DiRT Showdown

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 212 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 212
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 212
  3. Negative: 66 out of 212

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  1. HighwayUK
    May 30, 2012
    6
    Hmmm scrape all the leftover offal from the recent DIRT games and make a Flatout clone.... how could it possible go wrong? First off, most people hated all the Gymkhana crap so making a game dedicated to it with some demo derby stuff is okay I guess, it'll sell by droves on consoles, but on PC? not a chance. The music is beyond poor...large collection of tired "Bro-Rock" and "Dubstep"Hmmm scrape all the leftover offal from the recent DIRT games and make a Flatout clone.... how could it possible go wrong? First off, most people hated all the Gymkhana crap so making a game dedicated to it with some demo derby stuff is okay I guess, it'll sell by droves on consoles, but on PC? not a chance. The music is beyond poor...large collection of tired "Bro-Rock" and "Dubstep" makes you knock that off within first hour of play. The damage model is actual very minimal considering it's using the DIRT3 EGO engine... stupid beyond belief to reduce physical damage models on a game that should have it even more extreme and visually destructive. The graphics are decent but unspectacular due to over colorfulness and bland texturing, the car models are good but that's about it. So what about the handling? oh jesus christ what did they do? cars all feel like they are made from fibreglass and not metal hulks, wheelspin is terrible and momentum issues give them no feeling of weight. The menu system is utterly crap, taking far to long to chug between options and get into the races, with very laboured movement and often non-skippable waffle. So whats the good points??? well no GFWL this time around, but uses Codemasters new "Racenet" so with that being a new system it may turn out just as bad, or maybe fantastic... will have to suck that and see over time. Overall the game feels very cheap and bolted together like frankenstein's monster of DIRT giblets... it doesnt have enough in it to be considered a full game as many tracks are taken directly out of previous DIRT series games and should have been a £10 DLC for Dirt 3.… Expand
  2. folkingtales
    May 30, 2012
    5
    This NOT a DIRT game, but since it has "Dirt" in its name I must take that into account when writing this review.

    (10/10) GRAPHICS: Very pretty visuals. Car models are great, particle effects are pretty good and damage is also rather well done. All in all this area of the game is nothing to complain about. (7/10) SOUND: Cars sound great and so do all the effects like spinning tires and    This NOT a DIRT game, but since it has "Dirt" in its name I must take that into account when writing this review.

    (10/10) GRAPHICS: Very pretty visuals. Car models are great, particle effects are pretty good and damage is also rather well done. All in all this area of the game is nothing to complain about.

    (7/10) SOUND: Cars sound great and so do all the effects like spinning tires and so on... Now the SUPER-annoying "announcer" guy is the worst part of all the audio in the game and that is why it loses 3 points (also non-stop explosions and fireworks get old rather quick too). Try listening to "YAY! T-Bonalicious!!!! "BOOOOM!!!" "Awesome over-take DUDE!!!! BAM!!! ......and that happens non-stop in a supposedly driving game.

    (3/10) GAMEPLAY:This is the area where this game fails. Now understand that I might have been more lenient if his game was called simply "Showdown", but since there is a "Dirt" in there I , and many others expected a racing game with somewhat realistic handling. This is completely the opposite of what this game delivers. The handing is so terrible for a racing game I don't even know why it has a "Dirt" in the title, simply should have been called "Burnout Showdown". That's how these cars handle, very close to Burnout arcade style handling. So to sum it all up (because I can go on forever) this game is basically a bunch of "derby" style races and "gymkhana-inspired" events with lots of jumps, fireworks and an annoying guy yelling non-stop. This is NOT what a Dirt game is Codemasters.

    (5/10) Replayability: I would guess that someone who is into completely arcade style racing with dare I say a "hip" feel to it along with a narrator who should have gotten a job as an inspirational speaker might enjoy this game. All others who expected a real racing game should pass on it and not think twice about it.

    TOTAL SCORE 5/10    … Expand
  3. MutantBlood
    Oct 31, 2013
    5
    This game is your average demolition derby game. The graphics are great, but the damage of the cars could use improvement. Online mode is sometimes glitchy, but otherwise OK. The features in this game will first make you addicted in this game, but after, lets say 10hrs of game-play, you might just lose interest. Another average demolition game.
  4. biert
    Aug 10, 2013
    5
    The game doesn't really gives much satisfaction for completing a race. The game is much more arcade than previous versions of Dirt. The game has added a boost feature which has been used in various other games before. For a game out of the Dirt franchise I wasn't expecting this. Although it has some fun moments the main reason for buying a Dirt game is for the race experience. And that isThe game doesn't really gives much satisfaction for completing a race. The game is much more arcade than previous versions of Dirt. The game has added a boost feature which has been used in various other games before. For a game out of the Dirt franchise I wasn't expecting this. Although it has some fun moments the main reason for buying a Dirt game is for the race experience. And that is what this game really lacks in, providing a decent racing experience.… Expand
  5. ChoicestGames
    Sep 24, 2017
    7
    If you're more into demolition derby games than rally games, DiRT Showdown might appeal (if you can find somewhere that still sells the game). It also happens to be a pretty good game on the Steam Link. However, if you're expecting to play a rally game or you'd like to actually have some choice about which kind of events you compete in, then steer well away from this game or expect to beIf you're more into demolition derby games than rally games, DiRT Showdown might appeal (if you can find somewhere that still sells the game). It also happens to be a pretty good game on the Steam Link. However, if you're expecting to play a rally game or you'd like to actually have some choice about which kind of events you compete in, then steer well away from this game or expect to be disappointed.… Expand
  6. ZombieMM7
    Sep 20, 2013
    7
    First of all we can't campare this game to FlatOut (in my opinion FlatOut 2 is 10/10). But Dirt Showdown is also very funny. Graphics and the gameplay are good, with cool cars and nice challenges.
  7. DanySK
    Sep 3, 2016
    7
    Not a great racing game, some disciplines are just too random (like the demolition derby). However, it's one of the few racing games that runs well under Linux: if you use it for playing, then it is a reasonable choice.
  8. gold
    Aug 28, 2021
    6
    Первый и единственный эксперимент серии. Неудачный.
    Итог: 6.455/10
  9. AltMetal
    Oct 4, 2021
    7
    Despite its name, it feels more like the proper sequel to FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage than FlatOut 3 ever tried to be. For those upset that it's too different from the other DiRT games, keep in mind, this is a spinoff. I recommend getting a Steam key for this on Eneba.

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
74
#74 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Absolute Games
    Jul 28, 2012
    59
    Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson once wrote in his blog that he honestly doesn't remember anything about a car that was sent to him for reviewing – it was that unremarkable. I had a similar moment with DiRT Showdown – I forgot to review it upon release.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Jul 12, 2012
    78
    Dirt Showdown provides thrills while it lasts, but afterwards you're left wanting the deeper experience of its parents. [Sept 2012, p.60]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Jul 3, 2012
    80
    We haven't had this much fun since Destruction Derby on the PS1. [July 2012, p.58]
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