DiRT 3 is one unique racer; in fact I wouldn’t even call it a racer. There are so many aspects of the game that don’t exactly involve racing which is a nice change from the onslaught of racing games on the market nowadays. Right off the bat you have DiRT Tour, Multiplayer, Single player, My DiRT with DiRT Tour being the heart of the game. Dirt Tour will let you play different seasons gaining points to unlock new kinds of challenges. The better you do the more points you get. In Dirt 3 you are a trained professional with an agent that rides with you telling what to expect or how to unlock the next level.

During the Dirt Tour you will be taking part in events such as Rally Racing which is your standard race. Rally Cross will put you up against other racers on a circuit completing a series of laps while Land Rush mode is just like standard racing, only everyone drives trucks. Head2Head will have you racing another players with a median in between you and them keeping you safe from crashing into them but making it hard at times to tell who is winning as you will cross paths at certain points. Trail Blazer puts you in a light weight car where control is difficult as drifting is harder in this game until you get the hang of it. Tired of racing? Well then you will please to see Dirt 3′s all new Gymkhana mode that is all about doing freestyle tricks. You’ll be asked to do anything from drifting to donuts, spinning out, running over block and catching air. There is even a parking lot strictly made for all these tricks.

Drive on all different terrain.

Now when it comes to Xbox Live Codemasters had managed to bring all these modes online to not just play by you against everyone but even form teams. I had not gotten to test the team modes out but the option alone adds to the online play with your buddies. Multiplayer has split-screen and local options available as well. Your rank gets carried over from single player to multiplayer with Dirt 3 simply calling it your reputation. Once online you can create a party and take part in either the Pro Tour which is all the standard modes or a Jam Session where you get to make up all the rules in all the matches, or have someone else doit.

Xbox Live also has a slew of party modes that act like capture the flag to many others. They include Joyride, Transporter, Cat and Mouse, Outbreak and Invasion. There are also different modes to choose from online that will only contain specific types of racing whether be Rally or Trail Blazer. Competitive Mode includes everything except for the party modes. Point to Point includes Rally, Head2Head and Trail Blazer while Circuit Racing just has Rally Cross or Land Rush available in it. Hardcore mode includes everything but Gymkhana and Party Mode but makes you drive in cockpit view while not giving you any indicators like what lap your on. Gymkhana Mode and Party Mode are strictly that, with no standard racing in either.

Trick Parking Lot

The graphics are just stunning in the game as they are realistic with all the snow kicking up in your view to the super slippery driving in pouring rain. When you crash and parts come flying off your vehicle, thankfully not harming the interior too much. The flashback feature also has a return feature allowing you to rewind that disastrous crash of yours, but you only so many. One of the coolest parts in the game I thought was the cock pit view which is a sight to behold.

DiRT 3 should be on your list for this year and maybe even if you don’t like racing you might dig this game. The best feature of all is that you can directly upload clips from DiRT 3 to YouTube. Just enter your YouTube info and from then on if you play a crazy race or just happen to pull off a one in a million kind of trick, you can let the world know by uploading to YouTube straight from your console. It is as easy as pressing a button but there is a time limit so choose your clip wisely. Use the right bumper to select the starting point and the left bumper to choose the end. You can even upload a clip in slow motion for those extra air time clips.

DiRT 3 is not just a racing game; it’s an all around unique racing experience that can be a party game or one that serious players can get into while people just looking for a little fun will have a more than expected blast.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.