DiRT (video game)

"Who needs roads when there's DiRT!?"

DiRT is a Spin-Off of Codemaster's popular Colin McRae Rally series of games based around off-road racing, as the title implies.

Colin McRae: DiRT was first released in 2007 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. DiRT possesses a wide variety of vehicles to choose from; these range from the regular 2WD and 4WD rally car classes, to massive big rigs and rally raid trucks.

DiRT 2 dropped Colin McRae's name from the title after the release due to the driver's tragic death.

DiRT 3 was released in May 2011, featuring more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series, including over 50 rally cars representing the very best from five decades of the sport. The game will feature more than double the track content of DiRT 2. Players start at the top as a professional driver, with a top-flight career in competitive off-road racing complimented by the opportunity to express themselves in Gymkhana-style showpiece driving events.

DiRT Showdown was released in May 2012. The game is more arcade-y than its predecessors, putting more focus on Gymkhana and putting in more modes, such as demolition derbies and party games.

Not to be confused with the short-lived FX Network series.

The following tropes are common to many or all entries in the DiRT (video game) franchise.
For tropes specific to individual installments, visit their respective work pages.

• Anti-Frustration Features: The game borrows the Flashback mechanic from GRID.
• Continuity Nod: Take a close look at the laptop in your trailer in DiRT 2. It's playing the original DiRT!
• Cool Car: Even the scrappy 2WD hot hatches featured throughout all of the Colin McRae series are highly and finely tuned dirt-slinging machines.
• Cultural Translation: Many of the old-school Colin McRae Rally fans complained about the "Americanness" of the DiRT installments, especially the second one DiRT 2.
• Elite Tweak: So many settings to change in the first DiRT...
• Fragile Speedster: The Peugeot 307 in the 4WD class of the first DiRT.
• Idiosyncratic Difficulty Levels:
  • In the first DiRT:
    • Pro (hardest).
    • Pro-Am.
    • Amateur.
    • Clubman (easiest difficulty with Terminal Damage).
    • Rookie.
• Jack of All Stats: The Subaru Impreza Group N in DiRT 2 is this: a car that can easily take the top three in any of the "interchangable disciplines" (Trailblazer/Rally/Rallycross), but isn't powerful enough to really dominate any one discipline.
• No Cars Were Hurt: While all of the games have had licensed vehicles, the beat-up derby vehicles in DiRT Showdown marks the first instance in the series where fictional cars are used. Licensed vehicles return for the arena modes though.
• Scenery Porn: The DiRT series features some of the best PC and console graphics ever put to screen.
• Shout-Out: To real-life driver Colin McRae, who did a lot of the consulting on car handling for earlier games.
  • Some of DiRT 3's achievements, including:
    • Assistance is Futile.
    • Can't Touch This!.
    • French Connection.
    • No-bot Wars.
    • Self Preservation Society.
    • Shake and Bake.
    • Steer Hunter.
• Truth in Television: Said Peugeot 307 rally car is also very fragile in Real Life.