DiRT Showdown

It's like the developers only made this title to keep the license alive while they worked on the next "real" iteration of the series.

With a renewed focus on high speed racing and crazy car destruction, DiRT: Showdown is a fun and exciting new direction for the DiRT series. With less emphasis on realism, the game comes with a lowered level of entry allowing new players in, but also welcomes more experienced players with some decent challenges on the higher difficulties. Cumbersome menus and a lack of variety does hamper the experience somewhat.

Certainly, DiRT Showdown is not the best racing game of 2012. However, Codemasters proves it knows how to develop a good one. If there's nothing bad to say regarding its content, choices in terms of gameplay can be questioned. indeed, some good ol' drivers could easily fall asleep whereas newcomers will enjoy the spectacular races DiRT Showdown has to offer, introducing a new social network, Racenet, to the multiplayer mode.

DiRT Showdown is a solid racer that feels like it should be better than it ended up. On paper, I should love this game, but I felt it starting to wear out its welcome after a few hours.

In terms of value, DiRT Showdown offers more than enough hours of entertainment for its asking price (one that is quite cheap on PC if you shop around) and serves as a perfect entrée during the wait for DiRT 4.

Showdown probably isn't the sequel DiRT fans were anticipating, but if you can look past the dramatic shift in tone and the overly aggressive AI, you'll find plenty of unpretentious arcade fun.

The idea might offend veteran DiRT fans, but the reality of this arcade style racer is hard to hate - especially when you're smashing your best friend off a jump ramp.

Overall, DiRT Showdown is an enjoyable romp through the, well, dirtier side of the franchise. Some of the technical excitement, like nailing a corner with precision and adjusting the car specifications to match the conditions of the road, is lost in the transition unless you set the difficulty to Advanced.

There's a scrappy little multiplayer brawler to be had with this game, but the fact DiRT Showdown feels a lot like DiRT 3 with a new lick of paint is both the game's greatest strength and its ultimate downfall.

If you long for the carefree carnage of Destruction Derby and you're happy to ply the bulk of your trade online this is well worth a look. Otherwise you'll probably want to write this one off.

We expected a bit more from a game that aspired to become the new king of the arcade racing genre.

You're left with an enjoyable and highly playable racing game with loads to do and, just occasionally, some of the most exhilarating action in any racing game, ever. If only Codies had ramped up the damage and placed a bit more emphasis on racing events, this would be essential.

DiRT Showdown breaks new ground for the racing genre. New event types set it apart from other games in its field, but a lack of traditional aspects holds it back from extended player engagement. More tracks and vehicles would have provided a solid premise with the adrenaline rush it needs to maintain the excitement. The game modes don't prevent Showdown from becoming boring after only several hours in, so the thrills are short-lived.

Even if things aren't exactly what we wanted, or expected, "Showdown" is still fun and worth a quick look if you miss demolition only games.

There's a good game in here, but there just isn't enough of it.

Bringing a more casual racing audience into your franchise by blending arcade and simulation elements is a fine goal, but when it's done with a jackhammer instead of a scalpel, bad things happen. Dirt Showdown still contains the brilliant driving mechanics of its ancestors, but it's hampered by half-baked design decisions at every turn.