Dirt: Colin McRrae Offroad (Xbox 360)

Herald rating: * * * *

Pros: A wide variety of exotic tracks are recreated with gritty realism and from the menu design through to the fantastic car control system, you feel like you're playing a quality game. Dirt stretches across enough driving disciplines to keep things interesting for casual gamers and from the starting clubman rally you'll be drawn in by the intoxicating mix of speed, barking engines and flying gravel.

Cons: The cover advertises the fact that up to 100 players can participate in the online version but only one car can take to the track at any one time. Woefully lacking in the multiplayer stakes.

Verdict: An instantly enjoyable, high-adrenalin game that you can just pick up and play for hours. The best rally racer yet.

Censor's classification: 12+