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Gift for nephew
My nephew loves it. Once they were able to get the software running. Word to the wise, pay attention to the specs needed to run this game. It may take more than your computer has in order to run it. Once they got some upgrades for the computer, it apparently runs ok!

Fun, but with performance issues :-(
This game is extremely fun (great sense of speed!), but unfortunately, the game has performance issues, even on a "monster" system like mine: eVGA 780i, Q6600 @3.6 GHz, 2x Nvidia 8800 Ultra's, 2GB Kingston Hyper-X RAM @ 800 MHz clk 3-3-3-10-2T, Creative Soundblaster X-Fi XtremeGamer, Win XP Pro, etc. The frame-rate is extremely jumpy, and at times will just pause for a few micro-seconds when more than one car is on-screen, no matter what resolution/graphics settings--such a shame, as this heavily detracts from otherwise awesome presentation. Get the Xbox 360 or PS3 version instead.

Eye candy with Arcade Physics
DiRT is great to look at, fun to play, but ultimately it falls short of being a racing simulator. The hardware requirements are very serious if you desire all of the bells and whistles. My P4 3.0 GHz / ATI x1950 GT rig was literally crawling at 1024x768 Ultra (under 1 fps). Race 07 WTCC was made in 2007 and I can run that with full details at 1024x768 and still maintain 40-55 fps thanks to the automatic frame rate maintainer. My reference to Race 07 WTCC is a hint that I will be making further comparisons between DiRT and Race 07 / GTR2.

The menu interface in DiRT is cumbersome and annoying. It screams "console port" because it appears to be designed for players with short attention spans. A simple menu system would have sufficed, but nonetheless the system in DiRT works flawlessly albeit clustered.

The sound effects are rather lackluster. The Impreza did not feel like it was modeled after a Subaru WRX STI with the Boxer H4. The engine revs sounded weak and numb. I had to look at the tachometer or shift lights each time because the engine sound was too vague. Tire squeels, gravel roads, mud roads, etc... did not sound like the real thing. Launching the STI is usually the coolest part in real life but in DiRT, I'm greeted with a vague squeel and the engine just sort of hums at the redline.

The lack of "free play" is a major drawback. As soon as you leave a designated zone of a course, it rests and plops your car back into the course. With Race 07 and GTR2, you CAN stray off the course (well off the course) to do some limited exploring. Again, the automatic reset makes DiRT feel like a cheap console port.

The steering and brakes seem to be designed for a console controller. The steering is so linear that it felt like I was driving a slot car. There wasn't any body roll. The brakes are also too sensitive. Granted, the WRC cars have outstanding brakes, but this amount of sensitivity just screams poor modeling. In Race 07 WTCC, the Formula 3000 / GP2 cars have very grabby brakes and that is expected due to the intense grip from the tires and the light chassis. The WRC cars are supposed to be streetable cars that drive on loose mud. There's no way an Evo IX or STI could "stop on a dime" like it does in DiRT.

I mainly wanted to find a racing simulator that accurately models AWD cars. GTR2 does a fantastic job with RWD GT-spec cars, while Race 07 WTCC includes an updated suite of graphics, cars, tracks, and physics and includes Front-wheel drive cars. In both GTR2 and Race 07, I can get a good sensation of speed in certain cars and the engines SCREAM when you get near redline. There's a real clutch in those games, and the cars handle more realistically.

Overall, I feel that DiRT is a fun "arcade" racing game that falls flat in realism and that is probably expected from some players. I give this game 3/5 stars overall, but it deserves a 4/5 for fun factor because lets face it, it's an enjoyable game! Not many gamers are used to GTR2 and Race 07. If you read my reviews of GTR2 and Race 07, you will find me criticizing the realism because it still lacks that certain "feel" to make it cross over into a true simulation.

Great game
Terrific game. Run this on my laptop with medium graphic settings and I am still blown away with the visual representaion. Game play is smooth, and has a nice arcade feel to it which I like. Only gripe is my x-box style controller makes the vehicle control a little twitchy at times....but hey its a game so I can deal with it...if you have the extra money would recommend a wheel and pedal setup....but don't let that stop you from buying this game. Terrific game.

DiRT
This game is quite fun to play. Had some trouble, but easily got the patch at the games website. Had to buy a new video card, too. Very graphic intense game!