Codemasters plans DiRT 2 for September

By Robert Purchese Published 20 February, 2009

Jumpgate, Overlord dates detailed.

Codemasters has said Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will launch here this September.

The dirty racing game - in development for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii and DS - will be bigger and more aggressive than the first, and uses the same, apparently impressive, EGO engine that Codemasters keeps waffling on about.

The DiRT date coincides with calendar organisation for Overlord: Dark Legend on Wii and Overlord: Minions on DS, both of which will be here in June.

Codemasters also said spaceship MMO Jumpgate Evolution will be here in June, but we already knew that. Old.

That's quite a busy 2009 for Codemasters, which also launches FUEL and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising this year.

Handily, we've just published our impressions of both Operation Flashpoint and FUEL, so pop over to those articles to bone up.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (19) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ruttyboy #1 3 years ago

    If the Codies sound team are reading (and I know there's at least a chance you are), *please* record a non-American MC and co-driver.

    ***PLEASE!***

    EDIT: Co-pilot? What am I on about?
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 11:22

  • ThePope #2 3 years ago

    Glad they are keeping Colin's name in there.

    R.I.P.

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    +1 to Ruttyboy. I know it was to make it more accessible to Americans, but it just felt like they were telling me to take my money and my stupid shit-eating British face and fuck off.

  • ruttyboy #4 3 years ago

    Oh and while I'm here, forget that goblin nonsense and remake the original Overlord (the awesome PC flight sim).

    And get me a Coke.

  • DoctorZoidberg #5 3 years ago

    Not a bad line up to be fair.

  • Machetazo #6 3 years ago

    Great to see Codies coming up strong, once again!

  • Beats12 #7 3 years ago

    I wonder if they considered dropping his name now that it appears his license was 2 years overdue he may have been to blame for the crash...

  • rhubarbandcustard #8 3 years ago

    Love Dirt, gorgeous jaw dropping visuals which incredibly were eclipsed by those in Grid.

    I'm still amazed when I buy a new game at just how much better looking games are becoming.

    Keep the co-driver the same, Codies. (Anti-Americanism is my number one pet peeve).

    More vehicles, more classes, more courses, a dynamic weather system too pretty please?

  • Vroom #9 3 years ago

    + 1,000,000 to what Rutty said.

    At least give us the option.

  • riz23 #10 3 years ago

    Euro Co-Driver and some snow conditions please. Please?

  • Snooz #11 3 years ago

    How about looking at good old Richard Burns Rally and implement a "realistic mode" to Dirt2 , copy the physics of RBR and the online-mod of http://www.rallyesim.fr< /a> (RSRBR09) and make the ultimate game for both arcade mp (which i guess is already in Dirt) and single player sim rally racing like in RSRBR09.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 13:58

  • citizenHUNTER #12 3 years ago

    @Snooz AGREED! I still play Richard Burns Rally (R.I.P. to both those great drivers) and the physics are impressive, really feels just right. The demo of DiRT, like GRiD, had the pretty loose wobbly, not very stuck on the road feeling (and of course a bit too much speed and last minute braking as well). I just want a great realistic sim with a good graphics engine, is it too much to ask. At least with Race Pro I'm getting my dreams of a realistic believable racer on a console (once I get paid next Friday)!! Now for someone to do a modern rally sim game, even if only 5 people will get along with it, hence why making a proper sim mode in DiRT would be great, but I know they prob won't do it, or do it half heartedly :( Codemasters, please give in on these demands, you'll make us happy!

    Also, please release the original Micro Machines games (2D, especially number 2) on XBLA and PSN etc.!!!

  • rhubarbandcustard #13 3 years ago

    Richard Burns Rally was one of the most difficult driving games ever released.

    The mainstream console audience would run away in fear if that physics and driving mode was implemented. As would I. It's simply not what I want in a console racer.

    Dirt 1 handling mode was sublime. Maybe a tweak here or there, but nothing more required.

  • kwesleyb #14 3 years ago

    I have dirt for pc but cause the controls are too sensitive and theres no where to alter sensitivity cause they didnt include it, i have yet to play it still :(

    looked like a good game tho lol....

  • ruttyboy #15 3 years ago

    For the record, it's not 'anti-Americanism', it's 'anti-cuntism'. I don't care where you're from, if you start referring to me as 'Tiger' I'm going to think you're a twat.

  • metalangel #16 3 years ago

    So Codebastards, will this include all the features that made your previous games so great, like everything locked initially, crap handling and instant game over if you fall below a minimum number of points per race, even if you are leading both the drivers and constructors standings by a huge margin?

  • DAN.E.B #17 3 years ago

    for the love of god just stick to rally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    for the record i loved the handling in cmr4

  • Snooz #18 3 years ago

    @rhubarbandcustard: Yeah, Richard Burns was and still is too hard for the mainstream gamer, thats why I'd like it implemented as a "realistic mode" for the DiRT2, just a dream though.

    Anyway, the french community have done a massive improvement for Richard Burns Rally and added 1gig of more content, about 150 different cars ( i.e Mitsubishi evo 5-9 etc) but also a lot of 2wd cars, S2000 class, N-class etc.

    Every weekend there is an official rally (inspired by the real rally events, so last weekend had a lot of snowtracks in snow-mod) there can be about 300 users signed up for the event :)

    What happened to the WRC games from ps2, did they get canned for the ps3?

    There really is about time for a new epic Rally sim, I was a CMR fan from 2 to about 4.

    Petter Solberg was in talks with microsoft 2 years ago, but only a mobile phone rally game has come out of that so far.

  • citizenHUNTER #19 3 years ago

    "Richard Burns Rally was one of the most difficult driving games ever released."

    Why thankyou. That's the great thing about it, it was difficult, but it was fair. Considering it is a sim and you treat it like so then as long as you approach it from the right side of things (i.e. cautiously, not steaming into every corner hoping to make it) then it really is the most rewarding gaming experience I've possibly ever had.

    The first play is a humbling experience, as you realise just how far off the mark typical driving/rally games are. When you realise that braking and slowing down far in advance of the corners then approaching them at a realistic speed is the only way to go it's great to slowly build up your confidence and eek out ever faster times. Finishing a stage going at break neck speed and not cocking up is beautiful. I know most people just want to thrash around as if they're as good as Colin McRrae, but I'd rather be happy knowing that if I was sat in a real car I'd have a chance of simply not embarrassing/killing myself.

    Rant over. Actually no, it's not. I really hope Richard Burns and the GTR/Race Pro series aren't the only sims released for a while, cos it seems to be going that way since everyone loves shite like Grid and the mass-market is more and more important. Some comments I've read from people playing Race-Pro have been ridiculous and quite depressing actually, complaints seeming to be about the graphics/presentation (who gives a fuck about the menu screens as long as they function well?!) and claiming the handling isn't realistic, lol. Only because they've been brainwashed into thinking any idiot can press left/right and hold down the accelerator with no thought or skill involved. Grr. Anyway I'm just very glad and grateful that Race Pro finally got a 360 release, I thought the day would never come. One day I'll get a decent PC though so I can join in the simming fun! :p