DiRT Rally DiRT Rally out on Steam Early Access

[Alex Franchini]

Codemasters has surprised everyone with today's launch of Dirt Rally on Steam, under the Early Access label.

Judging from the official Steam Announcement, Dirt Rally features at launch (which is right now) 17 cars and 36 stages taken from 3 different locations (Monte Carlo, Acropolis and Wales).

SEE ALSO: Brand New Community Made DiRT Rally Videos

As you can see from the announcement, one of the biggest bullet points is "Simulation Handling". While we still haven't tried it yet, Codemasters definitely seems to be aiming for a more unforgiving driving model, with a "brand new model that simulates everything from the way the surface of the road behaves to limited slip differentials." Exactly how sim-like it will be remains to be seen, but it's indeed a good start.

Dirt Rally will also feature asynchronous events, team management providing improved repair times, league support.

Dirt Rally is currently in Early Access and available for the price of 26,99€, and it's going to receive new content in the form of cars, tracks and features for free.

Are you surprised as well by the Codies' announcement? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

 

[Hejak]

Just tested this sim, quite good and realistic. Tarmac wet grip feel was unrealistic, Tarmac surface is not ready that's for sure. But dirt surface was amazing. I'm not so big Rally game fan but his one is ok, I like those B-group cars, yammy, maybe too easy to drive atm LOL. Ther's still too many little bugs with menu navigation but early access so it will be perfect, it's better than RBR ever...thanks!

Sorry but DR is not gonna be better than RBR. From what I see now it will be some kind of a compromise so that a big audience will be content with the title. RBR was and is still hated by many because it moves realism to a higher level: I mean handling of a car, feel of various surfaces, feel of understeer and oversteer, level of unforgiving any mistakes during special stages. DR is beautiful in terms of graphics and the game has got a potential but I doubt that in the end anybody would be able to call it a simulator or it would be close to RBR in terms of realism.

Answering to the previous post - the video from Rally GB from DR I put clearly shows how unrealistic is car's behaviour in the game during harsh, heavy rain in Wales. Just see few real videos from WRC and anybody can see that handling of the car in DR is to forgiving and unrealistic. But that's the way it is. Codemasters is a big company making games to earn a lot of money. Their F1 titles have never been realistic in terms of handling plus their every F1 title has bugs and problems - RFactor beats Codies F1 in terms of handling. The same with DR: RBR smashes Codies title. But RBR was created by a group of talented passionate programmers with an intention of disagreeing to any compromises and they had Richard Burns by their side. Still a long way home for DR to get even close to RBR.

 

[Flammenjc]

Nah, RBR was no more or less realistic than DR, the upside to DR is it is infinitely accessable compared to RBR which was a pain in the ass

 

[Hejak]

Nah, RBR was no more or less realistic than DR, the upside to DR is it is infinitely accessable compared to RBR which was a pain in the ass

RBR wasn't pain in the ass. Just life. I have played several times with my car in real life on snowy, icy surfaces and RBR is really very close to real life. I even mastered a skill of riding a bike on a surface covered with big snow while my rear tyre starts to slide and move left and right, I've learnt myself to skid my bike on snow, ice and rain surfaces without falling of. RBR might be hard for beginners, is unforgiving but gives a useful lesson of PHYSICS, understanding of any vehicle's behaviour (understanding RBR gave me an idea of real physics, preparation and helped me play with my bike and car in real, slippery conditions in real life). RBR is challenging and uncompromising and that's why it smashes DR in terms of realism.

For me pain in the ass is the situation on games' market because since 2004 I have been waiting for a true successor of RBR and it seems I might be forced to wait a little more. Let's hope DR will get updates that would bring the title closer to reality.

 

[Flammenjc]

Well, there is no such thing as a successor to RBR in a way, just like GPL it's one of a kind really, but there were so many things wrong with RBR, the sounds are just one of them, which DR most definately wins hands down. When DR has the ammount of stages that RBR did, it will surpass it IMO, the fact RWD cars are modded into RBR as FWD cars that drive backwards and therefore can't have a handbrake is but another downside.

 

[Arne Dopudja]

RBR physics are too punishing. Realistic doesn't mean hard to drive and that's what RBR is. On the other side, DR is as perfect in terms of physics just has different downsides.