Rallying for the win

It's easy to approach a rally game as if it's another racing title. If the focus of regular racing is primarily the finish, then rally racing is a marathon where you die and are reborn a million times before you reach the end. To tap into the moments that make rally racing so exhilarating, you need a game that isn't just about sliding around hairpin turns. In "Dirt Rally" (Codemasters), superior car handling communicates the vibrancy and challenge, creating an unparalleled experience. The way it taxes these elements every second you're on the course in a flurry of ever changing demands is what elevates the genre. "Dirt Rally" can be unforgiving, unrelenting and seemingly as high in its demands as the hill climb at Pikes Peak. But the journey is sublime.

Matthew Kato, Game Informer