Looking at the visual make-up of the game, it appears that little has changed from previous EGO-fuelled racing games: we're looking at a native 720p rendering solution on both formats, along with 4x multi-sampling anti-aliasing (MSAA) on the 360, and Quincunx (QAA) on the PlayStation 3. See for yourself in an extensive DiRT 3 comparison gallery, and check out the head-to-head video. The baseline 30FPS update remains - although noticeable screen tearing is still present on the PS3 - while the game boasts some rather nice lighting in the form of a controlled use of bloom, and impressive reflections on the cars themselves. This is also an engine that has been skilfully deployed on multiple formats without much in the way of compromise: the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game are remarkably close to each other.

However, as the end results are still so impressive, you can't really complain. There aren't really any major leaps forward to speak of though: it's more refinement as opposed to a visual revolution, and the lack of progress surrounding advanced terrain deformation is perhaps a tad disappointing. The tech powering the game, Codemasters' highly impressive EGO engine, remains a force to be reckoned with, generating lavishly detailed courses and a rather accomplished lighting solution which breathes life into the surrounding environments. Land Rushes, Head2Heads, and Rally Cross all make their return, while the inclusion of Gymkhana - a set of distinct challenges consisting of freestyle drifting, high speed jumps and more - provides a new hook for this third instalment.ĭiRT 3 feels both familiar and refreshed at the same time, but under the hood things haven't changed quite so dramatically. In DiRT 3 the focus is back onto traditional point-to-point rallying across terrain familiar to fans of the sport, though not without sacrificing the many enjoyable gameplay additions brought in with the second game.

While controversy surrounded attempts to appeal to a mainstream audience with DiRT 2, there's a real sense with the sequel that Codemasters has recaptured the raw essence of car and driver that has felt rather a touch subdued since Colin McRae Rally adopted the DiRT moniker.

Dirt 2 pc full screen