DiRT Showdown

DiRT Showdown, from 2012, is a spin-off from the simulation-focused DiRT series that Codemasters built purely around fun and destruction rather than precise time-attack driving. Instead of classic rally stages, it offers modes like Devastation Bowl, a bowl-shaped arena where the goal is to wreck opponents more than to cross the finish line first, or Hoonigan events inspired by the drift-driving style of Ken Block and his team, with whom Codemasters worked closely on the game, including licensed cars and driving style.

The game moved noticeably away from the licensed rally cars of previous entries and instead offered modified cars built for chasing, drifting, and crashing – the bodywork deforms realistically and stays damaged between rounds, forcing the player to weigh, in every race, when to risk ramming an opponent and when to back off and drive more carefully. Besides solo events, DiRT Showdown includes significantly developed multiplayer and party modes for split-screen play with up to four players at once, clearly setting it apart from the rest of the series, which focuses mainly on single-player and online time leaderboards.

In Codemasters' catalog, DiRT Showdown thus represents a brief, distinctly arcade-style detour between the seriously toned rally entries and the later return to simulation in DiRT Rally – an experiment that for a time brought the series closer to arcade demolition-derby games and party fun for multiple players on one screen. The game also includes freestyle jump challenges that award style points for flips and mid-air spins similar to motocross arcade games, further underlining the shift away from realistic rally driving toward pure fun.

Why play: players who want lighthearted, effects-focused driving that emphasizes wrecking opponents, jump stunts, and party fun rather than rally precision will find DiRT Showdown a fitting and refreshing choice.