Why you should play Dirt Rally 2.0

There aren’t many racing games that stand out from the crowd these days, especially in the world of touring car games. However, Dirt 2.0 is definitely one that should be on your radar, even though it was released back in 2019. 

It is easily one of the best racing games on the market, with realistic physics and incredible graphics, it puts your racing talents to the test in an incredibly fun way. This is why you should play Dirt 2.0.

Gameplay

Dirt 2.0 is most definitely geared towards fans of the Dirt series as well as Rallycross racing fans. Unlike other games in the series, there is no real tutorial involved, and if it is your first time playing a Dirt game, you are going to struggle in the beginning. 

However, much like the Formula 1 game series, there is a difficult slider, meaning you don’t always have to finish dead last when you are still trying to get to grips with the controls and how the cars behave. 

The lower the difficulty, it is obviously then easier to win, but set the game to normal or a harder difficulty and you end up with a game that is like Dark Soul, you can only win if you go the whole race without making a single mistake. 

This is a plus though since the game isn’t directed at any one skill level. Newbies have a chance to really learn how to play, with Dirt fans can jump right into races that require all the skill and knowledge they gained from previous titles in the series. 

Stages

With regards to the stages, Dirt 2.0 has ditched the procedurally generated stages of the previous game, and gone with handmade stages. This does have a few upsides, the main one being that the stages do feel a lot more realistic. 

There are a number of small details that a computer just wouldn’t know to add to a stage, whereas the developers and stage creators can add these details, and make the tracks and stages feel like real-life ones. 

A downside of this is that there aren’t as many stages, and you do end up racing the same stretches of road multiple times, just in different segments. Once again, this is counteracted by the fact that the stages are beautiful. 

There are 6 countries represented in the game, with each of them having its own, unique style of track and environment. Tracks in Argentina are based in the mountains and hills, while Poland has more straights and opportunities for high speed. 

In the USA you can expect a mixture, most notable pieces of the stage going through the damp and rainy forest. New Zealand features many coastal roads, Spain is a tarmac lover’s dream, and Australia is filled with jumps through fields and desert. 

Another unique detail that has been added to the game is that of track degradation. Starting lower down in the field means there is more chance of you falling victim to a huge rut or loss of grip due to all the cars that have gone before you. 

Career Mode

There is a career mode that tasks you with building a car and team and leading them to win. It isn’t as detailed as the career mode in Dirt 4, and you have to be online to access the mode, however, career modes are always fun and a new level and dimension to a game. 

You take part in the World Rallycross series, which spans eight different tracks, with Catalunya, Silverstone, and Mette all making their debut in the series. 

There are multiplayer options too of course, as you can go online and pit your skills against racers from around the world. However, there is no split-screen option so you can’t play with friends on the same system, but the online multiplayer does make up for this. 

Considering how many people can take part in a race, it is sort of like a racing Battle Royale, and can, and usually is far more exciting and exhilarating than that of the career and single player modes. 

Overall

Overall, the game is incredible, if you plug in a racing wheel you will get the full experience of racing. You will feel the stages differently, have your driving talents put to the test, and going up against other players is a huge plus. 

As mentioned, there aren’t many competitors in this niche, and Dirt itself is already a niche all on its own, however, if you are a fan of racing games and looking for a different and far more unique experience, Dirt 2.0 is for you. 

The ability to use a racing wheel and first person perspective makes you feel like a proper rally car driver, and much like Formula 1, it ups the difficulty of the game, but in the best way possible. 

If you are a racing fan, you have to play Dirt 2.0. It is well worth the time and effort to learn to play, and there is a good chance you are going to fall in love with the series.