There's a specific corner during one of the German stages in where your co-driver will supplement his flurry of warnings with a professional request: "Be brave." It's a slight left kink, framed on both sides by half-buried stones.

Excellent handling; Brilliant effects and sound; Great garage selection; Good mix of modes; including RallyX

In-game economy makes career mode a grind

Hurtling down a muddy forest track in the heart of Wales, my Subaru Impreza's engine sputters into overdrive with a ferocious howl as I climb perilously close to top speed. The dense walls of trees on either side blur into a desaturated mess of browns and greens.

Excellent handling and physics model; Superb mixture of distinct vehicles from a range of eras; Tough; varied; and exhilarating assortment of rally stages; Wonderful visuals and sound design

Career mode progression is a grind; Hill Climb and Rallycross modes feel half-baked; Can be overwhelming with no tutorials and little guidance

It's easy to approach a rally game as if it's another racing title. Speed, fighting for control, and a strong competitive spirit rule both, but rally racing is a different breed. If the focus of regular racing is primarily the finish, then rally racing is a marathon where you die and are reborn a...

Get your clutch foot ready!

The PS4 version of DiRT Rally was primarily tested for the purpose of this review. The DiRT franchise made its rather unusual early-access debut last year, but after Codemasters built its new installment DiRT Rally up from the ground, this April the game makes its debut on PlayStation 4 and Xbox...

One of the best driving sims of the new generation, and although it still lacks content in some areas the console versions are just as good as the PC.

A fantastically accurate simulation, that is scrupulously fair in both its rewards and punishment; Plenty of racing styles, tracks, and cars; Super smooth 60fps graphics

The bare bones multiplayer and career mode are still an issue; with few important additions to accompany the console launch

I'm back! I can't believe it's been three years since my last racing game review , but then again, there haven't been a lot of proper racing games released during that time, so I was understandably excited to check out DiRT Rally.

Positives + Massive amount of content + Easily scales between casual and simulation + Fantastic graphics and sound + Great online community

Negatives - Frustratingly difficult until you stumble on a blend of controls and assists that's right for you; - No local split-screen racing

Let's be straight, rallying is the ultimate test of teamwork and trust.Unlike other racing pursuits where you face the track on your own, with only the noise of the engine and the orders from the

Stunning visuals and audio; Difficult but rewarding; One of the best rally simulators available

Requires too much time for some; New players may struggle

PC gamers are already in love with Codemasters' return to the pinnacle of rally driving; last year's Dirt Rally. The British developer laid the foundations for this new, more straight-laced Dirt title back with Colin McRae Rally, which at the time was a serious simulation.

Although many consider the racing genre to be a niche genre in the video game industry, it definitely has produced some incredible titles over the years. If you take that mindset one step further, then rally racing would be considered the ultimate niche sport.