Dirt Rally 2.0 Pro Tips: This is how you're guaranteed to catch every tree

You've probably heard this before: Everyone claims that Dirt Rally 2.0 is the worst hardcore simulation that beginners need help with. As real pros who would easily outclass a nine-time world champion like Sébastien Loeb, you can only grin tiredly! But fear not, with our (absolutely serious!) tips, even true pro gamers will find a spark of challenge in Codemasters' rally fun again.

Table of contents

1. Ignore passenger

Wisdom number 1 when driving a car: Passengers are annoying. This is just as true in everyday traffic ("Watch out, it's red!") as it is in rally special stages. It's all well and good that the next bend is a hairpin, but does your passenger seriously believe that you haven't already spotted it with your own eyes? Let's be honest: If you were Giovanni Trappatoni, he would start a tantrum after two bends and yell "What? Allow? Passenger?".

Therefore, our first professional tip: Just ignore the know-it-all comments of the co-driver, after all, you know best how fast you can take the upcoming curve. "3 Links 100, don't cut!"? Let's see if we can cut the corner or not!

2. Sound off

The passenger babble is still annoying you and you just can't get your ears to stop? Then we recommend a quick trip to the options menu. Just set the voice output volume to 0. Then there is silence in the cockpit and you can finally concentrate on driving - heavenly!

But the game is probably still too easy for you now - even though you've long since been racing over the gravel without driving aids and HUD support. The logical next step: Simply turn off the sound completely and drive by feel. As real rally aces, you don't need the roar of the engine to get the clutch and gearshift timing right.

3. Lights out, eyes closed and through!

Unfortunately, the following fantastic tip doesn't always work - but even more so when driving at night (preferably in the rain!). Headlights are newfangled gadgets for beginners, so just turn off this nasty light cheat by deactivating the "arm lights" with the corresponding button on your controller.

Only in complete darkness will you really become one with your car, which you will then surely let merge with the surroundings (tree, ditch, rocks) once in a while. You'll also save power and recharge your rally car's battery, which will give you access to the hidden turbo boost (yes, it's definitely there!).

With a little trick, you can also use this trick during the day: If you miss the (rather one-sided) conversations with your co-driver because of tip #2, leave the sound on and drive blindfolded instead. You'll still get enough feedback from the game to complete the race successfully. If you crash, simply drive backwards a bit and then steer in. Works great!

4. Driving backwards

Since you'll probably still win easily if you take these tips to heart, be sure to try the following as well: Immediately after the start, perform a skillful U-turn with handbrake support and tackle the special stage in reverse gear - this will even give you a small but subtle advantage.

Because, as you know as real virtual racers, reverse gear always has the shortest transmission and thus gives you the best possible acceleration. You easily make up for the completely negligible top speed disadvantage with your unsurpassed driving skills, I promise!

Starting in summer 2019, you can even give your body a real workout with this tip. After all, if you' re following the action through the rear window while driving backwards, you'll have to constantly turn your head backwards for optimal visibility - which will strengthen your neck muscles immensely.

5. Controller challenges for Dirt Rally 2.0 pros

Last but not least, we'll fill you up with a tank full of good advice on how to control Dirt Rally 2.0. If you own a steering wheel like this, we recommend driving one-handed. This will make using the paddle shifters on the wheel a real challenge - and you'll look mighty cool while gaming! If you use the G29/920 instead of the paddles, it's even more difficult.

Regardless of whether you're using a steering wheel or a controller - or, like real racing game cracks, a keyboard - we recommend a very special challenge at the end. Invert the steering axis in the options menu so that you drive to the right when you steer to the left and vice versa. This guarantees that you will get a bit too close to one or the other tree.

If you take all these tips to heart (preferably at the same time) and still win easily, we can't help you any further. Except with all the info about Dirt Rally 2.0.

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