DiRT Showdown

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List Price: $49.99
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To start off, I love the Dirt series. I've heard a lot of people who are "rally purists" complain about this not being a rally game and being too arcade-like. I like rally just as much as the next guy, but this is a "game" and it's supposed to be fun otherwise it's called "work"...if you want realism, go get a real car and learn how to do it for real. I play games for fun; not to emulate real life. That said, I'm a big fan of the old destruction derby games on the PSone...Destruction Derby Raw still being my favorite. Flatout Ultimate Carnage on PC is also another shining example of the type of driving I like. Codemasters has really hit my sweet spot with Dirt Showdown. Some may pass it off as a large DLC for Dirt 3, but that's exactly what I love about it. It takes all the fun parts of that game (for me anyway) and mashes them into this disc with tons of car carnage.

The best part of it for me is you can play it with the Driving Force GT wheel (and others like the G25 and G27, I think) and it feels great. The physics have been nerfed a bit for a more arcade feel, but it works in the confines of destruction derby just fine. This isn't a rally game, so it doesn't need to feel ultra-real. There are a ton of races/events and two "playgrounds" in which to collect icons and pull off tricks. I've only played a handful of races so far, but I can see where it's going and am enjoying it very much.

One annoyance is the announcer; he just sounds too corny. That may be what they were going for, but it gets in the way of the fun for me. For the last even I played, I turned him down to zero, but for some reason, I could still hear him. Either I'm doing something wrong, or it needs to be patched.

I haven't played online yet only because in general, I don't like people (individually, they can be ok). I play games to get away from people, so there you go.

I'm looking forward to Dirt 4 and Grid 2, but hope CM does a Showdown 2 that's bigger and better than this one. Until then, it's back to Showdown for me.

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Simply put, this game is fun. There's no need for long, drawn-out reviews with numerous paragraphs. It's a destruction derby game. You have 8 cars on track trying to smash each other and score the most points. You also have other modes like 8-ball which is amazingly fun. Elimination which is your typical last-man-standing event. Head-2-Head includes actual licensed cars and is essentially the gymkhana from DiRT 3. There's also a mode where the track is divided into 4 sectors and the goal is to set the fastest time.

I believe I'm forgetting a few other modes (I'm still just 5 hours into the game) but my least favorite mode has to be Knockout. Not because it's bad, but because the scoring is very...fickle. It's essentially random as to who gets the points when there are cars piled against the edge. Hopefully Codemasters fixes that.

Multiplayer is the same, except against human opponents, and this is where Showdown shines. Playing online with friends is a blast. I foresee many hours being spent here taking each other out. For anyone on the fence, do yourself a favor and try the demo on PSN/XBL. If you are at all a fan of destruction derby's/smash-em-up games, this is for you!

EDIT: one thing to note is that this game CAN be frustrating, if you let it get to you. There are numerous times when the AI manage to hook you and your spin out. This usually happens on the last, or second to last lap. It take a bit of time to get used to the AI tendencies, but once you do, it's a bit easier to predict their move and try to counter it. As I said, if you don't let it get to you, it shouldn't be a problem. Most races last roughly 3 minutes so you can always "restart" if necessary :)

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I just wish you can play multiplayer online at home with family that's why I gave it a 3 star other than that it is a great game if you love demo derby

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Great game for the price. Only thing I would change is you should drive backwards in the derby insted if forward. And wish it was last car standing it's just timed. Other then that I really enjoy the game LOVE THE DAMAGE AND DERBY!!

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This game works very nicely for me and supports my steering wheel/pedals just fine. It is reminiscent of Monster Truck Madness 2 and that was a favorite of mine. It is loud and dramatic!