DiRT 3

Everything fans of the series have come to love in past games has been tuned and upgraded, making it feel an awful lot like the definitive off-road racing game.

DiRT 3 is a crowning achievement in the potential fun that a racing game can offer. It just may be that perfect mix of hardcore realistic racing simulation and arcade simplicity with a pinch of that Fast and Furious flavor the kids love.

If you missed the previous Dirt titles, then Dirt 3 will certainly bring you up to speed with Codemasters's finest racing series, and comes thoroughly recommended to any petrol-headed gamer who loves to power slide through gravelled forest tracks.

Dirt 3 has modest game length; the concept over all does not grow tiresome which is great. It has solid fun gameplay from single player experience, to multiplayer online or even split screen multiplayer. Dirt 3 may not please everyone out there, what game does really? Dirt 3 is a solid addition to the series, which keeps rally car racing as the coolest thing out there.

Dirt 3 may be the best racing game I've played in the last decade. It's certainly the best one that takes place on surfaces other than tarmac.

If you are a racing fan then you need to give Dirt 3 a chance. Even if you are just a casual fan be sure not to overlook this game. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you find as this is a game for the hardcore and casual fan alike.

DiRT 3 is the best rally game I've played to date, both in realistic handling and performance and especially in its visual and audio presentation, which can only be described as perfection. A lengthy solo career and some amazingly fun and addictive multiplayer await anyone who dares climb behind the wheel of any of the powerful off-road vehicles you can drive in DiRT 3. No true race fan should miss this game.

We thought that this rally series couldn't get better. We were wrong: DiRT 3 is the best yet.

DiRT 2 ended up setting the bar for the genre by offering a perfect blend of arcade and simulation paired with an incredible graphics engine and a stylish presentation. With DiRT 3, the tradition of delivering an exhilarating racer continues and die-hard fans couldn't ask for anything more.

Right now, DiRT 3 is one of the best racing titles you can buy.

Despite some lackluster voicework, minor freezes and the need to activate an Online Pass, DiRT 3 is the best in the series to date, filled with wondrous gameplay, a remarkable variety of events online and off and some of the best graphics you'll see in a racing game.

Dirt 3 really does have something for drivers at every level, offering a surprising amount of variety. It's a strong package overall, with beautiful landscapes and an exhilarating sense of speed, making it perfect for anyone who wants to take a not-so-quiet drive through the woods.

Overall, Dirt 3 is nothing short of stellar. The sheer amount of variety – in race events, tracks, and vehicles – makes Dirt 3 a racer that you'll keep coming back to again and again, long after you've completed the Dirt Tour. Whether you're a fan of sim racers, arcade racers, or heck even Mario Kart, you should definitely check out Dirt 3.

They've surpassed themselves - intense, exhilarating, hugely accomplished racing. [Aug 2011, p.94]

Dirt 3 is the reliable weekday car that you aren't afraid to take into the mud every once in a while. While it doesn't have the precision or style of some of its high-end peers, Dirt 3 has more than enough personality and moments of exhilaration to make up the difference.

I really, really like DiRT 3, and while I'm going to gripe about a couple things in the game, if you like racing games you owe it to yourself to pick up DiRT 3.

DiRT 3 certainly meets Codemaster's stated goal to provide "More, more more!" with tons of tracks, tons of cars, and tons of variety. The return of split-screen multiplayer brings with it the promise of satisfying in-person competitive racing, but online multiplayer is available to those who prefer it.

For fans of rally racing, and racing fans alike, they will find a lot of gameplay to be found here even after the 'season' play is all over.

Offering excellent driving gameplay to all levels of player skill, Dirt 3 raises the bar for accessibility in a realistic driving simulator. With dozens of unique tracks, cars, and multiplayer games it offers and harassment of content without ever feeling overwhelming. By their very nature racing games are was going to be a little repetitive but Dirt 3 has almost completely succeeded in removing frustration from the mix.

Believability, challenge, intensity and fun - DiRT 3 has the lot. [Issue#73, p.80]

DiRT 2 sacrificed a lot of its soul in the hunt for a wider, more youthful audience. DiRT 3 has halted this 'fun at the expense of realism' devolution, picks the perfect line between core and arcade, and ends up setting the pace for my favourite driving game of 2011.

It delivers content by the bucket load and looks and sounds incredible.

DiRT 3 is the best racer since Forza in 2009, and we can't think of greater praise.

DiRT 3 is not a perfect game and a couple of patches will likely fix my biggest issues with the PC port, but none of the problems will really matter too much for rally fans that have been disappointed in the last few years' worth of rally game releases.

This game is freaking massive, with a steadily increasing difficulty that will leave you feeling like a bonafied rally racer when it's all said and done. That's all I've ever really wanted out of a racing game.

DiRT 3 is the result of the decades of experience developer Codemasters has in the racing genre. The game merges different disciplines and forges them into a whole that make for a very powerful foundation. Just a few small misdemeanors that stand between this game, and it growing into the stuff of legend.

If Codemasters' long-running rally series suffered something of an identity crisis with its transition to the DiRT name, then DiRT 3 has put that crisis to rest. The publisher has found an amorous new bedfellow in Ken Block and successfully built a game around his invigorating style while also managing to retain what made the series great in the first place.

Dirt 3 is an addictive Rallye spectacle with an impressive offroad atmosphere.

Dirt 3 doesn't disappoint anywhere else, and it's easily one of the most interesting "simulation" racing games to come out in the last couple of years. Play this game if you're a racing fan, or just play it if you want a change of pace -- the bumps in the road are worth it.

With a variety of things to do and loads of replayability, the events list will keep even the most enthusiastic players busy for quite a while.

Dirt 3 is a superb off-road racer that adds some great new features and improves upon its predecessor at just about every opportunity.

With slick graphics, a slew of racing modes, challenging courses and a crazy take on multiplayer, DiRT 3 is a remarkably playable title that successfully manages to juggle casual, hardcore and multiplayer modes and gives you a more than solid argument to take them for a test drive.

It has the capability to convert people who aren't particularly interested in rally racing to addicts who need just one more race or Gymkhana event. It would seem that Codemasters' love for the sport is infectious.

There's issues and niggles here and there in the amount of Career Mode repetition of event types and environments, as with many racers, and the game is almost devoid of innovation in all modes other than the brilliant Gymkhana – but perhaps an evolution rather than a revolution was all that was needed for DiRT 3.

Dirt 3 is a great game, a superb racing experience with stunning visuals and a long and varied career.

The racing action is peerless, with Codemasters' racers still clearly in a class of their own. But the style has perhaps swung too far from the Americanised festival atmosphere and it's much more sober as a result. Still absolutely worth your money, mind.

Dirt 3 is a great game, with stunning visuals and a long a various career. But it's an arcade game, not a sim one. Sim addicted are warned.

It's got the looks, the style, the superb sense of speed, and spot-on handling model that blurs the line between sim and arcade. It also introduces Gymkhana and with it excellent potential for players becoming addicted to going for new high scores. What it doesn't do is innovate in the racing game genre, generally making refinements where needed rather than redefining what's expected in a modern racer.

Codemasters has succeeded in curating another superlative festival of driving. It's a package more inclusive than any of its predecessors, shot through with the quiet innovations that have defined the studio's more recent efforts. With its off-road events celebrating the series' past and Gymkhana presenting a potentially bright new future, it's another great racing game from an outfit that's proving itself to be a master of its craft.

DiRT 3 is one of those rare games that delivers both quality and quantity. Everything is laser-engineered to improve on the brilliant previous game. The only misstep is the anodyne Career mode interface - lots of people will be baffled by the decision to replace the bustling 3D service area with something stylish yet hollow.

In combining traditional events with those (like Gymkhana) that videogames have not before attempted, DiRT 3 manages to feel both fresh and traditional. Codemasters have been churning out top-quality racing games for a long time now and their experience ring through in the way they've expertly crafted and balanced distinct modes of play into one cohesive whole.

On top of the single-player, DiRT 3 includes a welcomed split-screen multiplayer for head to head racing. But more welcomed is the large number of mad online party modes to try out.

Dirt 3 is simply a solid racing game. While it may not bring any crazy new features or mechanics, the complete and polished package it brings makes up for it in stride.

Dirt 3 is better than its predecessor. The Gymkhana mode is fun and offers some variety. The rally-racing is thrilling and challenging.

Codemasters has made a good name for itself with this franchise's heart-pounding racing and arresting graphics – which are even more striking with the inclusion of night driving and falling snow. The renewed focus on rally racing and the addition of Gymkhana keeps it in good shape, even as it pares down some of its previously interesting career aspects.

A very convincing package with stunning graphics and nice feel for arcade'ish racing. There's maybe a bit too much emphasis on gymkhana game mode though. [Aug 2011]

DiRT 3 is Codemasters' finest attempt to totally obliterate the competition in the off-road racing genre, but it seems once again that the title suffers from a lack of direction and concentration at... Ooohhhhh, look! A rainbow!

A great rally game and natural evolution of the series keeping its soul in the middle between arcade and simulation approaches. An improved engine delivers some amazing sceneries and very detailed cars, with state-of-the-art physics and light effects. We apreciated the new features like the Gymkhana mode and the YouTube video upload, while the multiplayer modes proved to be very enteratining and varied. A suggested buy for every fan of the series and everyone looking for an awesome and adrenalinic racing game.

A slightly better and more enjoyable experience than DiRT 2, which is more than enough to warrant a purchase.

In the end, the slight step back brought the series a nice leap forward. The more realistic handling and greater variety of cars make DiRT3 a definite must-have for old-school rally fans, while the new Gymkhana-Races cater the X-Games-Lovers.

DiRT 3 is again a great offroad racing game, midway between arcade and simulation and fully customizable by the player. It improves its graphics and controls, and also adds more assitance to less experimented users. The addition of Gymkhanas is good, although it may not convince those users who just want to race in tracks. Overall, a great sequel that is still the best in what it does.

Dirt 3 will please the fan of the brand, bestowing them with a lot of content, quality graphics and phisycs simulation. It's not a simulation though, and some bugs and lack of polish sometimes spoil the overall formula. The interesting multiplayer modes add variety to the mix, and will grant you a lot of fun beyond the career itself.

Some dedicated Dirt fans might feel slighted by the shift, but as a newcomer to the series this was a fantastic place to slip in.

A good solid driving pick-up.

DiRT 3 proves to be a worthy outing, and in comparison to its predecessors offers enough bang for its proverbial buck in terms of overall content. However, the addition of the new Gymkhana free-style mode may give long-time DiRT fans more than they bargained for, and not necessarily in a good way with regards to the progression of the Tour mode. Gymkhana aside, and what we have here is another fine addition to the series that offers up plenty of incentive to rev those engines and get down n' dirty on the race track once again.

Even though DiRT 3 does not have major improvements over the previous games, the fact that it incorporates "Rally modes" -that Europeans will surely love- gives it a more "global" appeal. Oh, and the technology that is uses has no match!

Codemasters has yet again created a great rally game. DiRT 3 tries to take the franchise to a new level and partially succeeds thanks to the new Gymkhana mode.

DiRT 3 has some rough edges but remains a worthwhile purchase for longtime fans who crave more of the racing action that has made the DiRT series the premiere rally series on the market, but newcomers should go with one of the prior games. Partly because rally racing isn't for everyone, so if you're new, go with a prior game, preferably DiRT 2 and see if the series is for you. Multi-platform owners should get the 360 version. Its controller feels better for racing games, and you can use your Avatar as a prop hanging off of your in-car mirror, which may not make for impressive ad copy, but sure is amusing to see and will get a few laughs out of you.

It may not be perfect, but DiRT 3 is still an impressive package that is worth your gaming dollar.

The new Gymkhana free-style event and the inclusion of snow is enough to grant DiRT 3 a pass over the previous edition, even though the old 'Colin McRae' influence is all but covered.

While Dirt 3 takes surprising steps backward in terms of social networking, thereby limiting its addictiveness, it's still the best way to head off-road without winding up in the hospital.

DiRT 3 is simply the best rally game trough the current generation. Despite not being truly simulative the game can count upon an incredible variety of events and an impressive graphic engine.

It is the best rally game of the present generation but it has failed to improve some important issues to become an outstanding title. Good graphics, realistic experience and innovative arcade modes in this complete game that it will make us to spend many hours with its.

It's a superb racing experience and shouldn't be missed. While the agent isn't the best leader through the tour, and the garage is limited in its operation, the solid gameplay, variety of tracks and events, and overall fun factor make this a terrific game.

DiRT 3 is an extremely flexible and polished racer that – despite some bland circuit design – delivers an extremely satisfying and assured driving experience. Coupled with amusing online modes it's a no-brainer for racing fans, and the racer those who detest such games should investigate at the very least.

A lack of statistics and too long loading times are some minuses in a great racing game. Good looking, great feel, fun party game modes and split screen support.

Dirt 3 is overall a thoroughly impressive beast, both creatively and technically that will surely please most fans of the series.

Codemasters remain the kings of the rally genre, as they are simply better at all the important aspects of the essential rally experience than any other developer. But whereas Dirt 2 was a huge leap forward from its predecessor, Dirt 3 feels like a much smaller step, and may leave long-time fans of the series wanting more. Still, it's the best rally game around.

The important thing, of course, is the racing, and the Codies tinkering permeates that with force, adding and subtracting features with gusto. Most alterations in this area, however, are welcome and inherently sensible.

Rally fans will not be disappointed by DiRT 3. Visually impressive, superb, it offers many game modes, a friendly split-screen multiplayer, the famous Gymkhana events that require dexterity and self-control, direct YouTube videos... But beyond that, it is still quite conservative, especially in his driving sensations, between arcade and simulation. The cars seem to lack weight and the career is a bit confusing... At the end, it's quite difficult to really forget the excellent Colin McRae Dirt 2.

Apart from some dull presentation, this is rally nirvana. Especially the Gymkhana mode.

Quotation forthcoming.

Despite its fantasy-sport emphasis, it has an underlying stamp of authenticity – it still requires you to adhere to the basics of rallying, keeping things smooth, braking early and balancing the throttle to get satisfying four-wheel drifts going.

The other big feature is gymkhana, an obstacle course for cars. It's available both as an open-ended playground and as part of the campaign. But like the rallies, without meaningful variety around it, it all gets to feel familiar and repetitive by the third or fourth time around.

While Dirt 3 fails to offer much in the way of surprise or innovation, it remains a solid racing title – provided you can cope with the constant barrage of moronic and needless dialogue, the excessive advertising and the painfully long loading times.

The game's saving grace is the awesome graphics and sound, solid multiplayer and the times in a race when everything just comes together. All flaws aside, there is a decent off-road racer at the heart of Dirt 3. You may just get a little frustrated finding it.

Dirt 3 is a good mixture of traditional rally and modern car sports like gymkhana. A distinct and good driving experience combined with great graphics and music, overshadows the lack of inspiration in the single player campaign, and make Dirt 3 a driving game petrolheads surely will enjoy.

Dirt 3 is a fine game and the action is as quality as always, the introduction of Gymkhana is a welcome one and offers a new challenge. However some baffling decisions on content stop the game being a true great of the genre. It almost feels like a first in a series, rather than the third.

In the end, Dirt 3 is a game with slick presentation, beautiful cars, stunning environments, and solid racing, but no depth. It's a game that does nothing wrong, but never wants to achieve anything greater.