DiRT Showdown

Varied events, sparkling social challenges, and rowdy online skirmishes make Dirt Showdown the rare spinoff that's as amazing as its much-loved predecessor, albeit in its own unique way. It's an absolute blast throughout, and proof that accessible, arcade-style thrills and spills can still deliver via superb execution.

Do not be fooled by Showdown coming just a year after Dirt 3. This is an excellent game that easily stands on its own. If you are looking for an accessible title to play alone or with friends all the while having an absolute blast then Dirt Showdown is a no brainer purchase.

In the end, DiRT Showdown is an outstanding game and probably the most polished demolition-style racer out there. Online play is surprisingly smooth, and outside of relatively small issues like needing login data for Youtube and Codemasters' own Racenet service nearby, there isn't much I didn't enjoy about the experience as a whole. It's definitely a worthwhile purchase for either fans of the DiRT franchise or of demolition racers in general.

Dirt Showdown is certainly a different type of racer, trading bumpy wheel-to-the-road driving mechanics for the dents, scrapes, and screams of vehicular mayhem. In some ways, it feels more like an expansion pack than an all-new game, but if you don't take this departure too seriously, it makes for some great summer parties online.

Codemasters has delivered once again with DiRT Showdown. It's another superlative racer, even if it is a little one note. Unapologetically brash, bold and loud, DiRT Showdown is Codemasters' racing id unleashed. And it's freakin' great.

The "Showdown Tour" is long enough to have hours of fun and it can be played on three different modes: "Destruction", "Style" and "Race". Multiplayer mode played online is essential to have a good experience with that game.

Unfair at times, but the throwaway metal mayhem is a welcome diversion for the series. [July 2012, p.70]

What if Dirt 3 becomes a Destruction Derby-style game? The answer is an experiment known as "Dirt Showdown", an excellent arcade racing game.

Dirt: Showdown is a simple, yet fun game with just a few things missing. The change of pace with the encouraged car-colliding is certainly welcomed, and well executed.

Get some booze, get some friends, get some DiRT. Good times guaranteed. [Aug 2012, p.76]

A fun and frantic throwback to the days when dirty tactics, outlandish manoeuvres and sheet aggression were the brutal, mangled order of the day. [Issue#86, p.84]

Dirt: Showdown is a different kind of Dirt. It's a more raw and dirty Dirt that takes itself less seriously, but allows for people to have much more fun with its stress-free handling, arcade style gameplay and joyous destruction.

Colin McRae once said 'if in doubt - flat out' and that's what DiRT Showdown is all about. It's not about playing nice, but rather to put the medal to the metal straight in to a concrete wall. The spirit of Colin McRae lives on in the games from Codemasters Racing and they have once again delivered an amazing racing experience.

DiRT Showdown is not just a spinoff of DiRT 3, and that is not because DiRT 4 is in development deep within Codemasters. The game is a deliberate shift in the DiRT series to a new direction, without upsetting core rally fans by changing or dropping the trademark precision racing. It could be said that DiRT Showdown is to DiRT what the Zombies mode is to Treyarch's Call of Duty; fun, violent and never takes itself too seriously.

If you are after an arcade racer that doesn't take itself too seriously, then this is for you. It won't suit everyone, but as a package it offers plenty for those who want to dive in. The is plenty of content across all the available modes and the introduction of RaceNet should keep the dedicated entertained for a long time.

DiRT Showdown isn't going to change the world – it's a frothy, tongue-in-cheek driving game with pretensions towards nothing beyond providing entertainment. But it does that in spades, with considerable technical accomplishment.

DiRT Showdown offers an arcade experience that follows the path taken with Dirt 2 and Dirt 3, leaving the simulation part of the series. Those looking for something that resembles the original gameplay of the Colin McRae series should keep searching, but if you are looking for fun arcade races this is your game.

An extension that creams off the outwardly silly side of throwing cars around muddy tracks, and packages it up in a bright, boisterous party bag. It may lack a little single-player finesse, but then, you can't have a shindig without a crowd.

DiRT goes wild! With this hilarious spin-off, Codemasters puts the fun in front of every simulative ambition, dishing out a game that brings back memories of the first two Destruction Derby, mixed with the award winning Codies unique style.

For longtime fans of the DiRT games, especially those who appreciate its realistic approach to rally racing, Showdown is an abomination, an overly simple sell-out, or a bad joke of a spin-off... But for fans of off-road racing games who want something more forgiving than DiRT but still somewhat rooted in reality, or someone wishing Forza Motorsport 4 had some off-road races and a demolition derby or two, Showdown is anything but a bumpy ride.

Showdown is not just a party game, nor is it the limp refurb you might expect this late in a console life cycle. It feels like something as crucial to Codemasters Racing as any of its predecessors – less a spin-off than a deliberate change of tack.

If you're looking for the next great rally simulator, you won't find it here. But to ignore Dirt Showdown because of its arcade styling would be to deny yourself one of the most satisfying of pleasures: that of mindless, over-the-top, and--above all--deliciously addictive destruction.

You'll love pretty much every minute, and then you'll move on, and the 'downloadable game' suspicion will suddenly make sense: Dirt Showdown's wonderful, but it's probably also a flash in the pan. As long as you know that going in, then you shouldn't be disappointed.

The events in Dirt Showdown are literally hit & miss. While the lap-racing is rather dull and hardly engaging, the car-wrecking Rampage and Knock-Out modes make you giggle like a schoolgirl and swear like a sailor. But only in multiplayer does the game lives up to its full potential. Compared to the fabulous Dirt 3, the Showdown spin-off feels like a setback.

A largely successful spin-off for the series, and one that thrives in multiplayer.

Codemasters adds a "Destruction Derby Twist" to the core formula of its rally series. The result is a fast-paced arcade, capable to entertain every fan of the genre with an accessible driving system.

When it comes to fun and variety of cars in a racer, Dirt Showdown delivers well!

DiRT Showdown is a pleasing arcade take on the classical rally franchise, with the great technical production Codemasters used us to. Nevertheless, it lacks some spice expecially if played alone, ending up to be recommendable mainly to people willing to play an immediate and entertaining racer with friends.

If you like your races rough and tough and are not afraid to put scratches and dents onto the paint, this one is definitely for you. But be aware that this showdown is some sort of recycling machine where DiRt 3 players will recognize Gymkhana and the majority of the locations.

It almost feels as if developer Codemasters wanted to take the series in an exciting new direction, but they also wanted to play it safe. The result is Showdown, a game that has great potential, but squanders it by not doing really anything that hasn't been done better in other games.

DiRT Showdown does a great job of bringing an action packed racing experience to the living room - but it won't appeal to gamers looking for that rallying sim. Additionally it isn't focused on a racing career, such as the previous titles have been. But if that still sounds appealing, you won't be disappointed....give it a try.

This Dirt spin-off focuses on fast races, ramming into other cars and performing stunts, without any fuss. The execution leaves something to be desired when it comes to presentation and gameplay, but at least you'll be treated to a large dose of adrenaline.

Despite Showdown's limitations, as it has with its other games, Codemasters has provided this title with a solid foundation. The handling of the cars is thankfully easier than the base Dirt series (including in the Hoonigan events), and the balancing on the Boost ability is great. Codemasters' first try at this offshoot series is decent. It's limited more by its execution than its premise.

It's a decent arcade racer that could have been made great with a tighter focus on the good stuff.

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.

There is still an extremely functional, good, even, racer beneath the surface, but in this genre that isn't enough to save the game.