Weekend Babble: Getting DiRTy & Finding Faults

I'll review it, as soon as I can stop playing it!

As I wrap up a weekend full of impromptu – and gleefully geeky – Halo 3: ODST LAN parties and endlessly blissful sessions of DiRT 2, I’m haunched over my laptop trying to find the on-ramp to my latest game review.

I’ve been sitting on the aforementioned DiRT 2 for just shy of a week, and my personal policy with game publishers and PR companies is to turnaround my review in 7 days or less. Tomorrow morning is day 7. I haven’t necessarily been procrastinating so much as constantly waiting for some flaw to jump out at me. Just one major or minor mistake Codemasters let slip. God forbid I publish a glowing review without finding fault ;-) The Gran Turismo or Forza fanatics will slap a sellout/fanboy label on me, and that’s fine. The review-absorbing audience out there can be harsh.

But honestly, before FortySeven PR sent out a press copy, I was prepared to plunk my hard-earned $60 down on DiRT 2 based on the demo alone. Hell, based on the MENU SYSTEM alone. It’s that sexy. What annoys me, however, is that I can even find faults with my all-time favorite video games, but seriously gang: DiRT 2 is a flawlessly produced off-road racing title that just drips adrenalin, style, and challenge.

I’m not sure if my critical acuity is slipping, or if this game really IS that perfect. I do know this much: I’m falling asleep thinking about the perfect racing lines to follow in the Battersea Rallycross event.

(Frickin’ Dave Mirra steals my 1st place sweep every time, man.  When did he stop riding his bike?)