mesterjani
BACKER
2023
I'm not a huge Harry Potter nerd but I started a new game on my GFs account to optimize the settings for her since she's playing on a low end rig.
Surprisingly, the game runs well with the Medium preset on a GTX 1060, i5-9100F. Put some things on high and it's still mostly a stable 60 FPS. Medium is still pretty, but I wish the TAA wasn't mandatory. It makes things blurry a bit.
As I've said, I'm not into HP that much, atleast I wasn't until this game. I only wanted to play a bit to mess with the settings but ended up being glued to the screen for 2 hours more than I wanted. There's rarely a game where I enjoy exploration as much as here. The environments are captivating and the NPCs are interesting. My character is dressed like an idiot and I love it. So, thanks Avalanche for giving a depressed guy a bit of unexpected joy.
Surprisingly, the game runs well with the Medium preset on a GTX 1060, i5-9100F. Put some things on high and it's still mostly a stable 60 FPS. Medium is still pretty, but I wish the TAA wasn't mandatory. It makes things blurry a bit.
As I've said, I'm not into HP that much, atleast I wasn't until this game. I only wanted to play a bit to mess with the settings but ended up being glued to the screen for 2 hours more than I wanted. There's rarely a game where I enjoy exploration as much as here. The environments are captivating and the NPCs are interesting. My character is dressed like an idiot and I love it. So, thanks Avalanche for giving a depressed guy a bit of unexpected joy.
2017
Straight up my favorite couch co-op game ever. It's a real shame that it doesn't have online co-op as it's hard to get my friends to play through Steam Remote Play Together and as we live far apart it's rare we get together at my place specifically to play this. I'm often daydreaming about making this into an arcade machine for myself. I wish I had the talent. This game deserves to be its own furniture.
2011
"Yo, amigo! Post that footage on YouTube! It rocks!"
I think this is the best Codemasters arcade rally game. The cars handle well, the stages are interesting and memorable, there's a lot of cars, classes and locations. It's very accessible for new comers but gives enough space to hone your skills and grow. It's almost perfect.
However, I really don't like the Gymkhana and DC Challanges. I just wanted to rally, not do these stupid things. Those are the reason why I can't say that this game is perfect. I understand why they included the them. That was the hot new thing in the rally scene back then. Ultimately, even though I don't like it, in a way I'm glad that it's included as a piece of "rally history" and will be nice to look back on the Dirt series one day and say "Hey, remember when Gymkhana was all the rave? Even Dirt 3 had it.".
The Rally and Trailblazer stages are beautiful and they have a nice variety to them. I wish I could say the same about the Rally Cross and Land Rush tracks. Those are very same-y and kinda boring.
I also don't like that ugly colorgrading filter that PS3 era games had, but I mostly don't mind it anymore. The game is still pretty enough. The announchers are also annoying and unskippable.
I might sound like I don't like the game but I really do. None of the negatives I've listed take away from the amazing feeling of flying through the dirt in a Ford RS 200 in the straight then launching into a satisfying handbrake turn through the corner. Sometimes there are other drivers on the stage which lives up the otherwise lonely nature of stage rally.
I think this is the best Codemasters arcade rally game. The cars handle well, the stages are interesting and memorable, there's a lot of cars, classes and locations. It's very accessible for new comers but gives enough space to hone your skills and grow. It's almost perfect.
However, I really don't like the Gymkhana and DC Challanges. I just wanted to rally, not do these stupid things. Those are the reason why I can't say that this game is perfect. I understand why they included the them. That was the hot new thing in the rally scene back then. Ultimately, even though I don't like it, in a way I'm glad that it's included as a piece of "rally history" and will be nice to look back on the Dirt series one day and say "Hey, remember when Gymkhana was all the rave? Even Dirt 3 had it.".
The Rally and Trailblazer stages are beautiful and they have a nice variety to them. I wish I could say the same about the Rally Cross and Land Rush tracks. Those are very same-y and kinda boring.
I also don't like that ugly colorgrading filter that PS3 era games had, but I mostly don't mind it anymore. The game is still pretty enough. The announchers are also annoying and unskippable.
I might sound like I don't like the game but I really do. None of the negatives I've listed take away from the amazing feeling of flying through the dirt in a Ford RS 200 in the straight then launching into a satisfying handbrake turn through the corner. Sometimes there are other drivers on the stage which lives up the otherwise lonely nature of stage rally.
2013
Ironically, the online aspect is the best part of this game. It's a lot of fun with friends. Alone? Not so much, but if I didn't have friends I'd just play Cities: Skylines.
edit (23/10/26): I have increased the review score from 3.5 to 4.5 to piss off the toxic commenter below even more.
edit (23/10/26): I have increased the review score from 3.5 to 4.5 to piss off the toxic commenter below even more.
2022
Naming my followers after my friends is proving to be an exponentially worse and worse decision with each update.
Many welcome addition to the game including better combat, a proper late game, challenges without the timer ticking, more story... I love it!
Possibly the WORST first impression any video game has ever given me. I somehow doubt it's gonna get better so I'm abandonding it.
2019
I genuinely do not understand how this game is so hated by the gaming community. The gunplay is extremely satisfying, the graphical fidelity is impressive, the sounds are crisp, it runs well and the collectibles are fun. Yes, I know the story is crap. I haven't even touched the main missions after 3-4 hours but that doesn't mean that the game has no merit everywhere else. The only thing I hate is that I have to buy fucking rage coins or whatever if I want to buy DLCs. No option to buy it normally.
The gore is nice but holy sh*t is it a bad game.
2022
We needed a good, short, casual roguelite and Cult of the Lamb fills that role perfectly while also delivering a lovely colony managment and all that with an engaging theme and beautiful aesthetics. This game was a joy to finish!
2015
This is Arma 3 but for cars. Simulation over everything else. Find your own fun. Love it! However, unlike Arma 3 it actually runs well but doesn't have official multiplayer. You win some, you lose some. It's also the only game that works perfectly well with my extremely cheap racing wheel.
2017
The whole thing is ruined by the disappointment of only being able to drive on extremely boring auto generated stages. No interesting turns, no pretty landscapes, just the same boring road all the way, everytime.
2013
What an underrated gem. Sure, judging it as a successor of Race Driver: Grid, it doesn't hold up in many ways but as it's own entity it's really good. It's important not to view it as a simulator or even a simcade because it's very much an arcade game.
I've just finished the campaign and while it was mostly a grind fest and by the end I was sick of all the same locations and turns (especially Dubai) I'm still happy I stuck through it. The game really makes you feel like some viral racing star and I liked my organic rivalry with the other drivers on the track. Bruno Silva is really just a yellow-orange car that you only see on the track but everytime I had to fight with him for the first place it felt personal. Especially when he would ram me in the Face Offs.
The twisty hillside races were the absoluty highlights of the game. Halfway through I realized that I can just turn of the in-game music and blast some eurobeat from Spotify. Highly recommended for everyone.
The drifting mechanic is different from the predecessor. I'd say it's a step back but I didn't mind it. However, I straight up skipped the Drift races.
Overall, it's an initially flawed game that got better with age.
I've just finished the campaign and while it was mostly a grind fest and by the end I was sick of all the same locations and turns (especially Dubai) I'm still happy I stuck through it. The game really makes you feel like some viral racing star and I liked my organic rivalry with the other drivers on the track. Bruno Silva is really just a yellow-orange car that you only see on the track but everytime I had to fight with him for the first place it felt personal. Especially when he would ram me in the Face Offs.
The twisty hillside races were the absoluty highlights of the game. Halfway through I realized that I can just turn of the in-game music and blast some eurobeat from Spotify. Highly recommended for everyone.
The drifting mechanic is different from the predecessor. I'd say it's a step back but I didn't mind it. However, I straight up skipped the Drift races.
Overall, it's an initially flawed game that got better with age.
2020
So there's no proper rally stages in this only flashy Rally Cross with other racers on the track with you. Disappointing because I'd love this fun, arcade handling, the beautiful graphics and the physics in a proper rally championship. Shame. I guess, this is my punishment for loving rally but being bad at Dirt Rally. I'm glad I've tried this out on Game Pass instead of buying it during the Steam Summer Sale.
2022
The story is a decent popcorn flick. It's obviously nothing extra but I enjoyed it. They even crammed some character development into the mix. However, maybe in the first time ever, I was annoyed by the ludonarrative dissonance. I mean, I come in 1st place every race and they literally call me the support driver... Come on!
The gameplay is nice and arcade-y. The cockpit view is nicely done as well.
I enjoyed it, but I only played it because it was cheap with Amazon Prime. I'd recommend picking it up on a sale if you want a chill, campy stroy mode with your arcade racing game.
Anyway... Name? Just a number. Music? Way too epic. First Woman's Champion? About that...
The gameplay is nice and arcade-y. The cockpit view is nicely done as well.
I enjoyed it, but I only played it because it was cheap with Amazon Prime. I'd recommend picking it up on a sale if you want a chill, campy stroy mode with your arcade racing game.
Anyway... Name? Just a number. Music? Way too epic. First Woman's Champion? About that...