Colin McRae: DiRT 2 Review

By Kristan Reed Published 3 September, 2009

Grime reaper.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

Taking the beloved Colin McRae franchise into the murky mainstream was always going to bloody a few noses, but few would dispute that Codemasters has done so with a certain amount of panache. By turning the serious business of rally driving into an exciting, glitzy, multi-discipline showcase, it opened up the brand to a wider (read: American) audience while retaining the core challenge and refined design that made the series such a success in the first place.

Having built on that success with the benchmark-setting Race Driver GRID, expectation leading up to the release of DiRT 2 has been justifiably high - if tempered by the frowning hardcore, who still loudly bemoan the series' wholesale surrender to the lure of the Yankee dollar.

Certainly, the influence of the consistently excellent Race Driver is everywhere in DiRT 2 - most notably in the adoption of its 'flashback' mechanic, where pausing and rewinding a short section of the race allows players the freedom to instantly rectify mistakes. For some, this will represent the final straw; one concession too many to neutering the challenge for an attention-deficit audience that has no truck with such old-fashioned notions as practice, skill and persistence. On the other hand, removing unwanted repetition reduces game rage no end. Just think about the trauma you'll be sparing your loved ones. And pets. And pads.

Codies has also improved the front end no end, and goes much further in trying to make you feel part of the race-day proceedings. Rather than presenting the action with simple tiered menus, the game places you right at the heart of the event in a 3D representation of your surroundings. Moving between menus sweeps you around your motorhome in first person, flitting between your career 'planner', posters on the wall and your desk. Once you've made your selection, you move outside to face the cheering throng and the rock music throb. Choose your ride, and the event gets underway for real.

'Colin McRae: DiRT 2' Screenshot 1

Remember, jaunty angle = EXCITEMENT!

There are nine contrasting, globe-spanning locations: you flit between the barren rock of Utah and the lush tropical climes of Malaysia, while also roaring around makeshift circuits set in the skeletal remains of London's iconic Battersea Power Station. With urban stadiums in LA and Tokyo complementing the more traditional rural rallying in Croatia, China and Morocco, there's certainly no lack of variety.

Likewise, the off-road variety of the events themselves remains a key part of the package, allowing Codemasters to consistently freshen things up with new racing disciplines and vehicle classes. Essentially split into lap-based or point-to-point events, it's a much more consistent experience this time around, with every mode genuinely enjoyable in its own right.

In total, around 100 events present themselves over the course of the game's exhaustive career mode. These start with simple one-off rookie races, before building up to multi-tier race events of Pro and All-Star rank, alongside the multi-discipline X-Game showcases and the gruelling World Tour marathons, where five races in a given race type must be ploughed through before you emerge victorious.

Traditionalists are well-served by the inclusion of a series of top-notch rally courses which show off Codies' supreme EGO engine with particular aplomb. A brace of exciting point-to-point variations will also please fans of the old style, with the new 'Trailblazer' mode removing the comfort blanket of pace-notes to tension-inducing effect. The chaotic 'Raid' mode, meanwhile, replaces rally cars with buggies and trucks, as you race seven others simultaneously across typically hazardous terrain.

Elsewhere, five lap-based modes complete the package: Rally Cross, Last Man Standing, Gate Crasher, Domination and Landrush, and unlike the original, there's barely a weak link among them. Last Man Standing, as the name implies, is a tense and riotously entertaining affair, with the driver in last place eliminated one by one, until only one remains, while Domination combines performance in each of the four lap sectors with your overall finishing place to determine the winner. Both are hardly original in the genre, but work like a charm in the context of Codemasters' super-responsive, drift-heavy handling and emphasis on speed.

Rally Cross and Landrush, meanwhile, take a more traditional race-based approach, with the latter preferring the weight and grunt of trucks and nimble buggies to the powerhouse rally cars of the former. Gate Crasher is the game's sole novelty mode, with a solo race punctuated by the need to repeatedly crash into small 'gates' to top-up a countdown clock. It does add a bit of light relief to the relentless tension you're subjected to elsewhere.

'Colin McRae: DiRT 2' Screenshot 2

No motorbikes. Sorry.

As an all-round package, DiRT 2 fits together extremely well, with palpitating progression consistently rewarded with experience points, new cars, liveries, toys and challenges at almost every turn - regardless of which skill level you decide to plump for. You never find yourself short of avenues to explore, and if you tire of any given discipline at any given point, you'll always have a bunch of other racing styles to focus on in the meantime. Codies even thoughtfully allows players to switch difficulty at any given point, with the only real penalty being the amount of cash you earn from races. Without ever feeling like you're being completely let off the hook, DiRT 2 is one of the most accessible racing games imaginable. Just as it should be, a more concerted challenge is there for those that require it, but it's never an obligation. Entertainment, however, most certainly is.

Key to this level of entertainment is the overall look and feel of the game. Handling has always been one of Codemasters' undoubted strengths throughout the evolution of its racing titles, and DiRT 2 does not disappoint in this regard. Although purists would no doubt sneer at the game's move towards the more 'arcadey' end of the spectrum, in terms of sheer pick-up-and-play accessibility, it feels like the team has again nailed that comfortable mid-point between objective realism and flat-out fun that any driving game needs. Regardless of whether you're wrestling with the contrasting demands of a Baja truck, buggy or rally car, there's always an assured sense of being in control.

Visually, too, DiRT 2 has come on leaps and bounds in the past two years, with a rewarding backdrop of contrasting tones and hues that demonstrate the progress the Stoneythorpe studio has made with its impressive EGO engine. Whether charging headlong through the cloying tropics of Malaysia or the parched desert starkness of Utah, the settings are never less than stunning. Especially noticeable this time around are the extra fine details; the beautiful lighting, the dust clouds, the lush foliage, all rendered at a rock-solid 30 frames per second. Add to that some of the most impressive crunching damage effects yet in a driving game, and you end up with a consistently satisfying spectacle.

With that in mind, it does seem strange, then, that a few features present in previous Colin McRae games are conspicuous by their absence. Varying weather conditions, for example, don't figure at all, with not a single drop of rain or flake of snow to disrupt visibility or track conditions. And although certain tracks (such as those in Malaysia) feature evidence of wet weather, Codies has made no attempt to implement track deformation. In addition, although the damage modelling effects have reached new levels of realism, the removal of the need to repair your ride between races results in a much more reckless approach to driving, knowing full well that not only does the damage have zero effect on your chances of winning a race, but that none of this damage will carry on to the next race. In this case, DiRT 2's accessibility is taken to an unwelcome extreme. The same could be said of the game's strict adherence to short, sharp, sub-four-minute races: would it have hurt to have a few epic stages towards the conclusion?

On a more positive note, Codemasters has at least taken a slightly less US-centric approach to presenting the game this time around. You might ruefully recall the nauseatingly excitable comments from Travis Pastrana in the original DiRT, which gave the game all the subtlety of a brick in the face, but this time his exuberance has been dialled down a notch, much to our relief. Elsewhere, the co-driver pace note duties are now shared between a Scot and an American, and it's much less grating on the ears as a result. Top marks, too, to the folks responsible for the rock-heavy soundtrack, which must rank as one of the least offensive we've ever heard in a racing game.

'Colin McRae: DiRT 2' Screenshot 3

Trucks with a difference.

A special mention, too, should be made of the game's flexible multiplayer features. Although the absence of split-screen play is an annoyance, the online and system-link play is exceptional, and retains all of what makes the offline single-player so entertaining. Essentially, all of the game's offline event types are present and correct in the game's ranked Pro Tour online mode, so you can take on up to seven opponents in any mode in the exact same way you would offline, with team-based racing for up to four players. And for those who fancy breaking the game's rules, the unranked Jam Sessions mode allows you to tinker with all manner of elements to create your own custom race as you see fit. Want to race trucks on a rally course? Go for it. The game warns you if it thinks you're doing something silly, but the point is, it's fun to try.

Although DiRT 2 won't satisfy the hardcore's demands for a return to the serious tone of the old-school Colin McRae titles, this is nevertheless a fine sequel to an admirable title. Adding GRID's flashback feature allows the game to hit that sweet spot of accessibility without blunting its appeal, and allied to a plethora of consistently entertaining race disciplines and locations, it's an absorbing and technically accomplished experience from start to finish.

8 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (88) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • dr_faulk #1 2 years ago

    ... another 8/10....

  • Scrumhalf #2 2 years ago

    The review reads nearly all positive, with a few issues - and then the 8 turns up, by that stage it felt out of place?

    Apart from knowing it was coming from my shopto email :)
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 09:17

  • Vitor #3 2 years ago

    I like how I knew the score several hours before this was put up on the site due to a rather over-eager Shopto.net e-mail newsletter advertising the game...

  • Pac #4 2 years ago

    An eight from Edge and Eurogamer. Ordered despite reservations of floaty cars.

  • Ninja_Tino #5 2 years ago

    Victor stole my point! That cheeky shopto. Not only do they hijack game shipments and sell them cheap but they show reviews early!

  • Scrumhalf #6 2 years ago

    @Pac - I didn't think the handling was that floaty in the demo, it was obviously arcade-y but not horribly so.

  • Pac #7 2 years ago

    @Ninja_Tino

    Shopto also had an 8/10 review of the game on their website underneath the pre order of Dirt 2 (but it was actually a review of the original Dirt).

    Cheeky buggers!

  • peterfll #8 2 years ago

    So you know what? I'm going to buy this.

  • UncleLou #9 2 years ago

    I don't mind arcadey handling if it's done well, and I thought Grid was alright, but I could not stand the handling in Dirt 1. Weightless, floaty cars made out of paper with stupidly overpowered brakes. I thought Sega Rally's handling was a gazillion times more fun.

    Now what? :-/
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 09:22

  • binky #10 2 years ago

    If you want realism get Forza, Race Pro GT... If you want skiddy smashy fun edge of your seat dust-a-thon get Dirt2 :)

  • jmg123 #11 2 years ago

    I tried the demo, and tried the demo for the original, and I must say I was more impressed with the original demo, the second one felt a bit too much like need for speed pro street

  • MrSnotbail #12 2 years ago

    bah, the review was a rather trite job, no?

  • Pac #13 2 years ago

    @Scrumhalf

    I am no purist, so arcade handling is fine by me. I liked Grid but thought it could have done with a few more drift races and a few less les mans championships (one per season! - what were they thinking).

    On the other hand still looking forward to Forza, GT5 etc.

  • bad09 #14 2 years ago

    Such a shame as I am REALLY itching for a next gen rally game. Any devs out there willing to take rally seriously again and aim it above 12 year olds. Come on we've not had one for years. Go on PLEASE someone. Oh well got a stonking new PC so RBR and that mod I hear people talking of for now.

    Is anyone else concerned how F1 will turn out after Codies have killed both TOCA and CR?

  • infoxicated #15 2 years ago

    The demo was like driving hover cars on ice - gave up on it after slithering my way through the first event, although the front end is the best executed example of its type I've ever seen.

    I'd pre-ordered SuperCar Challenge anyway, and that should be dropping through my letterbox today, so I'll pick Dirt 2 up pre-owned if it turns out the demo wasn't a fair representation of the whole game.

  • cnlfailure #16 2 years ago

    @infoxicated
    You should have tried the second event. The cars in the first one do handle weirdly, but in the second track on the demo it's far more as expected.

  • Aretak #17 2 years ago

    "Such a shame as I am REALLY itching for a next gen rally game. Any devs out there willing to take rally seriously again and aim it above 12 year olds."

    Sony are still in possession of the WRC licence, and it's going to be included in Gran Turismo 5. Whether that amounts to just the cars and branding or a full-blown WRC side-show with proper rally stages remains to be seen. Not quite as good as an actual new WRC game (which probably won't happen given that Evolution are all about MotorStorm now), but at least it's something.

  • metalangel #18 2 years ago

    I'm with you infoxicated, the cars were far too slidey, there was no way to adjust the steering sensitivity to compensate... perhaps if the review hadn't spent the first two pages regurgitating a press release there would have been room to mention this.

  • asharkman #19 2 years ago

    Have to agree with a number of points,
    1. review didn't seem to warrent an 8/10 since he doesn't come out and complain about anything in partiular.
    Would i be right in saying that the game is just a bit plain and doesn't deserver the 9/10?
    2. Yea i just want a proper rally game like the old colin mcrae game with new next gen graphics, sounds and super physics!
    3. That shopto pissed me off. i like to know the review score after i read the bloody thing.

  • bad09 #20 2 years ago

    @ Aretak

    I was wondering about the license and Sony did still actually own it. Yeah Rally in GT makes it a dead cert purchase but hopefully Sony will thinlk about a full game. Especially with the amount of people complaining about this dirt.

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #21 2 years ago

    We're trying to find out how ShopTo got the score before it was published... as it wasn't on purpose!

  • andromeda #22 2 years ago

    @bad09

    +1

    yeah agreed. RBR with this engine is my new wet dream.

  • Nephirion #23 2 years ago

    No variable weather conditions :(

  • estoo #24 2 years ago

    No rally game is complete without a snow/ice environment!

    I'm sure DiRT is going to be plenty enjoyable but maybe the follow up could be called MuD or SLuSH...

  • kendoji #25 2 years ago

    /boots up Rallisport Challenge 2

  • laudy #26 2 years ago

    One paragraph...one paragraph to explain the "rally" aspect of the game...i'm very disappointed. Ok, even if you don't have the official WRC licence, why not at least attempt to recreate it?

    I took part in a dirt2 demo online race the other day, all i had to do was nudge the guy to my right and he took everyone else out, i won by about 30 very boring seconds despite only playing the damn thing once. They're not wrong about the pick up and play aspect...

    The WRC section in the GT5 trailer looks even better now...I really hope it doesn't disappoint.

    bad09 +1.

  • andromeda #27 2 years ago



    funny how the demo likes to impress you with its water on windscreen effect. Where the fuck have such massive puddles come from in the heat of the morrocan desert. Feels wrong. And the fact that the overall effect stays the same even if you trundle through at 2mph .

    this has got the most seamless and impressive UI ive ever seen though.

  • Darren #28 2 years ago

    Having just completed the wonderful Batman: Arkham Asylum on Easy and Normal with just 9 Riddles and 1 "secret" to find, I'm eagerly awaiting this game after the thrilling demo. My only disappointment from reading the review is the lack of weather effects, especially snow, but then this isn't really a rally game any more so I shouldn't be surprised.

    I'm sure DiRT 2 will still be a lot of fun though - DiRT was fantastic - but I do wish someone would make a RalliSport Challenge 3 equivalent for the 360 and PS3 as the genre has been very poorly supported IMO this generation. RalliSport Challenge 2 still remains the best rally game to date but, sadly, it doesn't run on the Xbox 360.

  • zoweewowee #29 2 years ago

    more like a sim than ever ? what a joke!

  • figaro7 #30 2 years ago

    So...is this actually an better than the first one?

  • woodyrulesok #31 2 years ago

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=MjYJ7zZ9BRw

  • silentbob #32 2 years ago

    LOL at the handling purists decrying the lack anal precision and realism. I'm not sure you could miss the point any more if you tried.

    DiRT 2 is much better in terms of weight and feeling of inertia. Those complaining of 'floatyness' are talking bollocks. It's a consistently satisfying experience throwing your car around tracks in the demo. Furthermore, braking no longer feels as if you're tied to a tree and requires proper application to master the tracks I've played.

    Looks too as though my other main bugbear with DiRT 1, the abundance of nonsense and unenjoyable 'truck' racing has been addressed. I'll look forward to treating these non-rally events as an extra challenge rather than the chore they quickly became in the original.

    Already pre-ordered anyway, want it more now.

  • Beano #33 2 years ago

    Tried the demo and wasn't impressed by it. Seemed rather dull. Nice graphics and the menus are great, but that was about it. Maybe the full game have better tracks and exiting game-modes?

    Bring the real Colin McRae rally games back!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 10:45

  • DrRobotnik #34 2 years ago

    What is it with Eurogamer and giving scores that don't reflect the preceding review?

    That read like a 9.

  • Zebula77 #35 2 years ago

    Hmf, how I wish they'd go back to the point to point rally racing of McRae 2 for example. Absolutely loved the tense, exciting gameplay in that one. This doesn't tempt me one bit I'm afraid. Demo did have nice graphics, tho.

  • ChaK #36 2 years ago

    why is this review flagged as PC tested as it's not?

    PC version is coming in december, and you'll do a new review right?

  • BigDaddy82 #37 2 years ago

    Damage does affect the car handling yes

    Also how are people casting judgements on the rally section of the game without having played it?
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 11:38

  • G-Money #38 2 years ago

    Although purists would no doubt sneer at the game's move towards the more 'arcadey' end of the spectrum,

    Yes, yes we would....

  • SBfistfun #39 2 years ago

    Ride? RIDE? What the fuck is a ride?!!!

    It's a fucking car.

    This annoys me even more than people calling a pc a 'rig'.



    grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

  • smernicki #40 2 years ago

    so no spanish finnish or swedish rallies? shame

  • spiny #41 2 years ago

    Tried the demo. Too floaty. Review is off the mark on the handling if the rest of the game is like that.

  • Spekingur #42 2 years ago

    Mostly dissappointed hearing about no repair and no weather conditions to worry about. Those two have always been the strategic part of a rally game - or any proper racing game.

  • metalangel #43 2 years ago

    @silentbob: my concern with the floatyness is that it made the truck incredibly twitchy and the car far easier to spin out than slide. This is because the controls are too sensitive and there's no way to adjust them. Codebastards did decent handling once... but that was TOCA2 and Colin 1 which are both over a decade old now. TOCA3 let you in around all bends full speed with no risk of spinning or sliding, while the cars in Colin 2 gripped too much.

  • Spekingur #44 2 years ago

    So, is someone going to create a petition that asks MS to bring back Rallisport Challenge?

  • JensonJet #45 2 years ago

    "the team has again nailed that comfortable mid-point between objective realism and flat-out fun that any driving game needs"

    I don't understand this about most driving games these days. If a gamer needs a plethora of driving aids, a reverse-time feature and arcade handling, then I would suggest the gamer doesn't actually enjoy driving games at all. Driving is easy and fun. Driving fast and competitively isn't so easy, but the rewards for gaining more skill through practice surely have to be more rewarding than these dumbed down, talentless features offer!

    Bad09... totally agree. In fact anyone who wishes for the exciting days of fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, perilous racing on ice, snow, mud, wet tarmac, gravel, etc, of old I'm in agreement with. I have nothing against kids who want to p*ss around in Extreme Games style races, but I can't believe that the decade of fans who bought one or more of the many rallying games of old are all gone!

    CODEMASTERS: As you're so desperate to make as much money as possible and McRae is now forever Americanised/dead to a lot of fans of old, here's a suggestion for making a little extra money (out of your European market)... release an old Colin McRae game on Xbox Live arcade (or whatever it's called)!

    So until Forza does a Gran Tourismo and sticks a few rallying cars and tracks into the game, on the Xbox we're a completely rally free zone for the foreseeable future. Oh well, at least we have two dozen arcade racing games for the kids.

  • ebony69 #46 2 years ago

    @ Spek haha RSC was good.
    It was by far the greatest on the orig X.

    I thought that Dirt 1 had a pure CMR option you could go in to and ignore all the other US race types. Am I wrong and does Dirt 2 have a similar option?
    Its amazing that the X360 is now as old as the Xbox ever got to be and it still only has Forza 2 as the single serious driving game in almost 4 years!!!! About 6 million arcade racers for it but only 1 driving game in 4 years is bizarre. No pun intended.

  • binky #47 2 years ago

    @ebony - Race Pro?

  • Scrumhalf #48 2 years ago

    They are pushing it hard - just seen the advert before the 1 day cricket on Sky.

  • bodypopper #49 2 years ago

    Bah. Keep racing games stoopid I say. If you want realism, then pony up and drive a real one on a test track.

  • SliderNL #50 2 years ago

    I'm going to try this, i liked most of the original DIRT, but Rallisport Challenge 2 for me is still the best allround rallygame. Is there snow in DIRT 2? because the lack of snow and ice-levels was unforgivable for a rally-game.

  • zakrocz #51 2 years ago

    Too floaty, what a muppet, the rally car handles pretty much like a real car and you call it floaty, lmao. Try practicing a bit before you moan about the handling you are unable to master. As for the baja race, i'd like to see that muppet who won his first race by 30 seconds do that with those of us in the lobby who have mastered the 2 races in the demo, what a muppet!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 13:10

  • Trinod #52 2 years ago

    @ zakrocz

    are you Ps3 or 360?

  • FooAtari #53 2 years ago

    @bad09
    Is anyone else concerned how F1 will turn out after Codies have killed both TOCA and CR?

    Not really. F1 is a bit of a joke these days, so an average game would work well. And also, there are some top quality F1 mods available for rFactor that I am pretty damn sure are better than what Codies will come up with.

  • JayKwon #54 2 years ago

    @ All, you should use the in car view if you haven't already. It makes the car less 'floaty' than the 'behind the car'- camera :). Just as it did with the first DiRT and especially Sega Rally.

    Good review, I agree with all the negatives given in the review. Why no long tracks as in Fuel maybe? But this time, with compelling driving mechanics? Why no weather effects? Codemasters took over the developing studio that made Sega Rally and thus the great track deformation license it contained. Why no sign of it? And I would've liked more 'you against the track' races. But oh well, I still think this is a bloody entertaining game.

    Sorry for my bad grammar and use of English, it's not my native language:p.
    Edited by 2 at 04/09/09 @ 13:57

  • jmg123 #55 2 years ago

    @Raajaa
    Yes it is, you can "customiZe" your "ride" with "dash objects" like hula girls, The menu system is your garishly "colOred" car sitting outside in a party environment. And you race round stadium tracks bashing into 7 other buggies. Maybe they decided that the worst NFS was something to look up to?

    At least the demo for the first one was a half decent rally style 2 player race.

    If they want a decent rally game, make one, with multi stages on multiple course types with loads of weather effects, have a co driver telling you what is up ahead. If they want an arcade feeling rallyish style racer with pimp my ride features to rival NFS, then go ahead make one.
    Just don't do the latter and call it after Colin McRae and pretend it is a proper rally game, it will only disappoint people. I'm not saying from the demo that it is a bad game, it's just it is not what you exepct it to be from the title, and that leaves you with a bit of disappointment.

  • Rodchenko #56 2 years ago

    DiRT is pure arcade handling, not a whiff of realism about it. The old CM games were a damned good stab at realism, considering the technology available at the time.

    I agree with your assessment that modern day racing games are regrettably all about dumbing-down, but I think you are romantizising the past a bit in saying that racers were generally more realistic back then. Remembering the ridiculous rubber-band AI in one of the first TOCA games (I don't know which one, but I think it was the second on the PS1) still infuriates me today. Basically you were half a minute ahead throughout the race, yet just before the last corner you would hear the pack approach rapidly from behind, often pushing you out of that very corner to spoil the victory.

    But you are right in that the physics and the 'feeling' felt spot-on in retrospect.

  • linea #57 2 years ago

    Funnily enough (and I speak as one of those terrible bores who actually enjoys playing Race Pro ;) ) the handling I've enjoyed most in any 360 racer aside from Forza and the aforementioned Race Pro was the ludicrous Burnout Paradise. There seemed to be a very sophisticated physics engine going on, even if it was a cartoony one.

    I don't think that satisfying physics and arcade thrills are necessarily mutually exclusive. Sadly though I wasn't convinced by DiRT 2's in the demo, which is a shame because I'd absolutely love a semi-realistic rallying game on the 360.

  • BigDaddy82 #58 2 years ago

    @Jaykwon

    Codies didn't take over the Sega Rally studio they just have a few of the staff who worked on it, they didn't take the ground deformation technology from Sega either.

    Also this game is by the Codemasters racing studio, not the studio that made Fuel

  • frostcircus #59 2 years ago

    Actually, jaunty angle = Battlefield Earth

  • tommy_g003 #60 2 years ago

    Ouch - poor Codies - definitely read like a 9.

  • Machetazo #61 2 years ago

    Colin McRae Rally. I remember that. In fact I liked the PSM demo as much I went off to find the full game that same day. Really good fun, plenty of track variety, great visuals (far better than SEGA rally on Saturn, by that point!) especially good in time-based events. A great rally game, as I remember it, with the trademarks of the genre, present and correct. I enjoyed playing it for many hours.

    Of DiRT 2 (demo), i remember this: I felt like i was attending the meets depicted. I don't know if it actually changed, but it certainly seemed to be that the driver's retreat to the RV following an 8th place failure was more pronounced, than when he was just reviewing notes on where he'd next be racing. You get your pass, check your car over (is that locked "specs" option on the vehicle browser, the missing under-the-bonnet configuration element) and set off.
    The racing's good, the in-car racing on trailblazer brilliantly tense, especially after you've driven through a puddle, or to see the driver visibly wrestling with the wheel, much like the player's doing, is really fun. The cars aren't glued to the track, and you can very easily find yourself beyond the boundaries, in the gravel and all-over, if you've not a grasp on the racetrack.

    What I played in that demo, in terms of how the car drives, was fun, equated to an off-road racing experience with rally elements. I was concerned that the "localization" elements would be too invasive; but, I didn't find them to be, and they don't impede upon the racing where they are present. The game, I find, after all's said and done is fun to play, seems to have a good wealth of content to offer, and i'm confident will prove to be worth its asking price, next week.

    While I can understand people's attachment to more of what is mentioned in paragraph 1, and share it also - it really is a great style of game; in a lot of cases of commenters in this thread, it's clear they've got access to the original titles upon which they lament the supposed discontinuation of...Why do they want more of the same? Are Codies likely to see a strong enough return, if they create a game underlyingly reliant on mechanics now a decade old! Perhaps THQ know the answer to that one, best. :p
    I haven't seen this new style of rally they're promoting, and I'm not sure I'd have much patience for it on a Sunday afternoon's viewing, but if it lets me rip around courses whilst stil demanding concentration and providing a sense of speed...Heck, if it provides a fun gameplay experience, and ticks sufficient other boxes to boot, then I'm all for buying a game based on it.

  • Scrumhalf #62 2 years ago

    I too love Race Pro and personally I liked the demo (well the Trailblazer bit), it was a pleasant surprise that the handling was so much better than the first. Sometimes it is too much to get the whole seat, wheels and pedals caboodle out the cupboard and this felt right curled up with a pad - not a way I would ever play Race Pro, GTR or rFactor.

    My hope is that Need for Speed: Shift delivers the on the realistic front, the videos seem to swing wildly from arcade to sim - so no idea what to expect. I never expected to like this though and I pre-ordered it after playing the demo.

  • laudy #63 2 years ago

    @ Zacrocz

    I'm a massive fan of everything in the Jim Henson stable, be they muppets, fraggles or even the creatures from The Dark Crystal.

    "Handles pretty much like a real car?" Oh dear oh dear, I'll leave you to your thoughts in that fantasy land.

    And by the way, good for you, I'm ecstatic that you've mastered the demo. I'm sure you would like to see me tan your arrogant hide by a clear, very boring, 30 seconds but you won't...sorry but I've promised Bunsen and Beaker I'd help them with an osmosis experiment. wakka wakka wakka!!

  • BadBoyBonner #64 2 years ago

    Donnie

    I wouldn't worry too much about the "professional" subtlety of pressure created by the MS wheel - it's pants, even compared to the just as cheap Driving Force Pro (which has 900 degree turning).

    That said - using the MS wheel is still way more involving than using a pad.

    I really wish MS would allow 3rd party wheels that don't cost over £300 quid and are constantly out of stock i.e. Fanatec.

  • laudy #65 2 years ago

    @ farticus

    +1

    hehehehe

  • SAH1977 #66 2 years ago

    It's strange how driving games that appeal to the hardcore sim audience are dismissed as boring and old hat, yet in any other genre hardcore games are praised for not selling out to the casual audience.

    Quite simply anyone that praises the utterly appalling Grid handling model cannot be a serious car fan, it isn't even 'fun', cars handle like hovercraft.

    Driving games, like sports sims, need to be reviewed by fans of the genre, it's often the 'boring' bits that make the difference to the core audience.

    As for Dirt 2, fine I understand the need to appeal to the US audience, but to relegate rallying to such a minor part of the game, and not even have recognised rally or rallycross venues isn't on IMO.

    Was it too difficult to include, for example, Rally UK, Finland, Corsica etc, and Rallycross tracks such as Lydden Hill and Croft?

  • Spekingur #67 2 years ago

    The F1 gaming series need a bit of a splash - so if Codies make it a tad bit more arcadey then I won't hold any objections to it. Makes it more accessible for someone like me then. Strangely enough, there was only one F1 game that I was ever good at and that was F1 97 (if I remember correctly).

  • Fatnick #68 2 years ago

    Any word on the number of cars? Can I take it that Audi Quattros and Lancia Deltas are no longer 'culturally relevant'?

    Also, has the rally championship mode from Dirt gone completely?
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/09 @ 17:11

  • fknetwork #69 2 years ago

    DiRT 2 has fantastic reviews so far -
    http://co mmunity.codemasters.com/forum/s...

  • YoungPayters #70 2 years ago

    definetely worth a rent then, looking forward to playing it now

  • Rodchenko #71 2 years ago

    @farticus

    Fair enough.

  • Rodchenko #72 2 years ago

    BTW, while I like the idea to do something different about the front-end and try to make you feel as if you are a part of an actual racing weekend, the constant camera movements are making me dizzy after a while.

  • Chufty #73 2 years ago

    LOL@ people complaining about the score. Firstly get a life, and secondly accept that 8 is a good score.

  • rommy667 #74 2 years ago

    Sega rally kicks its ass :)

  • Captain_Jono #75 2 years ago

    Did nobody think attaching the name of a deceased rally driver to a franchise called "DiRT" was a tad iinnapropriate?

    (apologies if this has been mentioned before).

  • DuX1112 #76 2 years ago

    @ justanotherdave:

    + 1 from me. I remmeber the "old" Colin McRae rally games... On PS1 and the PC. Boy were they good! The first Colin McRae racing that ever got out was actually my first racing game, I think. Maaybe along with some of NFS (Need for Speed was one heck of a game with real cars before the all 'pimped' them all up "Fast & Furious" style and all that crap...).

    Anyways, DiRT 1... I played it for a few days. Got discouraged by the number of events and stuff etc. But DiRT 2 kinda looks more... NFS-neonish (at least marketing-wise). Which doesn't smell nice to me.

  • JimWest #77 2 years ago

    @ Captain_Jono

    I think you'll find the game was done with the approval of Colin's family.

    What a stupid point to try and raise!

  • Syrette #78 2 years ago

    @ jmg123

    Where did they ever say it was a "proper" rally game?

  • kungfubob #79 2 years ago

    In the full game is there any tribute to Colin McCrea?

  • jmg123 #80 2 years ago

    @foreverafternothing When they called it Colin McRae, which has a long history in rally games (and of course rally driving), Just call it Dirt 2 and the association is no longer there.

  • Helios_CM #81 2 years ago

    @kungfubob - Yes, there are extensive references to Colin throughout the game and we're going to be releasing details about these soon.

  • Kua #82 2 years ago

    I'll probably be buying this game on the strength on the third paragraph from the end alone.

  • stodge #83 2 years ago

    No doubt it'll still be floaty, so much so that I thikn I'll pass.

  • Darren #84 2 years ago

    @SAH1977 - "Quite simply anyone that praises the utterly appalling Grid handling model cannot be a serious car fan, it isn't even 'fun', cars handle like hovercraft."

    That's because the people who enjoy GRID aren't "serious car fans", that's why! I'm not, I don't drive for real and have no interest in watching any of the sports the games are based around, but I do enjoy playing racing games regardless of whether they're sims or arcade based. I'm the sort of person who enjoys playing games like Burnout Paradise, Need for Speed, SEGA Rally or any of the other dozens of non-simulation arcade racing games because they're FUN. As long as the handling is consistent and has a reasonable learning curve then I could not less if it is realistic or not. I wouldn't know otherwise anyway.

    In my experience, simulations might offer a genuine challenge but they're not always fun, they tend to be very dry and, yes, very serious. Great if that's what you want but sometimes I just want to play a game that isn't too taxing and offers plenty of thrills so arcade racers like GRID and DiRT 2 are terrific on that score.

  • Darren #85 2 years ago

    P.S. The 'cars handle like hovercraft' bit is at best over the top and at worst utter bullshit because not one of the professional reviews I've read have made such a ridiculous claim. Have you even played the game or is your opinion just limited to the demo you briefly played? :o

  • pyquila #86 2 years ago

    Spend some time with the full game now. Cars aren't nearly as 'floaty' as with GRID or the previous Dirt. My biggest gripe is that the presentation is a bastard child between GRID and Burnout Paradise. All that shaking of the screen and general presentation. Still loving Burnout Paradise, so it is not that bad. Just having some deja vu moments =)

  • db3 #87 2 years ago

    Dirt 2 has a lot going for it but the more I read the more I sense it's going in the wrong direction.
    On a good note NFS is back from the dark side with Shift and looking really good. I think I'll wait a week and check that out instead.
    Edited by 2 at 11/09/09 @ 15:50

  • layleeloo #88 2 years ago

    db3

    I did that. Waited a week to play shift to decide. Well, I have been playing SHIFT all day now and the game in fine, but the handling is utterly appalling. At least in Dirt 2 you can control the cars, regardless of the direction the game is going. Shifts handling is like digital pads. Its either full lock to skid or nothing. So, I will be giving this my mate back tonight (owns a game shop) and having Dirt 2 instead.