Dirt Rally presents a merciless simulation of rally that celebrates the unbridled purity of this brutal motorsport. No, Dirt Rally shifts the spotlight away from the bombast of its lineage, strips everything back to basics, and presents a merciless simulation of rally that celebrates the unbridled purity of this brutal motorsport. If you hadn’t already guessed, this isn’t like previous Dirt games where racing disciplines were plentiful, and where the focus was on X Games pomp along with accessible, almost arcade-style racing. Like with From Software’s seminal RPG, Codemasters’ latest is uncompromisingly difficult while also rewarding those who are willing to master its intricate mechanics and, perhaps most importantly, show a little dare. The Dark Souls of driving games is a term I’ve seen in certain corners of the internet, and the comparison couldn’t be more apt. Few feelings are better than drifting sideways around a hairpin corner.ĭuring its eight months on Steam Early Access, Dirt Rally earned itself quite the reputation of moments like this.
Just like that-a single lapse of concentration-and my race is all over. Only this time I overshoot the next bend and, in soggy ditch somewhere along this strip of Welsh countryside, I stop dead. I hit the gas again, accelerating into another straight, shifting up with a mechanical clank of discordant machinery as I blast through a clearing in the trees. The back wheels of my Impreza throw up a deluge of mud and leaves that rain down on a gathering of ecstatic rally fans as though it were nature’s own confetti. I yank the wheel to avoid ploughing into the nearest tree, and then I’m off again hastily angling the car for an upcoming hairpin turn before vigorously pulling on the handbrake at just the right moment to whip the backend out and round the tricky bend. The wheels come tumbling back down again, depressing the suspension springs with a worrying thud. Control is ripped from my grasp, but only for this glorious, nerve-wracking moment. My co-driver warns of a fast-approaching bump in the road and, just as the words leave him, I soar into the air. I feel the sweat release into my palms with every rising number on the speedometer. The dense walls of trees on either side blur into a desaturated mess of browns and greens. Hurtling down a muddy forest track in the heart of Wales, my Subaru Impreza’s engine sputters into overdrive with a ferocious howl as I climb perilously close to top speed.
0 kommentar(er)
