Dirt Rally 2.0 is due for release on February 26 – that’s next Tuesday – and the embargo has lifted. The critics are weighing in on the latest hardcore rally sim by the veteran British studio Codemasters, and we’ve put together a handy roundup of their verdicts.

In our own Dirt Rally 2.0 PC review, Stirling says the game “builds on what’s good about its unapologetically hardcore predecessor and adds a full-featured rallycross career mode”, awarding it a strong 9/10. Having thoroughly enjoyed my own short time with it, I can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m glad to see the view is shared by someone who knows what they’re talking about.

And, indeed, by the rest of the media. Dirt Rally 2 has been received very well, with the lowest score we’ve seen so far being a muscular 8.5. Not too many major outlets have checked in yet, but at time of writing, its OpenCritic average is 86 and its Metacritic is 88.

DIRT RALLY 2 SCORES:

Cubed3: 9/10
The Games Machine: 8.8
Gaming Nexus: 8.8
PCGamesN: 9/10
PushSquare: 9/10
VGN: 8.8/10
WCCF Tech: 8.5/10

Fans of the VR mode in the original Dirt Rally will be glad to know that, after much demand, Codemasters has confirmed its return for the sequel (it just won’t be in the game at launch). We’ve also got a quick roundup of what’s changing in Dirt Rally 2.0, if you still have questions after these reviews.