Dirt Rally 2.0 Review: Gameplay Videos, Features and Impressions

Dirt Rally 2.0 doesn't proclaim itself as a simulation and balk on the promise—it is almost unrivaled in this arena and doesn't apologize for it.  

A direct sequel to Dirt Rally (2015), bypassing the procedurally generated, more arcadey Dirt 4 that came after it, Dirt Rally 2.0 gets back to the gritty, unforgiving simulation experience dedicated fans adore and onlookers can (and should) be intimidated by. 

Promising updated graphics, revamped physics and true-to-life systems for players to juggle, Dirt Rally 2.0 is the best game yet from developer Codemasters. Players seeking out a challenge should flock to it, as the reward for tackling the time sink that is mastery of the game is borderline unrivaled in gaming.

Gameplay

Dirt Rally 2.0 is the best simulation experience on the market—and it can be brutally unforgiving if players make even the slightest of mistakes. 

It sounds intimidating, and it is. Players have to handle tire grips on various surfaces, track deformation, weather impacting the former and latter, other opponents, damage and an entire team, to name a few items. 

For starters, this is the first time players will have their say in tire compound choices. While the usual tuning toggles are here, compound options can impact the outcome of an event, as choosing the wrong type can lead to them wearing out too quickly, meaning even less control.  

And that is simply the micromanagement before a race begins. Once it does, players will not only need to be cognizant of the track and vehicle but the type of surface they traverse.

Gravel can feel different from mud, and snow is a different beast entirely. They all feel distinct, and things only get better (or worse, depending on one's outlook) once dynamic weather sets into play.

Those deformations on a lapped event, for example, can pool and create big handling problems. In a time trial, starting first will mean a clean sprint, and starting near the back will create additional challenges after other drivers already tore up the course. 

This all wraps nicely into the available modes. Rally is a point-to-point time trial over the course of a sprint that can last as long as 10 minutes at times. A co-driver robotically calls out the course ahead.

Rallycross removes the lonely feeling of the sprint and throws down five drivers at once on a track and—like the overall game itself—the opposition is cold and unforgiving. 

Keep in mind damage carries over from event to event, and the same credits earned to purchase upgrades or vehicles also must be spent on repairs.

It adds a risk-reward element to the gameplay in a way most racers can't, and it's truly one of the tenser overall experiences in gaming. 

Damage realistically alters how the vehicles handle, too. Overcorrecting in an effort to save a slide around a hairpin and denting the front left of the vehicle will create some noticeable drag from the area. 

The type of vehicle also plays a role in how things perform. It is fun to feel the rather jaw-dropping differences between rides from the 1960s and today's all-wheel-drive monstrosities.

The former seems slippery and more demanding, whereas the latter hunkers down around a corner and absolutely explodes out of the hunched look when the player slams the accelerator, not unlike a football player off the snap. 

Granted, era-to-era comparisons feel different, but the same can't be said for in-era comparisons. Comparing a modern car to another one on the track doesn't feel like it yields overly different results. One could argue they shouldn't, but it is worth pointing out. 

The same doesn't apply to the tracks—not even close. Keep in mind it's the tracks that make the game difficult, not necessarily the cars themselves...just like in real life.

There are six distinct rally stages featuring Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and more. On the FIA World Rallycross Championship side, eight of the WorldRX circuits from this season make an appearance. 

Simple descriptions like "heavy gravel, smooth asphalt" don't do the challenges and distinct feel of the tracks justice, though. There is a big, big difference between the burst of speed in New England compared to, say, the sharp corners and big drops of the track in Spain. 

True to its nature, Dirt Rally 2.0 doesn't offer a tutorial. But part of the fun is simply getting on the track and experimenting with all the systems and uncovering the minute differences between the surface types.

It can feel unfair to the impatient, but on a controller or racing wheel, the game's true-to-life experience is worth the time investment. 

Graphics and Presentation

Dirt Rally 2.0 doesn't slack in either department. 

While the focus is on the racing itself, Codemasters made a point to provide an upgrade in the visuals given how it so intricately factors into the gameplay. 

The stages all have their own identities dedicated players will come to know well quickly. It's a visual treat to go tearing around dirt corners and hitting straights on a cliff with the sparkling ocean stretching off into the distance on the right. Ditto for tearing over the red gravel of the outback in Australia or trying to navigate through foliage. 

Obviously, the car design is spectacular, though perhaps more impressive is when damage starts to come into play. Bumpers start yawning toward the ground, dents form. But the little details really add up. Smoke billows out from behind the car on dirt, rain gushes into deformations. It's fun to see pedestrians on the sides of stages, cameras flashing. 

The first-person perspective from within the car is pristine, and paired with a racing wheel, it is one of the more immersive experiences in gaming. The details within the car are solid, and the added difficulty from looking through the windshield outward is a good touch.

Little presentation quips are a boon, too, as pre-race cameras span the stage and post-race cameras can get right inside the car to show the driver's reaction the event. 

From the complaints of the brakes to the crackle of pebbles kicked up on to a vehicle's underbelly, Dirt Rally 2.0 is a masterclass of sound design in a racing game.

Impressively enough, even the sounds coming from the vehicles seem to change once some damage is suffered.

The marriage of sound and visuals and their impact on gameplay needed properly handled, and it is here, which only adds to the immersion, not to mention fun factor. 

Career and More

Dirt Rally 2.0 doesn't focus on silly things and gets right to the point. 

While some racing games have started shoving emotes and timely-for-the-era social features into their games, Codemasters has some barebones features because it wants the focus on the track. 

There is a career mode here both in rally and rallycross form. Arguably more interesting is the Historic mode tucked away under the Freeplay menu, which offers educational cutscenes as a player progresses through the eras. 

Also under Freeplay is a chance to compete for titles, create custom games and run time trials on any of the game's tracks. Alongside the career, players can tackle daily and weekly challenges, which range from one stage to nine for now and can reward boatloads of credits. 

This all sounds like standard fare, but a roster of 50 cars, more promised tracks on the way soon and the sheer time investment needed for newer players to start being competitive makes it feel like a weighty offering. 

At first, it can be a bit off-putting how little immersion the overall experience seems to have. Career mode and otherwise simply feels like shuffling from race to race with little else to do.

But it is important to keep in mind the goal here—the on-track experience. Fittingly, Dirt Rally 2.0 doesn't flinch and accommodate players in this area, and viewed through that lens, it's hard to knock the game over it. 

It's also worth pointing out the team feature is an interesting twist to the racing genre as a whole and adds an unforeseen layer of depth. In other racing games, players can hop into a game and tune vehicles, but rarely do games have damage carry over from race to race and the ability of the crew surrounding the vehicle playing a role in how well it gets prepared for the next event. 

Players can not only add to the team but level up the ability of team members. Upgrading a co-driver's logistics knowledge, to present one of many examples, will reduce the penalty for resetting the car on the track. 

With two styles of careers, options for solo and competitive players and some interesting systems atop the gameplay, Dirt Rally 2.0 isn't as barebones as it might seem were one just reading off the features on a list. In fact, one could argue much more would have created some unnecessary bloat. 

Conclusion

Few games can feel as rewarding as this, provided a player is willing to sit down and put in some serious practice time. 

For those who do, Dirt Rally 2.0 can craft some of gaming's most unforgettable moments—that first win after a long slog of tweaks, experimentation and mastering the vehicle and track is one of those moments players won't ever forget. 

This keeps wrapping back to the theme of unforgiving, and understandably so. Series veterans and simulation savants don't need to be convinced to tackle Dirt Rally 2.0.

For everyone else, the combination of visuals, sound and—most importantly—feel is an experience worth seeking out and taking head-on, as this one masters a niche and also demands its competitors to raise their game.