Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Jun 6, 2017
    Perhaps it's surprising how much I ended up enjoying DiRT 4. After all, Forza Horizon 3 was the last "accessible" spin-off of a racing game I truly loved (Forza Motorsport 6), and I never gelled with that game at all. Perhaps I'm drawn to the closed—as opposed to open—world of this new game, or maybe I like "DiRT 4" because less of the hardcore sim got lost in translation. Either way, if you like your racing to be as sideways as possible, you'll want to try DiRT 4.
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 76
  2. Negative: 16 out of 76
  1. Jun 19, 2017
    9
    DiRT 4 by racing connoisseurs, Codemasters, is the latest in a slew of rally games over the last few years, following the likes of WRC 6 fromDiRT 4 by racing connoisseurs, Codemasters, is the latest in a slew of rally games over the last few years, following the likes of WRC 6 from Kylotonn, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo from Milestone and naturally DiRT Rally, from Codemasters.

    Releasing on 9 June 2017, 14 months after DiRT Rally, this game promised a low barrier to entry for those who may have been a little put off by the learning curve which slapped us around in the 2016 release. This lowering of skill set is actually a breath of relief in many ways, most notably because you will feel as though you can really master those turns rather quickly and you’ll know where and when you are going wrong fairly easily. DiRT Rally on the other hand took dedication. Dedication, a few smashed controllers and hours upon hours upon hours upon… you get the idea.

    Offering up two distinct handling modes from the off, Gamer and Simulation, you can play the game however you desire. Even when selecting the ‘easier’ Gamer mode, you’ll still be able to tinker with various car set ups and tweak to your hearts desire, finding the perfect balance for each and every circuit and vehicle.

    The main game career mode is essentially split into 4 main areas, traditional Rally mode, Land Rush, Rally Cross and Historic Rally.

    Rally mode is as you’d expect – tight timed stage events on tarmac and off-road terrain in varying weather.
    Land Rush – short dirt track races in buggies, trucks and cross karts over big bumps, multiple vehicles on track, much contact.
    Rally Cross – track based races with multiple competitors.
    Historic Rally – All the thrills and spills of standard rally mode, but with older, classic vehicles.
    Within each of the career mode categories there are dozens of lengthy races through which progression is made by earning credits and upgrading not only vehicles, but your entire race team. From engineers and team sponsorship deals to actually upgrading your canteen facilities. All upgrades will have a direct impact on your progression, so each will need to be thought about and coincided carefully.

    Away from career mode, DiRT 4 offers us Competitive mode. Featuring a handful of daily, weekly and monthly community challenges, this mode sets to pit you against players all over the globe. Those looking for some tough competition and leaderboard setting, this is where you’ll most likely find yourself. Oh, we nearly forgot to mention, the leaderboard is cross-platform!

    Then you’ll find the Multiplayer mode, wherein you can either join an online session, or create your own private or public game.

    Freeplay is the next mode, here you can generate a custom championship from the random track generation tool. It’s a nice feature, but we have to question how needed it actually is. It all seems like a bit too much effort for something we suspect is going to be rarely used.

    DiRT Academy is the penultimate mode. This is your tutorial mode if you will, and what a mode it is. Never before has rallying been explained quite so well as it is in this mode here. Pop into this mode and you’ll be pulling off Scandinavian flicks before you know it.

    Joyride is the final mode. This is perhaps where the crux of DiRT 3 gameplay is. With Free Roam around a factory setting to Smash Attacks, where you must race around destroying a set number of blocks in a given time, to the stressful Time Attack modes, these are a blast, and there are loads of them. They will also serve as a more fun way to learn the physics of your car. Spend time here as it is very rewarding.

    Gone are the stupid rewinds and annoying hypeman commentator, two my main complaints about DiRT 3. This feels much more rally than party now and that’s a good thing. The accompanying soundtrack to the in game menus is eclectic to say the least, ranging from Disclosure to Wilkinson, Queens Of The Stone Age to The Hives, but you’ll find yourself head nodding your way through loadscreens often. A very well chosen set of tracks and with 40 titles, you’ll find something in there you enjoy.

    I’ve found the graphics to feel slightly dialed down in comparison to other rally games, including DiRT Rally and wonder if it has anything to do with developing and inclusion of the random track generator. If that’s the case, although graphics are by no means the be all and end all of a good game, I personally hope that Codemasters scrap any track generation in rally games going forward (although I’m sure there are some out there who love it) and make them as beautiful as possible instead.

    In summary DiRT 4 is the perfect rally game for those looking for something entirely less frustrating than a rally sim, but has more bells and whistles than an arcade racer. A fantastic overall package which you’ll come back to endlessly… or at least until Codemasters drop their next big racer!
    Full Review »
  2. Jun 6, 2017
    4
    I've been a fan of this series since the Colin McRae days and have always looked forward to each new release with quite a bit of anticipation.I've been a fan of this series since the Colin McRae days and have always looked forward to each new release with quite a bit of anticipation. Dirt 4 was definitely no exception, particularly after reading stellar reviews of it the day before release.

    What happened?

    Dirt Rally on Xbox One looks top-notch but DIrt 4 looks more like a mid-cycle Xbox 360 title than a step up. Textures are ridiculously low-res, leaving trees feeling fake and the ground completely flat and lifeless. The driving itself feels great but it always has, it's just very disappointing that the world around it is so barren and awful looking as to distract almost entirely from the experience.
    Full Review »
  3. Aug 8, 2017
    0
    Good Game, not a fan on the fact if you turn a little too hard around a turn and spin out watch out for hitting a ditch or wall as you willGood Game, not a fan on the fact if you turn a little too hard around a turn and spin out watch out for hitting a ditch or wall as you will blow you tire out and drive on a flat all the way home. Full Review »