RE: Dirt 4: Review
Discussion
I'm enjoying this so far but I am a little disappointed overall. These games never fail to deliver on fun but only having five locations for the rally mode is pretty f
king poor, especially since the tracks are now generated by algorithm rather than designed by hand. What's there is very good but it feels like a very lightweight package. Codemasters puts too much effort into the rubbish truck and RX racing. They should have just made a Dirt Rally 2 as this doesn't really cut it (and I say that as sit here enjoying it as I play).
king poor, especially since the tracks are now generated by algorithm rather than designed by hand. What's there is very good but it feels like a very lightweight package. Codemasters puts too much effort into the rubbish truck and RX racing. They should have just made a Dirt Rally 2 as this doesn't really cut it (and I say that as sit here enjoying it as I play). Loyly said:
I'm enjoying this so far but I am a little disappointed overall. These games never fail to deliver on fun but only having five locations for the rally mode is pretty fking poor, especially since the tracks are now generated by algorithm rather than designed by hand. What's there is very good but it feels like a very lightweight package. Codemasters puts too much effort into the rubbish truck and RX racing. They should have just made a Dirt Rally 2 as this doesn't really cut it (and I say that as sit here enjoying it as I play).
I think the FIA put out stricter limitations with cars and 'tracks' as there is a proper WRC game coming out they didn't want to detract sales from. king poor, especially since the tracks are now generated by algorithm rather than designed by hand. What's there is very good but it feels like a very lightweight package. Codemasters puts too much effort into the rubbish truck and RX racing. They should have just made a Dirt Rally 2 as this doesn't really cut it (and I say that as sit here enjoying it as I play). That sucks. I much prefer the drive in this game to Dirt Rally (which I did enjoy). The developers have skilfully balanced the handling model in this game so it's challenging and fun. Some combinations of car and road are a bit iffy, but on the whole they have nailed the handling. Some of the understeer that was inherent in Dirt Rally has been removed for a sharper turn in. I also like the fact that the snow banks on the Sweden stages now feel like soft snow rather than whitewashed concrete.
It's a disappointingly lightweight package considering what you do get in the way of proper rallying is pretty good. I'm sure the FIA WRC game will be load of crap, as usual.
It's a disappointingly lightweight package considering what you do get in the way of proper rallying is pretty good. I'm sure the FIA WRC game will be load of crap, as usual.
Is anyone playing this with a Thrustmaster wheel and the shifter in sequential mode. Does the shifter in sequential mode replace the paddles or gan they still be used for something else like handbrake.
Currently playing with the G920 but no sequential shifter option on the add on shifter
Currently playing with the G920 but no sequential shifter option on the add on shifter
This is such a shoddy effort from Codemasters and another mis-step in their effort to make the ultimate rally game. With Dirt Rally, they had the locations but the difficulty was poorly balanced and it seemed like it was either too easy or impossible, it felt very RNG and since the game didn't show you the progress of the competitor cars across the sectors versus your own, it often felt like the game would just take your time for a sector, knock a second off and keep you in second place. The number of times I felt like I'd had an incredible drive where every corner felt perfect only to find my time was not exceptional, and then to do a stage where I had a total nightmare and only ended up a few seconds off first place at the end was laughable.
With Dirt 4, the difficulty issues are largely fixed and it feels challenging rather than impossible, adjusting the difficulty changes the amount of slack you've got to make mistakes instead of just changing the margin by which you'll lose. The handling is better, hitting a little bump at the edge of the course doesn't completely unbalance the car and generally the game just feels better to play. What is disappointing, is that practically every other aspect of the game has gotten worse.
First up, the rally mode only having 5 locations is terrible and the randomly generated stages are completely and absolutely anonymous, apart from the little town that pops up on the Spanish stages. To say that the FIA prevented them from using certain locations is no excuse at all - if they couldn't use actual locations that match the stuff that the FIA wanted to be in the official WRC game, why not just make some more locations that aren't linked to existing FIA rallies? It's just sheer laziness. There is a whole world of locations they could have used. The problem with this that after you've done a single stage in each of the 5 locations you've effectively seen all the rally mode has to offer and the only new thing you'll encounter will be driving the stage with different cars.
The addition of the team management is exceedingly dull now too, I want to drive cars, I'm not interested in hiring staff, managing contracts, upgrading buffet tables and trying to schmooze sponsor executives with my upgrade PR suite. The sponsor system I can just about accept, because at least they give you tasks to complete to get some extra income, everything else is just a boring drain on cash when I want to be driving.
Once again, Codemasters have seen fit to include this absolutely dire rallycross mode. This is an extremely effective treatment for insomniacs, it's absolutely crap, ditto for the "Landrush" mode and all of the other associated buggy and truck st. It's just more crap that didn't need to be in this game and no doubt the budget and time being sucked up by this rubbish has been to the detriment of the rally mode.
The random number generator seems to have been poorly programmed too, I went from a clutch being stated as completely healthy to knackered in the final sector of a 7 mile stage. I managed to limp over the line and complete another stage before I could visit the service area to fix it, except when I came to that next stage I couldn't exceed 02 mph and had to retire. Another time I started a stage with a completely healthy car and within about 20 seconds (with no crashes, impacts or anything else) Grist was telling me there was a problem with the gears, amazing, what fun. I understand that sometimes things just break of their own accord, but is this fun or good gameplay?
The pace notes also seem to be badly done in places, which is unusual as I've never found them a problem in the past. I've had a few moments where the co-driver seemed to be having a stroke in the passenger seat, the voice samples because confused and the "upcoming corner" indicator icon turned into a "?". Was this deliberately programmed in? Is it perhaps supposed to represent the co-driver losing his place in notes? I've had to turn the pace note delivery a good way along the "earlier" setting too and it's fine most of the time, but in particularly technical sections the delivery actually falls behind and I'm driving ahead of what is actually being read. This is particularly evident when you exit a technical section very quickly into an open section, where the co-driver will continue to tell you about the "Left 1 through dip, caution rocks outside", even though you've already gone through it and are driving down a straight piece of course waiting for the notes to catch up. I'm guessing that this is due to the randomly generated stage system, where the notes cannot be checked during the testing of the game like they could on a set course that doesn't change every time you drive it.
There is a time trial mode which involves driving round a derelict warehouse collecting floating green M&Ms, or smashing orange blocks but it's pretty crap and doesn't actually seem to give you any rewards to help you progress in the game is ultimately a complete waste of time and development effort.
Overall a big disappointment. Codemasters don't seem to know what kind of game they want to make. They should have used this game to fix the errors of Dirt Rally, cut the rallycross and truck racing st and just made a really good rally game, but they've missed the mark yet again.
With Dirt 4, the difficulty issues are largely fixed and it feels challenging rather than impossible, adjusting the difficulty changes the amount of slack you've got to make mistakes instead of just changing the margin by which you'll lose. The handling is better, hitting a little bump at the edge of the course doesn't completely unbalance the car and generally the game just feels better to play. What is disappointing, is that practically every other aspect of the game has gotten worse.
First up, the rally mode only having 5 locations is terrible and the randomly generated stages are completely and absolutely anonymous, apart from the little town that pops up on the Spanish stages. To say that the FIA prevented them from using certain locations is no excuse at all - if they couldn't use actual locations that match the stuff that the FIA wanted to be in the official WRC game, why not just make some more locations that aren't linked to existing FIA rallies? It's just sheer laziness. There is a whole world of locations they could have used. The problem with this that after you've done a single stage in each of the 5 locations you've effectively seen all the rally mode has to offer and the only new thing you'll encounter will be driving the stage with different cars.
The addition of the team management is exceedingly dull now too, I want to drive cars, I'm not interested in hiring staff, managing contracts, upgrading buffet tables and trying to schmooze sponsor executives with my upgrade PR suite. The sponsor system I can just about accept, because at least they give you tasks to complete to get some extra income, everything else is just a boring drain on cash when I want to be driving.
Once again, Codemasters have seen fit to include this absolutely dire rallycross mode. This is an extremely effective treatment for insomniacs, it's absolutely crap, ditto for the "Landrush" mode and all of the other associated buggy and truck s
t. It's just more crap that didn't need to be in this game and no doubt the budget and time being sucked up by this rubbish has been to the detriment of the rally mode.The random number generator seems to have been poorly programmed too, I went from a clutch being stated as completely healthy to knackered in the final sector of a 7 mile stage. I managed to limp over the line and complete another stage before I could visit the service area to fix it, except when I came to that next stage I couldn't exceed 02 mph and had to retire. Another time I started a stage with a completely healthy car and within about 20 seconds (with no crashes, impacts or anything else) Grist was telling me there was a problem with the gears, amazing, what fun. I understand that sometimes things just break of their own accord, but is this fun or good gameplay?
The pace notes also seem to be badly done in places, which is unusual as I've never found them a problem in the past. I've had a few moments where the co-driver seemed to be having a stroke in the passenger seat, the voice samples because confused and the "upcoming corner" indicator icon turned into a "?". Was this deliberately programmed in? Is it perhaps supposed to represent the co-driver losing his place in notes? I've had to turn the pace note delivery a good way along the "earlier" setting too and it's fine most of the time, but in particularly technical sections the delivery actually falls behind and I'm driving ahead of what is actually being read. This is particularly evident when you exit a technical section very quickly into an open section, where the co-driver will continue to tell you about the "Left 1 through dip, caution rocks outside", even though you've already gone through it and are driving down a straight piece of course waiting for the notes to catch up. I'm guessing that this is due to the randomly generated stage system, where the notes cannot be checked during the testing of the game like they could on a set course that doesn't change every time you drive it.
There is a time trial mode which involves driving round a derelict warehouse collecting floating green M&Ms, or smashing orange blocks but it's pretty crap and doesn't actually seem to give you any rewards to help you progress in the game is ultimately a complete waste of time and development effort.
Overall a big disappointment. Codemasters don't seem to know what kind of game they want to make. They should have used this game to fix the errors of Dirt Rally, cut the rallycross and truck racing s
t and just made a really good rally game, but they've missed the mark yet again.Gassing Station | Video Games | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff