14 DAY TRIAL // Dirt 3 was just released by its developer and publisher, Codemasters, as a new iteration in its rally and off-road racing simulator series, managing to impress quite a lot of people.
We've already had a quick look at it, and I now want to give an oversight about how Dirt 3 feels and controls on a PC, using the traditional keyboard setup, instead of a controller or a dedicated steering wheel.
Many racing games, especially simulators, handle horribly with a keyboard, fact highlighted by the recent Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed, which required some serious skills if you wanted to master it with a keyboard, but was extremely easy with a controller.
Some, like Gran Turismo 5, even go so far as to have specially-branded peripherals appear on the market so that fans can get the complete experience.
Dirt 3 isn't quite like that, as Codemasters added a wide array of assists to the player, in order to accommodate his skill level and choice of control input.
As such, if you don't have access to a controller or a steering wheel, then you can easily drop the difficulty level to a lower setting, or configure your own special assists through the advanced settings screen.
The challenge will still be there, as it's arguably harder to gain control of the various cars Dirt 3 offers to you with a keyboard than with other devices.
If you really want to enjoy what Dirt 3 has to offer and get a proper challenge, however, then you can't go wrong by using a steering wheel or even a controller, if you don't want to spend some cash on a dedicated peripheral.
Still, those who don't have such things lying around won't be sorry if they pick up Dirt 3 on the PC.
The game is currently available for the aforementioned platform, as well as consoles like the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Look forward to our official review later this week.