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Dirt Showdown Xbox 360 Review
Our friends over at Codemasters have sent us Dirt Showdown for the Xbox 360 for us to review. This is the first title under the Codemasters Racing label, and is the next game under the Dirt franchise. However, this is not Dirt 4, this is simply a game that does some stuff really well but is missing some pieces. This is more of an arcade and part game, but that does not mean you will not enjoy it. Now, let’s begin the full review of Dirt Showdown for the Xbox 360!
Graphics And Audio
Codemasters has done a pretty good job with the graphics of this game. The scenery is filled with fireworks, lights, fans, and much more! Both when you are playing one of the modes and when you are just browsing the menus. The graphics of the vehicles are very nice, you can even customize them to extent. You can choose who your sponsor is, and each sponsor gives you a different paint job. And of course you can choose from different vehicles, each with their own unique design. When your driving, the wheels due shown movement and you can certainly tell that your car is moving. It feels very similar to the graphics in Dirt 3 and the other Codemaster titles. The menus have great graphics with entertaining and smooth backgrounds and the transitions have the same effects as well. The courses them self look similar, but the graphics and special features differentiate them. For instance on one course you may have ramp after ramp after ramp, while on the other course you may be dodging sections of the road that have been flooded out with water. And the ramps have fireworks being launched on all sides of your vehicle as you go over them. The tracks become similar very quickly, and I wish that they included other tracks with the game. Maybe they will update it in the future. In terms of Audio, they have an okay selection of music but, I quickly got tired of the narrator. Luckily, if you go into settings you will be able to lower him and eventually turn him off. If you don’t do well it will insult you, and it make up words and cracks jokes that aren’t funny. Audio of cars crashing and driving is done well, and sounds very life like. And if you crash your car will looked damage, all the way until you can’t drive it anymore and are re-spawned.
Game Modes, Multiplayer, And Online
Dirt Showdown has a very limited number of game modes in Single player, and these are the same exact modes (for the most part), that you will find in multiplayer. Let’s being with the showdown tour, this would be the campaign of the game and it is a very small one. You start off by choosing the sponsor, that is available. From there it will present you with a table filled with different race events, that you unlock by completing the one before it. These can be knockout’s, 8 ball, rampage, head2head, and race off. Many of these races are also available to play, without starting a campaign. In knockout the goal is to eliminate the other players, this is a common goal throughout the game. You go on to a platform, and try to kick other people off and break their cars. They could have made this a survival challenge or the last one who stays on the platform, and this would have added more fun to the mode. 8 ball is a race with may different twists and turns, and you might end up hitting other opponents when you have to cross the road to get to the other side. This is by far the best mode of the game. Head2Head is very similar to the Gymkhana mode of Dirt 3, and I feel that they could have made it much better. I feel that the best way to play the game is to play with other friends in split screen mode or multiplayer, but either way you get tired of seeing the same tracks and cars over and over again. Codemasters wants you to be social with this game, from introducing Racenet to connecting to YouTube, you will be hit with many pop-up windows asking you to join or add these services. Racenet is their way of building a social network, that let’s you share your scores and compare your self to other players. There are also certain events that are only available to Racenet members, and you will get free in-game cash once you activate your account. Racenet is a nice platform, but I feel that they are pushing it too much. The YouTube connection is show you can share your race videos online with everyone, and you cans see other people’s videos. They do not push this a much as Racenet, but if your video is good (you must have some major skills) you may end up getting some rewards.
Bottom Line
Dirt Showdown for the Xbox 360 is a good game, but I feel it is a small game. It does not feel as good as Dirt 3, and is not Dirt 4. It is more of a n arcade game that has some good modes and some not so good modes. If you are a huge Dirt fan and have loved the games in the past, than I think you will really enjoy this game. It has more of what you love, and you will have fun with the career, Racenet, and multiplayer. If you are a first time fan who is interested in checking out the Dirt series, I would not recommend going out and getting this game. I think you are better off waiting for Dirt 4, as it will give you a better introduction to this game and will be worth the money. Dirt Showdown has suggested retail price of $59.99, it is available at your local BestBuy, GameStop or Target. And you can get it online for a bunch of retailers like Amazon. For More Information On Dirt Showdown, Please Click Here. We would like to thank Codemasters for providing us with a copy of “Dirt Showdown for the Xbox 360″.
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