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> Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers.
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> \-Colin McRae

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Rally is one of the most unique motorsports out there. For example, in Formula 1, cars have high downforce and traction on an asphalt/concrete track. In NASCAR, drivers go around the same circuit for multiple laps. Of course, each of these has their own merits, but rally has a unique blend of challenges that make it one of the most interesting motorsports to watch - and play.

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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KApfI2E3lXw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KApfI2E3lXw)

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In Dirt Rally 2.0, you take the position of a rally driver, and the goal is to complete the stages (courses) as fast as possible, like any racing game out there. But what sets it apart from most racing games is the game’s realism to challenge you nearly as much in real life. When it’s raining, your overall traction is reduced significantly, and the track will still be wet for the next stages as it takes time for the track to dry. Also, depending on when it’s your turn to run the stage, the course may be perfectly flat or filled with uneven tire grooves from the competitors that went before you. Each of these factors and more constantly adds variation to every stage and tests your ability to adapt to the conditions. Even when playing on the keyboard, the combination of realistic physics, sounds, and visuals make it so you can “feel” the difference in traction depending on the conditions.

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And that’s not to mention the variety of environments and features the stage locations have themselves. Finland has dirt roads filled with hills that can easily give you airtime, and if you not careful, it can lead you straight into the nearby treeline - you can’t turn in the air! Sweden’s stages are covered in ice and snow, which means you have to be generous with your brakes and start turning earlier than you might otherwise. However, the large piles of snow beside the road make for a soft barrier that helped you stay on the road. New Zealand has lots of tight turns and hairpins, which make it a drifter's dream. Argentina’s thin roads are flanked by steep cliff drops. Poland’s and Germany’s stages have a mix of dirt and paved roads, and if you want an all paved experience, Spain is the place for you.

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![Perfectly timing the brakes for a chicane can be very rewarding](https://blogapi.aqchen.com/assets/images/dirtrally3.gif)

# Subtle Strategy

Dirt Rally 2.0’s campaign mode has a relatively simple game loop but has lots of room for strategy. You earn credits by placing well in each event and the overall championship. These credits can then be used to upgrade your team, which allows you to repair more components within the 30-minute time limit, given every 2-3 stages. Or you can use them to upgrade your car, making components more durable or the engine stronger. Or maybe you’re getting tired of racing rear-wheel-drive cars and decide to buy an all-wheel-drive from the ’90s. Which one you decide to go for first will depend on your playstyle. For example, if you’re new to racing games or crash often, you’ll want to upgrade your team first so you can repair more of your car between stages. And upgrading your engine or buying a faster car will likely cause you to crash more often and/or increase repair costs. A more experienced driver will want to focus on upgrading the engine to get the fastest times possible.

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During an event (multiple stages in the same location), there’s even more strategy involved. As I mentioned before, only every 2-3 stages will you have the chance to repair your car's components. Additionally, it is the only time you can change your tires. For example, if the track will be wet for one stage and dry on the next, you must make the choice of choosing wet tires, at the cost of less traction on a dry day, or choose soft tires to get the best time possible on a dry day. Another factor to consider is the time of day. If the next stage is during the night and there’s no repair time, you’ll want to take care not to smash your headlights; otherwise, you’ll be driving near-blind.

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[https://youtu.be/f7OJhtHQ7sA](https://youtu.be/f7OJhtHQ7sA)

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# Quick Thinking Required

Still, the bread-and-butter of the game experience is when you’re actually driving. Like in the real-life rally, often, you don’t have good visibility of the next turn. If you want to get a good time, you’ll need to know the turns ahead of you. That’s why it’s essential to listen to your co-drivers callouts. Dirt Rally 2.0’s co-driver has clear and detailed callouts to help you get the best time possible and, most importantly, not crash. For example, if the co-driver says, “don't cut,” don’t cut the corner unless you want a flat tire. If the next corner is labeled with “deceiving,” follow the co-drivers instruction to turn left even though it looks like the road is heading right.

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Even if you are listing to your co-driver, you still have to execute correctly, and not every hump in the road is called out for you. The game stages are well-designed and force you to constantly make quick adjustments and test your reaction time. I’ve often overturned or underturned, but by quickly correcting, I’ve been able to barely avoid crashing into a pile of logs.

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Another factor Dirt Rally 2.0 forces you to keep in mind is balancing speed and safety. If I see that mid-stage I’m five seconds ahead of the competition’s time, I might start to play it safe and slow down. Or maybe I know that I’m good at a certain stage and drive through it as fast as I can but drive safer on the next stage that I’m not as comfortable with. However, what Dirt Rally 2.0 teaches the best is managing your nerves. If I know I’m on a good run, I start to tense up, lose focus, and make more mistakes, sometimes run-ending. It’s also the reason why I tend to play better at the beginning of a play-session than at the end. The game’s intensity of flying down roads at high speeds leaves very little room for error.

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![An impromptu Scandinavian flick](https://blogapi.aqchen.com/assets/images/dirtrally4.gif)

# Room to Improve

The difficulty of the AI competitors you face will scale as you improve in the campaign and at some point, it becomes tough to have the fastest time in every stage. Even though you never directly see them race, only their times were enough to motivate me to improve. After each stage, the calm music that plays in the background provides the perfect opportunity to reflect upon as you watch the replay of the run you just did. Often I think about the turns I could’ve improved on and the turns I excelled. Through trial-and-error, the game will force you to become a better driver, however long it takes.

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So far, I’ve only focused on the campaign mode, but Dirt Rally 2.0 also has a time trial mode and online events. There are daily online challenges where players race with the same car/class, track, conditions, and have one try to get the best time possible. Also present are longer weekly and monthly challenges composed of multiple stages. I found the daily challenges to be great opportunities improve yourself, as the restriction of no restarts means giving greater incentive to focus as much as you can. Even if you mess up, your terrible time will be wiped the next day and never seen again. Additionally, for all online events, very little additional credit is given for placing well compared to participating, so there is also credit incentive to participate in as many online events as you can.

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![Watching your smoothest corners in replay mode is always cathartic](https://blogapi.aqchen.com/assets/images/dirtrally1.gif)

# Conclusion

Dirt Rally 2.0 provides a racing experience unique to any other racing game that I’ve played. It forces you to consider your strategy, provides avenues to improve yourself, and teaches lessons in perseverance, balance, and focus. If you are at all interested in racing games, I highly recommend playing Dirt Rally 2.0. If nothing else, it will certainly increase your appreciation of the skill of real-life professional rally teams.

Alan Chen

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Dirt Rally 2.0: A racing game like no other

Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers

October 9th, 2020 (updated October 14th, 2020)