Dirt Rally
A rally simulation focused on realistic physics and authentic car sounds.
Dirt Rally, also written as DiRT Rally, is a racing simulation game from Codemasters. It launched on Windows via Steam Early Access on April 27, 2015, with the complete version arriving December 7. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions followed on April 5, 2016. Electronic Arts turned off the official game servers on November 8, 2025.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Codemasters
- Series
- Dirt
- Engine
- Ego Engine 4.0
- Platforms
- Windows
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Linux
- macOS
- Released
- Windows, 7 December 2015, PS4, Xbox One, 5 April 2016, Linux, 2 March 2017, macOS, 16 November 2017
- Genre
- Racing simulation
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Dirt Rally is a racing game centered on rallying and rallycross, with players competing in timed stage events on tarmac and off-road terrain under varying weather conditions. At launch it included 17 cars, 36 stages from three real-world locations—Monte Carlo, Powys, and Argolis—and asynchronous multiplayer, with stages ranging from 4 to 16 km. Later updates added Baumholder, Jämsä, and Värmland, along with rallycross and player versus player multiplayer. A partnership with the FIA World Rallycross Championship in July 2015 brought Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Lånkebanen, and Höljesbanan to the game. The game features vehicles from the 1960s through 2010s, including Group B, Group A, Group R, rallycross, and Pikes Peak classes, with 16 manufacturers and up to 10 liveries per car. On PS4 and Xbox One the game delivers full 1080p resolution with post-process anti-aliasing, while the PC version supports Steam Workshop for user-created setups, though subscribing to more than 100 mods will not function.
Development
Dirt Rally was developed by Codemasters using the in-house Ego engine, with a small team of 10–15 people starting work after the release of Dirt: Showdown in 2012. The team aimed to create a simulation, prototyping a handling model and building tracks from map data, using a physics model rebuilt from scratch. To capture authentic car sounds, developers recorded nearly fifty real-world rally cars with up to ten microphones placed in each car's engine bay, intake, above the exhaust, and inside the cabin; the audio mix changes with the player's camera position and the surrounding environment due to modelled reverb on each stage. The sound team recorded on-track rather than on a rolling road to capture the car under load and off-throttle deceleration. Game director Paul Coleman voiced the English-speaking co-driver, recording calls while sitting on a D-Box motion rig as a level designer drove the stage, using his own intercom system. An early version was shown to journalists in late 2013, but the game was not officially announced until April 2015. It entered early access on Steam, with Coleman stating that releasing an unfinished build was important for player feedback. Codemasters planned monthly content updates adding cars, locations, and modes, and made gameplay tweaks throughout early access. The full version launched on 7 December 2015, with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions following on 5 April 2016.
Reception
Dirt Rally received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. GameStar gave it 90%, calling it the best rally simulation at the time and one of the best racing games ever, though noting it is difficult for beginners. GamesTM praised the change of direction, saying it is the best thing associated with the Dirt name. Play stated it does not patronise with gimmicky mechanics nor is it a dry, joyless simulation. GameSpot praised the physics, graphics, and car range but found the Hill Climb and Rallycross modes half-baked, a sentiment echoed by Eurogamer Italy. GamesRadar highlighted the game's unforgiving nature, mentioning tire bursts, radiator overheating, and the ease of losing control. GamesMaster, Edge, and IGN agreed. VideoGamer.com praised its incredible speed, and PlayStation Universe rated it above Richard Burns Rally. Official PlayStation Magazine called it the most exhilarating driving game from Codemasters in years and the best rally game on PS4, while OXM added it is without question the best rally sim ever made. In contrast, PC Gamer wrote that in physics and handling detail it falls a little flat, citing a lack of precarious feel over ice and mud and disappointment with forced assistance, concluding that anyone waiting for a new Richard Burns would need to keep waiting.
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