DiRT Showdown Review

DiRT Showdown crashes its way into a racing series that has enjoyed much success in recent times. DiRT 2, released in 2009, was a fantastic rally game with exceptional visuals. Less than two years later, DiRT 3 introduced events based the free form Gymkhana mode but stuck true to its rally heritage. Codemasters have taken just one year to mix Gymkhana with demolition derby for this new chaotic twist on the franchise. The result is unfortunately less than spectacular. This is certainly not a game for rally fans, nor is it a particularly good arcade racer.

Showdown bleeds a party atmosphere from the first time you hear the bad race commentary. Christian Stevenson takes up the role as narrator / commentator and thankfully his music selection is great. Unfortunately his racing commentary is rather ordinary. Aside from his irritating use of the pronoun “they”, he voices unfunny terms for crashes. His commentary is designed to invoke excitement but exaggerated collisions would have worked better. Apart from some agreeable music, the party atmosphere doesn’t really add anything.

You’ll notice the changes from the Rally focused predecessors when you start your first event. It begins with trackside attractions like Ferris wheels, Paragliders, hot air balloons and fireworks. Cars are designed with destruction in mind and some even use steel beams as bumpers. There are only two camera views, trailing and hood, so you won’t get to enjoy a tense cockpit perspective. The Tachometer has been replaced with car health and boost meters. Boost automatically recharges and gives you a slight speed increase. These changes make for a different feeling arcade racer that struggles with new modes.

Rampage (demolition derby) is a new mode that puts you and seven cars in a small non-descript arena. You must slam into as many vehicles as you can before the time runs out. More damage is done to the sides and rear with bonus points awarded for bringing enemy car health to zero. One problem that arises early is the inconsistency of collision rewards. Should you ram aggressively into another car you may receive no points. Even hitting at odd angles, particularly in heavy traffic, can produce the same non-result. The Rampage mode is shallow, inconsistent and it lacks satisfying smashes.

The Knock Out mode is similar to Rampage with the difference being that it occurs on a small platform. Your goal is to push off vehicles to gain points. Light cars are useless for this mode and, just like in Rampage, you will often receive zero points for knocking out groups that gather obligingly at the edges. The two new crash modes are poor against AI drivers. You will either feel like every car is after you or that several monkeys are now in control of the other vehicles. It’s unfortunate that you will be forced to pick between these two modes during the campaign.

There are some enjoyable game modes though, like Race Off and Smash Hunter. Smash Hunter has you following trails of coloured boxes around arenas. It’s similar to the Invasion mode from DiRT 3. Occasionally different paths can be taken and hitting the wrong color will prevent completion. Luckily you can rewind the clock, using a flashback, to correct mistakes. Smash hunter is uncomplicated but at least it rewards accurate driving.

Race Off would be a good mode if it wasn’t for the shameless reuse of its predecessor’s tracks. Tokyo, Michigan, Colorado and Baja all have their tracks recycled with few changes. Tracks get jump ramps, lots of barrels and more pyrotechnics than a New Year’s Eave party. Some barrels, placed only to create more physics collisions, reset after each lap. I never did see the crew that replaces the barrel configurations but I will never stop searching. The flashback (rewind) feature is also sorely missing from this infrequent mode. Race Off is passable but there are very few new tracks to race on.

8 Ball is the merger of Rampage and cyclic racing. The tracks lack visual appeal with samey loops and crossroads. When you take the lead in 8 ball races you are never safe from collisions. You’ll need collision recovery and avoidance skills but you are still at the mercy of uncontrollable factors. Strong vehicles, which can be upgraded to improve handling or power, are not easily destroyed or spun off course. There is limited excitement when a vehicle slams directly into a competitor but 8 ball races are too much of a grind.

Even on intermediate difficulty, AI drivers catch up unrealistically during races. This is a common problem in racing games but here you are harassed by drivers until the very last lap. This is most noticeable after crashing. As you approach the crawling leading pack, AI drivers will speed up to match your pace. Later in the game, a slow vehicle accelerated nonsensically because it was so far behind the leaders. The auto catch-up is far more obvious than it was in the previous DiRT games and makes winning less satisfying.

The free form Gymkhana mode returns but has lost some of its appeal. Head 2 Head has drivers performing tricks in sequence instead of pure racing. There is a much higher tolerance for poor quality drifting and donuts than in DiRT 3. You can complete tricks with your eyes closed and will breeze through all the events. Yokohama Docks is a new area that behaves the same as the reused Battersea. Areas unlock as you perform some gratifying tricks hidden around containers and warehouses. The Gymkhana element hasn’t really been improved and the result is slightly underwhelming.

Multiplayer is a big focus for Showdown but the net code compounds existing problems and, as with the single player, it relies too much on luck. The DiRT series never had flawless netcode, but it survived by using ghost cars or making avoidance desirable. Much of Showdown’s action revolves around crashing opponents so that buffer is lost. You’ll hit drivers and receive paltry points or seemingly miss them only to be spun off course. You might be awarded points when stationary or receive nothing when you clearly make contact. Cars may vanish into thin air only to reappear seconds later. What initially sounds like fun, crashing your friends into walls, turns out to be full of needless frustration.

The problems continue with many of the other modes. The 8 ball races are particularly terrifying to experience in multiplayer. One appealing aspect of 8 Ball is that first place is easily attainable from dead last thanks to horrifying crossovers. Domination is consistently enjoyable due to the steady racing but appears so infrequently. Matches are finished quickly regardless of the mode you are playing. These short stints prevent the action from becoming stale but it also means you’ll have to endure the bad to play the good.

Steam matchmaking and achievements are used for Showdown, marking the first transition from GFW Live for the series. You can search for solo and team matches or try your luck with specific game mode searches. Solo is more popular with player numbers already on the low side. Vetoing tracks and modes is a lot quicker but the rest functions much the same as the previous titles. One good feature is being able to send challenges to friends after you finish events. Your friends will get limited attempts against your ghost car for in-game money and bragging rights. Steam integration works well but the in game net code is not quite up to the task when crashes become the focus.

Showdown is a letdown for the series and a rather ordinary arcade racer. Its biggest failure is the sheer lack of good original content with tracks reused from its predecessors. Very few of the new modes provide more than casual enjoyment and some rely too much on luck. In Multiplayer, you’ll need to turn a blind eye to collision problems and grit your teeth through the unsatisfying game modes. At least the driving controls and visuals remain excellent. If you are still tempted by a destruction and racing combination, FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage is one better option. Showdown is an attractive jukebox with a few passable modes on a small number of new tracks.