DiRT Rally 2.0 Review: The New Rally Sim Standard

Oh boy, can't wait for the problem of repetitive, hand built stages (of which they're really only one long track split up into sections, subsequently reversed) to be solved by literally selling the previous game's stages, which should have been in the game from the beginning, instead of being sold and touting being barely remastered as a selling point!

I'm sorry, but no matter how good this game is (Of which I probably will agree, considering the remaining competition either looks like a dog's half eaten dinner, or feel so cheap that I don't bother paying full price Canadian for) the elephant in the room, the way that Codemasters has structured the rallies being offered for the season pass, is abhorrent, and really colors the rest of the game. And yet for the most part, Codies escapes the heat, when I guarantee that if this was EA or Ubisoft doing it, then people would be looking to the pitchforks. Why? Is it just because Codies makes games for a specific niche that people feel, oh well, it doesn't matter? Because it's pretty obvious that all the 'rallies' that are going to be offered in the Season Pass are barely remastered stages from DR1, upgraded to handle the deformation model. Why couldn't that have been in the game to begin with, and offer all new locations and stages subsequently to be paid for?

Everything about the run up to this game, much like Forza 7 now that I think about it, hasn't inspired ANY confidence with what comes after launch. Especially when you take into account Codemasters' usual efforts of firing a game out to the masses, *maybe* pushing out a patch after 60 or 90 days, and then nothing until inevitably they announce another DiRT game, probably DiRT 5. Sure, they have a season pass that goes through what, two seasons as it stands? Certainly doesn't stop me from thinking they're going to follow that to the letter and abandon the game like they did DiRT Rally. And DiRT 4...and hell, basically every one of these games with the exception of DiRT 3.
 
I'll be preordering the deluxe edition this evening after work. The reviews I have read let me know there is no point waiting, I'm in.
 
I bought Dirt 4 a few months ago and love it. I liked it's handling on the tracks. Not too sure I'm fond of what I been seeing mentioned regarding Dirt Rally 2.0 that it's somewhat unforgiving in that department as most times I just want to get on the tracks and have an enjoyable ride without as much frustration with the cars losing control/more slippery and such.
I'll still get it sometime down the road though when there's a sale.
Wreckfest...Now that's the one I'm looking forward to getting when eventually released for PS4 and will be pre-ordering that just before official release.
 
I will probably get it eventually when it goes on sale, but I really don't have much faith in Codies so I'll wait and see how long they actually support it for.

Silver Arrows
And yet for the most part, Codies escapes the heat, when I guarantee that if this was EA or Ubisoft doing it, then people would be looking to the pitchforks. Why? Is it just because Codies makes games for a specific niche that people feel, oh well, it doesn't matter?
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I find it rather confusing as well considering Codies has been doing the micro-transaction thing since at least the PS2 days.
 
Northstar
I find it rather confusing as well considering Codies has been doing the micro-transaction thing since at least the PS2 days.
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Have they? Please enlighten us all as to when?

Great review, good read, got my excited for my copy arriving
 
Can’t cancel my GameStop preorder without getting charged $5 for store delivery so I’m picking up the Day One edition at launch regardless. Won’t be using GameStop to preorder ever again especially when the store staff say “don’t preorder through the website, it’s terrible”. Should have just used Amazon like I usually do.
 
Northstar
They used to assign individual pass/cheat codes for each copy, you could contact them and for $3 they would give you the code for your copy.

https://community.eurogamer.net/thread/1179
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That's just cheat codes for lazy people :confused: accelerated unlocking, nothing to do with DLC or micro transactions.

No PS2 game had micro transactions and I'm fairly sure none had dlc. Not just Codemasters, no one.

Even on the following gen, dirt 1 and 2 had no dlc or micro transactions. Dirt 3 had a few add in packs which added a range of brand new cars and tracks for between 2 and 10 bucks.

Dirt rally 1, no dlc or micros, Dirt 4, same again. So your accusations against them are pretty thin on the ground when there's only 1 game in the entire series that had post launch DLC, 90% of which was new content.
 
Silver Arrows
Oh boy, can't wait for the problem of repetitive, hand built stages (of which they're really only one long track split up into sections, subsequently reversed) to be solved by literally selling the previous game's stages, which should have been in the game from the beginning, instead of being sold and touting being barely remastered as a selling point!

I'm sorry, but no matter how good this game is (Of which I probably will agree, considering the remaining competition either looks like a dog's half eaten dinner, or feel so cheap that I don't bother paying full price Canadian for) the elephant in the room, the way that Codemasters has structured the rallies being offered for the season pass, is abhorrent, and really colors the rest of the game. And yet for the most part, Codies escapes the heat, when I guarantee that if this was EA or Ubisoft doing it, then people would be looking to the pitchforks. Why? Is it just because Codies makes games for a specific niche that people feel, oh well, it doesn't matter? Because it's pretty obvious that all the 'rallies' that are going to be offered in the Season Pass are barely remastered stages from DR1, upgraded to handle the deformation model. Why couldn't that have been in the game to begin with, and offer all new locations and stages subsequently to be paid for?

Everything about the run up to this game, much like Forza 7 now that I think about it, hasn't inspired ANY confidence with what comes after launch. Especially when you take into account Codemasters' usual efforts of firing a game out to the masses, *maybe* pushing out a patch after 60 or 90 days, and then nothing until inevitably they announce another DiRT game, probably DiRT 5. Sure, they have a season pass that goes through what, two seasons as it stands? Certainly doesn't stop me from thinking they're going to follow that to the letter and abandon the game like they did DiRT Rally. And DiRT 4...and hell, basically every one of these games with the exception of DiRT 3.
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So, I'm not saying you're wrong, at least about some of the things. There's a lot of hyperbole and exaggeration to sift through here, though.

The lack of stages is the biggest issue with the game. That said, what is there is very good indeed. The suggestion that all DR1 locations be in from launch, and the new locations be paid-for content, would just end with another whinge from portions of the fanbase, that "everything new was locked behind a paywall."

I'm also not saying the DLC plans are particularly great — in fact, we'll be discussing that in further detail in the near future — but it's not necessarily relevant to the subject of the review itself. We can only rate what is there, and what's there is consistently high-quality content.

I'd agree that DR2's specific niche does afford it a different sort of approach in terms of reviews, too. I could ding it for not having hundreds of cars a la FM7, but that's not really the point of it, is it? The goal here is an uncompromising rendition of rally racing, and nothing in the game really suggests otherwise.
 
MagpieRacer
That's just cheat codes for lazy people :confused: accelerated unlocking, nothing to do with DLC or micro transactions.
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Shortcuts like the ones sold by CM in the early 2000's are a common form of modern microtransactions.

Dirt rally 1, no dlc or micros, Dirt 4, same again. So your accusations against them are pretty thin on the ground when there's only 1 game in the entire series that had post launch DLC, 90% of which was new content.
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While I applaud the fact they haven't gone back down the microtransaction road, the lack of DLC is actually one of my complaints.

Edit: Scratch that, Dirt 4 has a Team Booster Pack, so there are microtransactions in Dirt 4.
 
SlipZtrEm
The suggestion that all DR1 locations be in from launch, and the new locations be paid-for content, would just end with another whinge from portions of the fanbase, that "everything new was locked behind a paywall."
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If the quandary is 'new content locked behind a paywall' and 'the season pass being all barely remastered locations from DiRT 1, when it could have been in the game from the start' then I guarantee that most people would agree with putting new locations behind a paywall would be a good idea if it meant that the stages that are currently being held back for DLC is in the game and it beefs up the location list. DLC can be an incredibly powerful tool in bringing people back into your game. What does the DLC for DR2, in the location part of it, tell me? It tells me that i'm definitely going to love driving new cars on the same old courses that I played in 2015, except now i'm paying 11 bucks Canadian for it.

Of course, this problem wouldn't have cropped up if Your Stage was actually expanded upon and the problems fixed, instead of Codies deciding to throw the baby out with the bath water and go back to individual stages.
 
Ok so if I'm getting this, it'll be a really step forward to my WRC5. And btw, I saw a gameplay, and I didn't realize that there was a 240Z rally car. Pretty neat tbh :lol:
 
tunaphis
Admittedly ashamed at supporting this style of release,Known dlc,It just looks good and now pre-ordered.
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See, this is ultimately the rub. I'm not dealing with anything Milestone or whoever makes the WRC games anymore because most of their games feel cheap, look like crap, and aren't worth it even half off, especially not full price. And for what it's worth, Codemasters have been very good in having their games feel good to play with on a pad, which is what matters to me, and the games that Codies makes aren't bug fests that don't have problems that have lingered for years like a certain other sim racing developer. But you're ultimately allowing Codies to fire and forget their games with no sign of DLC to get me or anyone else excited for playing the game at any point other then the initial 30 or 60 days. Sure, they might have a season or two of DLC in the pipe now, and the cars that have been revealed are certainly incredibly tempting, but none of that matters when the other side of the coin - the locations for rally, are almost undoubtedly going to be barely remastered locations of what I played in 2015.

So ultimately, yeah, I'm probably going to enjoy DR2, and considering what has been released for rally games in this generation, I will take the pill and swallow with regards to how Codies operate. Certainly doesn't excuse their actions, and should be enough to get critical of them, far more then many seem to be doing.
 
Silver Arrows
If the quandary is 'new content locked behind a paywall' and 'the season pass being all barely remastered locations from DiRT 1, when it could have been in the game from the start' then I guarantee that most people would agree with putting new locations behind a paywall would be a good idea if it meant that the stages that are currently being held back for DLC is in the game and it beefs up the location list. DLC can be an incredibly powerful tool in bringing people back into your game. What does the DLC for DR2, in the location part of it, tell me? It tells me that i'm definitely going to love driving new cars on the same old courses that I played in 2015, except now i'm paying 11 bucks Canadian for it.

Of course, this problem wouldn't have cropped up if Your Stage was actually expanded upon and the problems fixed, instead of Codies deciding to throw the baby out with the bath water and go back to individual stages.
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Are you really making the argument that the best way to sell a game (and then its DLC) is to make the base package — the thing that sells for more, and will sell in a higher quantity — all content players have seen in the previous game, and then keep the new stuff behind a paywall?

I get what you're saying regarding the DLC: that people would likely be more willing to part with their additional cash for new content. But I feel like you're focusing on just the DLC and not the whole picture. DLC attach rates are a fraction of a full game's sales (not counting MTs), so it wouldn't make much sense to minimize the shelf appeal of the base game to try to cash in on the raised appeal of DLC.

...and before anybody brings up GTS' boatload of free content, we'll all remind ourselves that's a studio that's essentially got carte blanche with Sony's purse strings. Codies does not have that sort of backing. :P

Theiceman1
So career mode is online only?
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That's how it's been for me. No connection to RaceNet, no ability to play the main career, though everything else is open.
 
SlipZtrEm
That's how it's been for me. No connection to RaceNet, no ability to play the main career, though everything else is open.
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Please, I have a very important question and favor to ask you. Can you check without the day 1 patch if Career is truly locked for PS4/Xbox1 if you have no internet? Would you be able to ask CM's if this is the case for the full release.

I would really like to 100% know this. I have no stable connection where I live. Thank you for your time.
 
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Silver Arrows
See, this is ultimately the rub. I'm not dealing with anything Milestone or whoever makes the WRC games anymore because most of their games feel cheap, look like crap, and aren't worth it even half off, especially not full price. And for what it's worth, Codemasters have been very good in having their games feel good to play with on a pad, which is what matters to me, and the games that Codies makes aren't bug fests that don't have problems that have lingered for years like a certain other sim racing developer. But you're ultimately allowing Codies to fire and forget their games with no sign of DLC to get me or anyone else excited for playing the game at any point other then the initial 30 or 60 days. Sure, they might have a season or two of DLC in the pipe now, and the cars that have been revealed are certainly incredibly tempting, but none of that matters when the other side of the coin - the locations for rally, are almost undoubtedly going to be barely remastered locations of what I played in 2015.

So ultimately, yeah, I'm probably going to enjoy DR2, and considering what has been released for rally games in this generation, I will take the pill and swallow with regards to how Codies operate. Certainly doesn't excuse their actions, and should be enough to get critical of them, far more then many seem to be doing.
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See now I think you're just totally ignoring everyone now. Guaranteed 6 months of support for starters so no one's allowing them to "fire and forget" because the game hasn't even come out yet, if in 6 months time they haven't supported the game and the DLC we've been promised doesn't materialize then you might have some weight to tour argument, but you currently don't, and probably never will.

Secondly, the "barely remastered stages". You've driven the new ones then? Well that's disappointing to hear they don't feature the new graphical assets, new environmental effects, 150 levels of stage degradation, new athmospheric assets and are exactly the same as they were in Dirt Rally. :banghead:
 
For my taste there is a severe lack of content which will be addressed with DLCs. No reason for me to buy It at release date. May Is the date.

I do not like (as for the first game) how difficulty level works in the career mode. I would have preferred to have it adjustable for my likings. The game Is surely super hard to master and this will end my career progression. In the first one i completed pikes peak and RX at master difficulty but no way i could deal with rallying at that level of difficulty and even a step lower and that Is a pity because also weather and night were going in combination with difficulty.
 
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SlipZtrEm
The lack of stages is the biggest issue with the game. That said, what is there is very good indeed. The suggestion that all DR1 locations be in from launch, and the new locations be paid-for content, would just end with another whinge from portions of the fanbase, that "everything new was locked behind a paywall."
Click to expand...

I agree that would have had a backlash as well but why didn't they include Monaco, Germany and Sweden in the the base game. This way the game would have had 9 locations and it would have been a great base package. DLC could be expanded upon with additional stages for those locations and a couple of remastered locations from D1. I am sure people would be willing to pay for that solution a lot more easily than currently seems to be the case.

Career locked behind online connectivity is another thing that doesn't make me that happy :rolleyes:
 
doblocruiser
I agree that would have had a backlash as well but why didn't they include Monaco, Germany and Sweden in the the base game. This way the game would have had 9 locations and it would have been a great base package. DLC could be expanded upon with additional stages for those locations and a couple of remastered locations from D1. I am sure people would be willing to pay for that solution a lot more easily than currently seems to be the case.

Career locked behind online connectivity is another thing that doesn't make me that happy :rolleyes:
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Because they aren't ready. 👍
 
Pre ordering Dirt 2.0 for Xbox one X tomorrow yay:) i wasn’t great at dirt rally but I’ll give it a red hot go! Looks really good from what I have read and seen :)
 
Well I've got the deluxe version on pre-order, and I've booked tomorrow off work to have a thrash around with it.

I'm happy with the content as I feel most games have too much content, meaning I leave vast amounts of the game untouched, like PC2.

doblocruiser
Career locked behind online connectivity is another thing that doesn't make me that happy :rolleyes:
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Yeah, not happy about that. It basically means that the game dies when the servers are switched off. For a title that is for the most part a solo player pursuit that's unforgivable. That said at least the rest of the game outside of the career mode functions, unlike GTS.
 
SlipZtrEm
That's how it's been for me. No connection to RaceNet, no ability to play the main career, though everything else is open.
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The entirety of Career Mode, a'la GT Sport? It has to be a bad joke, surely.
 

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