DIRT (PS3)
DIRT is the latest game in the Colin McRae Rally series and is probably about a year old now. The Colin McRae games never really took off too much Stateside because the WRC isn't as popular here, nor is Colin McRae (RIP).
So what is DIRT all about? Well, rally racing obviously, since I already used the word. However, DIRT is like.. The Gran Turismo of rally racing games. It may have an arcade-like feel at some points, but it's a very demanding game on some stages and it offers LOTS of vehicles, courses/stages, and game modes.
Now, I said "vehicles" because there are moer than just cars in this game, a first for the CMR series. There are buggies, trucks, and, well, bigger trucks! Semi trucks, at that! I don't believe there is a way to make any of the vehicles race with each other, especially considering how unbalanced it would make some events. Instead, they all seem to have their own respective game modes or vehicle classes. The rally cars are fun to play (especially the memorable ones like the Subaru WRX), but the game is really SOMETHING ELSE when you throw yourself on Pike's Peak with a semi truck.
The game boasts many stages and courses, ranging from the deserts of the southwestern USA, small club circuits in England, and long winding roads in secluded regions of Spain.
Overall, DIRT's really good. I mean REALLY good. Very impressive visuals (especially in HD) and really great damage and physics. The actual racing is really exciting, but the game really shines where it is supposed to.. Rally stages. There is nothing more satisfying than wrestling a hog of a car up steep inclines and around tight corners.. All on a dirt road. Fun stuff. If you are into cars or racing at all, at the very least give this game a rental. It's available on the 360, PC, and PS3.
Dirt is RECOMMENDED.
Armored Core 4 (PS3)
As a fan of the first two Armored Core games, I had to stop and wonder... What happened?! I fondly remember Armored Core games with interesting singleplayer campaigns and really fun, customizable multiplayer options. I could have spent ages playing through those games or just beating on a friend in multiplayer. It was so much fun. But Armored Core 4... I don't know what to think.
I never played Armored Core 3, so I can't compare this game to it's predecessor, but Armored Core 4 lacks everything that made the first two games a blast to play. Why? Let me tell you.
Gone are the detailed and entertaining missions which felt truly rewarding to complete. In their place, we have missions which seem to take, on average, a minute to complete. However, even completing them is a completely different matter...
From the very beginning, I could tell that there was something seriously wrong with the way this game played. When I blazed through one of the very first missions yet almost failed it because I did not complete it in time, I was beginning to wonder if this game tailored to the "hardcore" fan, even from the beginning of the game. I kept my hopes up though, and I carried on a bit more. Well, needless to say... After completing the first set of missions (or the second, I can't remember at this point), I found myself at a roadblock. I was no longer able to progress because the missions were so demanding. One required me to go through a HEAVILY fortified canyon to destroy something at the end. The problem was, though, that if i even stopped for a second I would lose more than half of my AC's armor within seconds. The difficulty was just absolutely ridiculous and there was absolutely no learning curve in singleplayer.
Multiplayer was also not quite what I remembered it to be. I remember the days when my good friend and I would play against each other and we would, quite literally, each spend about 15-20 minutes setting up our ACs before going into battle. This feature was gone. When we attempted to play, I found that only my singleplayer AC could be loaded and customized partially. My friend, the second player, was stuck with a stock AC. This destroyed the key feature of the original game's multiplayer. How upsetting.. At the very least, the core gameplay of multiplayer remained unchanged, but I did not get the full experience as I was using the guitar I got with Guitar Hero 3 so it was an uphill struggle for me to even play.
It seemed like Armored Core 4 was just into making itself look better and giving us more customization options in singleplayer (though with absolutely ridiculous weight restrictions your AC). Multiplayer? Also horribly dumbed down. I walked away with my head bowed in shame. I cannot believe I bought this game.
Armored Core 4 is NOT RECOMMENDED.