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Colin McRae: DiRT

Slip, slip, slide away

My last experience with this series was in 2004, with Colin McRae Rally 2005; where rally was done right. The driving model, while not a strict simulation, leaned toward reality but was accessible to first-timers willing to devote some time to practicing. DiRT, however, has a reduced emphasis on a technically accurate driving model. It's not the pure arcade play found in Motorstorm on the Playstation 3, but it's certainly not a nuanced simulation either. I don't expect my cars to swivel on a pivot in corners, but the exaggerated oversteer and drift in DiRT will leave series veterans and experienced simulation racers crying tears of frustration.

Despite Codemasters assurance that DiRT wouldn't leave the hardcore set behind, no amount of tweaking to the control or car setup could tame the whiplash. Whatever real-world math is behind the traction model has been greased and lubed until it feels as though you're driving on ice. After spending much of the past two years with excellent simulations such as the Forza and GTR series, DiRT is disappointing.

I wish I could attribute my dislike of the handling to a simple matter of taste, but the Codemasters' forum indicates that I'm not alone in voicing my complaints. The best meta-label I can conjure up for the handling model is "Over-Sensitive Arcade Steering" (what about Arcade Rubbery Steering Experience? - naughty Ed). Think Need for Speed Underground drifting events with unusually touchy controls and wildly sensitive over-correction.

The Xbox 360 controller is recognized immediately.

No Force Feedback with the Xbox 360 Racing Wheel.

Mastering the twitch

Speaking of controls: this is one area where DiRT gets an overwhelming failing grade. There are two categories of players in DiRT: those who have an Xbox 360 controller, and those who do not. Those in the former category will have a fighting chance of taming the game's ridiculous driving model; those in the latter category are doomed to spend more time in the trees than on the track. Using Microsoft's Wireless Racing wheel (in conjunction with MS's Wireless Gaming Receiver), steering is a disaster. Partially at fault is MS, who have yet to release Force Feedback-enable drivers for the wheel. The constant tension in the wheel makes responding quickly to events impossible. The fine-grained control required by DiRT just isn't possible with MS's wheel. Other wheels, particularly those with mature Force Feedback drivers, may be better suited to the game.

My frustration was quelled a bit when I switched to the Xbox 360 controller. While it couldn't overcome the hokey handling, I was eventually able to flick cars around corners with moderate predictability. It was still too easy to over-correct, and increasing the analog stick's deadzone helped to alleviate the problem, albeit not entirely. Spending time with MS's controller reinforced my notion that this is a console title first and a PC title second. Simply put, DiRT is designed for the MS gamepad, either intentionally or by circumstance. Two Logitech controllers I tried failed to provide the same level of control as the Xbox 360 one. Rumble effects worked on all of the controllers which had supported drivers, but I was left yearning for some Force Feedback goodness with a proper racing wheel.

Codemasters have continued the series dubious tradition of not supporting a mouse for menu navigation. In other words, it's the keyboard or nothing when navigating the menus when playing without a gamepad. Plug in an an Xbox 360 controller – either the tethered model or wireless via Microsoft's Wireless Receiver – and bingo, the game recognizes the controller immediately and sets up a pre-defined profile. No such luck when using the Wireless Racing Wheel; with the wheel plugged in, you'll still have to navigate menus with the keyboard.

The menu system is standard console fare, though it's prettied-up, with bloom lighting and transparency effects. While the menus are a visually pleasant departure from traditional PC menus, navigation is not intuitive and the constant page-flipping becomes tedious.

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