 1600 S
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Rallycross – Renault Clio R.S. S1600
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Rallycross – Renault Megane RS RX
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Rally – ŠKODA Fabia R5
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Rallycross – Speedcar Xtrem
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Rally – SUBARU Impreza 1995
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Rally – SUBARU WRX STI NR4
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Rallycross – Subaru WRX STI Rallycross
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Rally – Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V
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Rally – Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
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Rallycross – Volkswagen Polo R Supercar
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Rallycross – Volkswagen Polo S1600
Photo Credit: Codemasters
DiRT Rally 2.0 offers an exotic array of locations to explore. Australia’s Bondi Beach, Poland’s Jezioro Rotcze and Argentina’s Valle de los Puentes are just a few of the real world locations the game features with many more expected to be added through the game’s Season Pass feature which promises regular content updates for the most enthusiastic of players.
This game’s single player modes offer a myriad of rally racing challenges to keep your heart pumping. The replay value here is immense.
My Team is the centerpiece gameplay mode which offers you the chance to launch a career in rally and rally course championships while also including daily and weekly challenges to keep you engaged and motivated to advance.
The careers allow you to progress and upgrade your cars with each and every success in race matchups. Upgrades are made possible thanks to the credits you earn after successfully completing racing challenges.
You can also test your mettle in Time Trial and Custom Championship modes. There are also Historic and FIA World Rallycross Championship modes, which follow a similar gameplay structure to My Team, without the need to manage credits.
This game offers a lot of depth and Codemasters clearly put in a lot of effort to deliver a constantly evolving gameplay experience that will keep you and your race buddies thrilled for many years to come.
Feast your Senses
DiRT Rally 2.0 is an absolutely stunning game to play or watch.
Everything from the design of the cars to the realism employed in the stage design works together to create a smooth and well rounded game that will pull you in demanding you to improve your skills and progress through the game’s many different game play modes and challenges.
Explore rolling plans in Australia, autumnal foliage in New England, or coastal vistas in New Zealand, with DiRT Rally 2.0, you will be amazed at the depth of detail that went into designing every minor detail and nuance of these stages.
Delivering 60 FPS graphics consistently during gameplay, this is one of the most beautiful looking racing games on the market today. Though, how the game looks only tells half the story of what makes this game such a thrill to play or watch.
Codemasters went to great lengths to ensure the audio experience in this game is top notch as well. The roar of engines and the sound effects of braking add a gut punching level of realism to the game.
“What we have done is that we took everything that was great in the first game, picked the game apart completely and then started to improve every single section of Dirt Rally,” says chief games designer Ross Gowing. “Every single little piece of it. One good example of this is the rear wheel driven cars in Dirt Rally 2.0. We worked tirelessly with real rally stars like Jon Armstrong and Ryan Champion to make the tyres react even more realistically on the surface and the car’s angle in skids depending on how much throttle you put in. We have also been working hard on the surface physics, cause in this game the stages and the ground in every single stage will change depending on how many cars have raced before you. We learned a great deal from the first game and have brought these lessons over to Dirt Rally 2.0.”
The tyres should also be worn out realistically, and here too, the differences between the start and end of a race will feel significantly different depending on how the tyre temperature has affected the rubber and how you drive. Ross Gowing explains:
“Tire wear is a whole new thing in Dirt Rally 2.0. If you start a race on a long stretch on soft tires, you will notice during the second half of the race that the rubber has been worn down and you will drive with very poor grip. Add to that the condition on the ground combined with bad weather and it makes it very difficult to operate your car. We have also worked a lot with the tyre friction on asphalt to create a greater difference between the friction on gravel and the friction on tarmac.”
The Final Word
One of the best things about DiRT Rally 2.0 is that it is a gut busting thrill ride that demands your attention in order to advance. This game is in no way a simple pick up and play title that you will run through over the course of a weekend.
To the contrary, this is a game packed full of content which offers a steep learning curve and immense satisfaction that truly captures how challenging and fun real world rally racing challenges are.
The original DiRT Rally was pretty epic and version 2.0 is successfully available to build on its predecessor’s strengths in order to deliver an unforgettable experience that makes this game the clear winner for world’s best rally racing simulation available today.
Whether you play with a normal controller or a driving simulation steering wheel, this game offers a truly memorable experience that makes it not just the best rally game but one of the best racing simulations of all time.