The demo has just been released on the Xbox Live marketplace and as far as rally simulations go this game is intense. My leg is hurting from my instinct to hit the brakes, which basically means pushing on my wall. The speed, the sound, the exhilaration is all so real. At the very least give it a download people!

I hope there is an option in the retail game that allows you to adjust controller sensitivity. I mean that cars all feel like they have no weight and you just tap the controller to the left or right the driver(inside car view) turns the wheel like 180 degrees. You tend to adjust your line too much. Guess I will wait to see what is changed in the retail version..

I do admit I always found myself over steering through corners, but its definitely an improvement upon the snails pace many other rally games make you go for the sake of realism.

Very, VERY impressed with the DiRT demo. It sounded great, looked fantastic and felt great too. The damage modeling looks wonderful and it's nice to finally see barriers and tyre walls actually changing upon impact from your car, rather than remaining as static objects like in most other racing games. I was already interested in the title before this demo, but now it is a definite purchase from me. Sure, I may have Forza 2 but if there is another game that can take me away from that, it will be this.

Infact I can't wait for this game, I'm really excited for it now. Can't half tell can you? ;)

Oh and another thing; I'm rather interested to see what the next V8 Supercar game will be like now. Well I was interested in it regardless but considering that it will be using the DiRT engine and DiRT as a game is totally awesome, I have high hopes the next V8 game now too.

I was definitely impressed by the demo, but I'll probably buy this at a later date. Without any true head-to-head online multiplayer I can hold off for a while. Plus Forza 2 is just around the corner.... :P

I was a fan of CMR2 on PSX but was very disapointed with the rest of the series until now, noting really special has grabbed me yet. I wasn't a fan of (then) rival V-Rally either cos apart from he track builder it was too unrealistic compared to CMR2.

I then discovered the WRC games from Evo that were okay in the graphics and sound department but the car handled too lightly and seemed to float most of the time. I found myself playing the Rally Stages in GT4 more than the actual rally games out there, especially after I bought my Logi wheel!

I haven't tryed Dirt yet but am hoing it turns out great. I will be trying it out when I get the chance. Not top-of-my-list material yet. The graphics do look exceptional btw.

Have you noticed the attention to detail in regards to the engine bay? They actually model the engine itself, it isn't just an overlay.

I'm really looking forward to this. Thanks to my lack of Live, I'm stuck with the trailer, but that's amazing itself.

Am I right in saying that DiRT has a variety of racing disciplines? From the trailer, it only shows rally and sprint racing, but I think I read somewhere about F1 or F3 or something like that.

Either way, I'm really looking forward to it. It may well be my magnet back into the racing genre.

Anyone got a release date?

You sure you aren't thinking of Codemasters' other game, Race Driver (TOCA I think it is for you) there Dec?

As for the release date, June 29th for us so I assume it is a similar date for you.

I noticed with the buggy in the demo that the engine was moving according to how hard I was revving it and I actually said out a loud "awesome". I know it's only a small detail that isn't really relevant to the gameplay or whatever but not many games detail shit like that, so yes the attention to detail is very nice in this demo/game. It has the same level of subtle attention to detail that Forza 2 does, if you ask me...

Well, I know that TOCA had many different disciplines, but in a previous issue of PCG UK, there was an article on DiRT and...hold on...yeah, it says here:"---McRae now dabbles in everything from Le Mans to the Dakar Rally" Well, I don't know where I pulled the F1 thing out of, but it's a change at least.

Thanks for the info Nis. :D

Colin McRae ShIT imho

Well, thanks alot for your 'humble' opinion, there.

Jim WhORISON imho.

:lol: Nice.

Downloaded this the other night, played it briefly and had heaps of fun with it. I've always loved this series, the damage system is quite exquisite. Also, the menus and interface are ridiculously cool.

The Dakar Rally would be believeable, but Le Mans and F1?

:lol:

That magazine certainly got that one wrong...

Anyway, this game hits in 3 weeks or so. I'm looking forward to it. :D

I was always interested in the Colin games, but since I couldn't try them I never bothered. This demo really impressed me so I'll be getting the game - probably not at launch since Forza 2 will take up most of my racing time. Plus a price drop on the game won't hurt. ;)

i love colin mcrae dirt! maybe its cause i play it well :P

I'm just waiting on Colin McRae: Dirt Nap

Sorry... I know it is in extremely bad taste but I couldn't help it. :P

Seriously not about to make a Colin McRater joke.

Or "hard left, mind ground".

I'll ignore the last two posts in favour of doing something I should have done ages ago, but clearly forgot to - posting my thoughts of the game.

As I have mentioned above, I really dug the demo so I went in to the full game with high expectations. Expectations that were definitely met. We all know the game looks brilliant graphically and if you played the demo, that the sound quality is superb so I won't say anything more on those.

I will however say that as a rally game it's a very good one and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was great to have the typical point to point runs, as well as the hillclimb events (Pike's Peak, anyone?) in the game and the Buggy races and Truck races kept things interesting and gave the game a chance of pace every now and then which was also nice. I do have to say though that the Buggy racing and Truck racing events got a little repetitive to me near the end of the Career mode, but I'm not sure if that's the game's fault or mine as I'm a fan of the traditional point to point rallying. Either way the game was fun while it lasted and probably the best Colin McRae game to date.

That said, the game will get a little boring if you're an achievement whore (like me). Why? Well there's two distance achievements where you need to travel 500 miles and then 1000 miles. These two achievements can only be done in Career mode and well, I had the Career finished before I even unlocked the 500 miles achievement. My point? I had to drive the slight distance needed to hit 500 miles, and then another 500 miles after that to get the achievements. As you can imagine, re-doing races you have already done over and over again in order to build up your distance traveled is a bit on the tedious side and that's why it got a little boring by the end of it. It still doesn't change my thoughts on that game though, as a game it's brilliant and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of racing games.

Ironically enough, I obtained that 1000 miles achievement (and therefore 1000/1000'd the game) on the same night that I heard about the loss of Colin. That made me feel sorta weird (especially when I was glad to be finally done with the whole distance thing) but meh, it's irrelevant anyway. What is relevant is that he is gone and that it's a big loss for the motorsport community. Since I'm a massive fan of motorsport and indeed rallying (partly thanks to him, I might add), all that is left for me to say is

Rest in peace Colin McRae.

My dad is a big fan of him. And his son as well, that's a sad story. :(

Fail.

They'll probably be one last Colin McRae game. Perhaps a 'memorial' game, one with all his tournaments, perhaps? I've still yet to play DiRT.

Either way, it's extremely sad. His 5-year-old son, as well as two family friends. :(

R.I.P.

I liked the demo but I'm not into racing games enough to get it

Why should they stop using his name just because he's dead? If anything they leave it and let him live on in a way. :)

Yeah I agree, knowing Ubisoft they will keep the name on. Not only does it have a reputation as a decent rally franchise for them, it can also be their way of paying tribute to the man with each forthcoming game that they make. So yeah, Ubisoft will keep the name.

I'd be surprised if they didn't.