I don't ask for much from my racing games. All I really want is a great sense of speed, great cars and a few awesome jumps thrown in for good measure. When it comes to DiRT 3, the latest installment in Codemaster's long running off road racing series; Check, Check and Check. Where the game separates itself from the plethora of other good racers and becomes a great one though lies with the game's fantastic presentation, fluid controls, varied tweaks and new features. Dirt 3 is not only easily the best in the series, but also a great jumping on point for those who have yet to try the series.

In recent years, racing games have become segmented into two very distinct sub-genres. There's games like Grand Turismo, which feature heavy realism, but can be so deep that it can be tough for new comers to jump in, and a game like Need For Speed, which is more arcadey and easy to control but never get taken as seriously as the former. DiRT 3 feels like a wonderful mix between the two. Yes, it leans more towards the sim style, but the game's intuitive assists ensure that it's also accessible and very easy to pick up and play. The key to these assists are the braking and stability to help you around some of the game's hairpin turns. Of course, it's still fully possible to wreck in spectacular fashion and the game features an incredible damage system.

"...always encouraged to drive fast and hard..."

The assists are really just a testament to DiRT 3's fluid and responsive control system. Each car - and there's a lot of them - handles distinctively and different, but you never get the feeling that you need to take it easy to learn the ins and outs of a certain vehicle. This goes a long way in making DiRT 3 as fun as it is, you never get the feeling that you have to hold back, and are always encouraged to drive fast and hard; making for some truly spectacular moments in most races. Still though, you're bound to find a few cars that suit your play style a bit more, and that's half the fun of the game - finding that one car.

Of course, at the core of DiRT 3 are the straight-up head to head races, but this is a massive beast of a racing game, and these races are merely the top layer. The new gymkhana events, which have you stringing together tricks for the approval of the crowd are a definite highlight, and while they may be a bit challenging, they're also extremely rewarding. There's also rally events and time trials, meaning you'll have more than enough to keep you busy in your time with DiRT 3.

"...weather effects cause tracks to feel completely different the second time around..."

There's a fairly large amount of tracks and locations in DiRT 3, but you'll often play back to back in the same one. While this may sound like a downside to the game, it's actually quite a novel idea by Codemasters. Say in one level you're racing through Los Angeles in on a sunny afternoon, then the next it may be a complete downpour, forcing you to rethink your strategy. These weather effects cause tracks to feel completely different the second time around, and adds a ton of replay value to the game and its already lengthy single player suite. In fact, there are multiple campaigns, one for each racing discipline.

DiRT 3 also boasts a rather impressive multiplayer suite. Notice I didn't say online suite; oh it's there, but to me, a guy who doesn't play online a lot, having the ability to play split screen on the same screen is awesome, and there was only a little bit of lag in this mode, as opposed to single player. In truth though, the online suite is incredibly capable of selling the game on its own and features everything from your typical online races to fun events like capture the flag.

Barring a few technical issues, DiRT 3 shines as an impressive, deep and fun racer. It doesn't really do anything to revolutionary, but it delivers in nearly every aspect it aims to, leading to an incredibly solid title. Fans of the DiRT series will love the impressive improvements over previous entries in the series, while newcomers won't find a better jumping on point. Simply put, DiRT 3 is one of this year's best racing experiences.