DiRT Showdown

DiRT Showdown is the most fun I've had with a racing game since Burnout Paradise, a great looking game that nails the entertainment aspect of video gaming head-on.

A great party racegame! You'll be crashing and burning for a very long time after buying DiRT Showdown and we assure you that you won't regret spending your hard-earned money on it.

The former rally franchise presents itself as a great mix of Destruction Derby and high speed action racing. A strong single player combined with an extensive online experience garantuees great varied fun.

Successfully transplants the rally formula into an arcade mould, mainly because smashing stuff is fun. [Issue#219, p.72]

DiRT Showdown seems like it wasn't made for the die-hard DiRT enthusiasts. The DiRT physics give the game a more realistic slant, but the de-emphasis of more traditional rally racing will drive away series fans.

DiRT Showdown has many strengths and demonstrates the power of Codemasters in producing solid racing games. It is effective, fun and easy to pick up.

Dirt Showdown is a satisfying mix of driving tricks and destruction wrapped up in the slickest of presentations.

DiRT purists will feel put off by Showdown's unruly sense of style, but Codemasters is clearly coveting a different audience with its latest jaunt on the race track. Slick multiplayer and an outstanding roster of activities make for an enjoyable ride, even if it is a predominantly exhausting one.

Dirt Showdown is no doubt a very entertaining game. The handling is very easy, but the destruction derby mood of the game could be a little bit frustrating.

DiRT shifts into a different gear with Showdown, moving away from its rally sim roots to a more arcade and destruction-friendly forum.

A very entertaining combination of relatively normal arcade-racing, destruction derby and drifting. The tracks are too easy and the cars feel samey, though. [June 2012]

Look past some of the randomness and you'll find hours of racing entertainment. [July 2012, p.106]

There's a lot going on in DiRT Showdown and despite the small lack of satisfaction I personally noticed, and the relatively low number of environments, I had a lot of fun.

Shortcomings aside, Codemasters has delivered a very fast paced, slickly presented, arcade demolition derby that is more than capable of giving you some great entertainment value.

Overall, I feel like DiRT Showdown is definitely worth checking out, but it's certainly not on par with the experience that DiRT 3 delivered for me. The demolition modes are great additions here, but everything else just feels like tacked on, recycled content that I've already played in DiRT 3. Still, even recycled, that content manages to be just as fun as I remember it. So, unless you're particularly burnt out on DiRT at the moment, I definitely think you should give Showdown a chance, and I think you'll find that it's worth checking out.