DiRT Rally

A decade on, DiRT Rally is still widely regarded as one of the finest rally simulations ever made — and it remains the title that redefined what the DiRT series (and Codemasters as a whole) could be after the more arcade-leaning DiRT 2/3/Showdown era. The Good The handling model is still the gold standard. DiRT Rally was Codemasters' deliberate pivot back toward hardcore simulation, and it shows in every stage. Weight transfer, surface transitions (tarmac to gravel to snow mid-stage), and the way the car reacts to pace-note-blind corners all still feel genuinely authentic. Even against newer rivals like WRC Generations or EA Sports WRC, DiRT Rally's handling has aged remarkably well and is still preferred by a large chunk of the sim-rally community. Punishing, purist design philosophy. No rewind function, real damage that can end your run, and stages that demand you trust your co-driver's pace notes rather than memorize the road — this was a bold, unapologetic return to old-school rally simulation, and it paid off. The tension of a long stage where one mistake can cost you the run is still unmatched in the genre. Hillclimb and Rallycross content. Beyond point-to-point rally, the Pikes Peak hillclimb events and RX (rallycross) modes add welcome variety, with the RX content in particular serving as a nice preview of what Codemasters would later expand into with DiRT Rally 2.0. Career and progression systems. The team-management-lite career mode (choosing sponsors, managing car upgrades, budget allocation across eras of rally cars from the 60s through modern World Rally Cars) gives long-term structure without overcomplicating things. Still gorgeous and functional. Running on the EGO engine, DiRT Rally holds up visually — stage environments (Wales, Finland, Monte Carlo, Greece) still look convincing, and performance on modern hardware is essentially a non-issue. The Less Good Steep learning curve. This is by design, but it means DiRT Rally is genuinely off-putting to newcomers expecting something closer to DiRT 2/3's arcade sensibility. A wheel/controller setup with proper force feedback is close to essential for the full experience. Succeeded by its own sequel. DiRT Rally 2.0 (2019) built directly on this game's foundation with a larger content roster, improved surface deformation, and more stages — meaning DiRT Rally today functions almost as a "proof of concept" for a game that was later done even better by its own successor. Sparse presentation compared to mainline DiRT. No flashy Gymkhana content, no over-the-top American-style events — this is a stripped-down, purist package, which some found underwhelming compared to the series' earlier spectacle. Online community is a shadow of its former self in 2026, though the daily/weekly challenge structure that defined its early years has long since wound down. Does It Hold Up in 2026? Yes, though mostly as a historical high point rather than the definitive way to experience this style of rally today — that torch has largely passed to DiRT Rally 2.0 and EA Sports WRC. Still, the original DiRT Rally's stage design and handling feel remain beloved, and plenty of sim-rally purists still argue it's never quite been topped in terms of raw feel. Verdict 8.5/10 — A landmark rally sim that reshaped its genre and still drives beautifully today. If you want the absolute best modern rally package, DiRT Rally 2.0 is the more complete choice — but this is where it all clicked into place, and it's still very much worth driving.

[h3]Nobody will read my review so I'm going to do 10 biceps curls for every like this gets.[/h3]

[b]Introduction :[/b] Développé et édité par Codemasters, DiRT Rally est sorti en décembre 2015 après une longue phase en accès anticipé. C'est une simulation de rallye pure et dure, à mille lieues de l'aspect arcade des DiRT précédents : spéciales exigeantes, gestion des dégâts, copilote au chrono et une seule règle, la moindre erreur se paie cash. [b]Ce que j'ai aimé :[/b] [list] [*]🏁 Une physique de conduite exceptionnelle : le comportement des voitures sur terre, neige et gravier est parmi les plus crédibles jamais vus dans le genre [*]🌲 Des spéciales longues et variées (Pays de Galles, Grèce, Monte-Carlo, Finlande…) où chaque virage à l'aveugle repose sur la lecture des notes du copilote [*]🔧 Une vraie gestion d'écurie : réparations entre spéciales, usure des pièces et choix de mise au point qui donnent du poids à chaque décision [*]🎧 Une immersion sonore superbe, du grondement du moteur au crissement des graviers, qui vous colle littéralement dans le baquet [*]🏆 Le hillclimb de Pikes Peak et le rallycross qui viennent élargir intelligemment l'offre au-delà du rallye classique [/list] [b]Ce que j'ai moins aimé :[/b] [list] [*]💀 Une difficulté redoutable et sans concession : l'absence de rewind punit la moindre faute, ce qui peut décourager les débutants [*]📚 Un manque criant de tutoriels et de terrains d'entraînement pour apprivoiser progressivement le pilotage [*]🎮 Une expérience qui donne son plein potentiel au volant : à la manette, la courbe d'apprentissage grimpe encore d'un cran [/list] [b]Conclusion :[/b] DiRT Rally est sans doute l'une des meilleures simulations de rallye de sa génération, mais elle ne fait aucun cadeau. Ce n'est pas un jeu pour se détendre le soir : il exige de la patience, de la concentration et beaucoup d'humilité. Mais une fois qu'on dompte enfin une spéciale sous la pluie sans partir dans le décor, la sensation est incomparable. Si vous cherchez de l'authentique et que la difficulté ne vous effraie pas, foncez. Les amateurs d'arcade, en revanche, risquent de vite jeter la manette. [b]Note :[/b] ★★★★☆

ну если в группу Б не соваться, то можно и на геймпаде поиграт. а так с рулем раскрывается, я думаю.

В детстве ел землю, получил права, решил что лучший вид спорта там, где я буду ехать и есть землю. 100 сраных канав на границе трассы из 100. Лучший ралли-сим

I'm late in reviewing DIRT Rally so I'll keep this brief. There are legions of good racing game on PC. I bought this to play on Steam Deck because it was the only one of the series that was verified for Steam Deck and it did not disappoint. Even by today's standards DiRT Rally is a very good looking racing game, with good car reaction to the road and good controls in general. It feels fantastic when you complete a track without wrecking. Steam Deck was able to run the game really well. If you're into Rally games and want such a game, especially on Steam Deck (or Steam Machine for that matter since it's upon us) then I'd recommend DiRT Rally highly. Full disclosure, I originally played DiRT Rally on Steam Deck. I'm currently installing it on a Ryzen 9 Mini PC at the time of this writing and will install it again on Steam Machine whenever it arrives.

Hard af, but quite satisfying when you stop totally sucking as you'll get to 3-5th place (best you can hope for without some pro sim racing gear and mad skills). You can't buy it anymore anyway because of corporate licensing bs, so this review is pointless.

Honestly, I like it more than Rally 2.0. It's more hardcore. But sadly it lacks some of the attitude of Dirt 2/3.