DiRT 2

DiRT 2 is a racing game focused on rallycross, buggies, trucks, and other off-tarmac disciplines, in which the player, as a member of a fictional rally team, races exotic tracks from London through Croatia all the way to Malaysia and Morocco. Compared to the first DiRT game, the series toned down the seriousness and added a colorful, energetic presentation with commentary and friendly rivalry between drivers, including real-life rally star Ken Block, making it feel more accessible to a wider audience than purely simulation-focused rally titles.

The PC version launched alongside the consoles in late 2009 and offered the same tracks, vehicles, and career mode as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The main difference was support for higher resolution and smoother framerates on powerful hardware, plus the option to connect a racing wheel with pedals to the PC for a more precise feel of sliding on gravel, mud, or snow, which many rally fans clearly preferred over playing with a gamepad.

However, the release came with the requirement to use the Games for Windows Live online platform to save progress and access multiplayer, which in 2009 was a fairly controversial topic among PC players due to unreliable servers and the need for an extra login outside the game itself, on top of a Steam account or other storefront. Content-wise it was otherwise the same game as on consoles - the same tracks, the same cars, and the same career progression, just with better scalable graphics and the option of more precise control via a wheel, which the console versions didn't offer to the same degree. The career, disciplines, and list of unlockable vehicles were completely identical to the console versions on PC, so players chose the platform more based on their preferred control method and their PC's performance than because of any difference in the actual content.

Why play it: Anyone with a wheel appreciated the more precise controls and better scalable graphics that the consoles of the time didn't offer - though the requirement to use the controversial Games for Windows Live for saving progress is something to keep in mind.