NIDZUMI+

Rally games have always been a niché and their twitchy controls and time trial orientated nature will probably lead them to stay niché. The original DiRT proved this and with a clean European aesthetic with Helvetica plastered all over it that was hardly going to entice your average gamer. That’s why it’s a surprise to see Codemasters opting to ditch that highly stylised look by replacing it with corporate sponsors and grunge littering every frame. Luckily you never came to a Colin McRae game for the visual style and any attention that would be directed at this is drawn away by nearly every other element being highly refined.

The World Tour mode in the original was an overbearing afterthought compiled with a combination of modes and tracks. This time however Codemasters have put a bit more thought into it and despite simply disguising the initial sense of dread, the mode is much improved and the changes worthwhile. This is mainly due to the levelling up system of unlocking new events. Rather than having one goal throughout the entire game you have multiple with specialist events. Made up of X Games, World Tours and the one off Colin McRae Memorial Cup which actually does a rather tasteful job of honouring one of the sports greatest.

Any Reluctance of Applying The Breaks Will End In Scrapmetal

During this Tour Mode you’ll encounter a handful of classes. Trailerblazer events consist of overpowered beasts traversing over deserts with any reluctance of applying the breaks ending in scrapmetal. RAID tournaments will have you getting behind a clumsy and cumbersome Trophy Truck or the bouncy and scared-of-drifting baja buggys. Despite these classes having their own merits they pale in comparison to the franchise’s trademark and honest rally mode. There is no denying that Codemasters have, pardon the pun, mastered this sport. It’s just a shame that only four of the nine locations actually have rally circuits but don’t fret as there are a ton of enjoyable locations in which to venture across.

You’ll race across the dusty vistas of Utah and Morocco to the muddy jungles of Malyasia. The variation is here with dirt, mud and tarmac all beneath your wheels with the glaring omission of any snowy Scandinavian locales. Actually the game avoids the whole adding weather to a sequel to a driving game cliche with the only dynamic element to circuits coming from the time of day. At night the Rallycross circuits in London are transformed with spotlights and projections into filter laden affairs with the flicker of a lens flare popping with every turn.

The twitchy nature of the controls are unresponsive as you slide around these corners but authentically so. It’s just a shame that the AI doesn’t marvel in your perfectly timed drift. These other racers aren’t too cautious of your presence when they slam into the side of you leaving you facing the wrong direction. Luckily some in-house stealing of the GRID Flashback rewind feature, can fix this. Purists will probably opt to avoid what is clearly an attempt to make the game more accessible and this feature is purely here for the casual fans. But it’s inclusion is with the overall aim of converting them into the hardcore. It’s more of gateway for them to play on a higher difficulty as you’ll no longer be punished for making one little mistake because it’s easily undone.

The Flashback Feature Has An Overall Aim of Converting The Casual

Anyone who loved the clean European look of the original DiRT will be disappointed with the bristling corporate logos plastered over every inch of the locales. Again probably a move to capture that mainstream market in making the game more accessible. Names like Ken Block and Dave Mirra litter the time boards while embarrassing mid-race smack talk and friendly banter become instant mute fodder. Maybe this move for the game was inevitable but that doesn’t soften the blow of what is no longer that niché rally game. Luckily the vibe isn’t the main reason for picking up DiRT as previously mentioned but one of the reason to pick up the new version of DiRT 2 is the much improved online.

The previously reported slow online issues thankfully haven’t transferred over to the full release. The multiplayer here is a tense affair with eyes darting between the track and the constantly updating time board in the upper right hand corner. Then again that’s nothing new as the original had the same experience. What DiRT 2 brings to the table is same-track racing which unfortunately comes at a cost. You’ll constantly find other drivers online who aren’t indulging in gentlemanly conduct and won’t mind slamming into you with disregard for their own vehicle. While you are both sent spinning you’ll beg for the flashback feature, that for technical and obvious reasons, has been omitted. Nevertheless the rally racing is still as pure and enjoyable as ever and a streamlined lobby system only sweetens the deal.

DiRT 2 is a joyous rally experience. The unique controls have been finely tuned to hit that illusive ‘easy to learn and look flash but difficult to master’ curve. It’s just a delight to play while being complete and utter eye candy. Sure the new vibe seems forced, sure it seems fake and probably not the right direction for the series but if it allows Codemasters to carry on what they are doing then I’ll turn the other cheek. After all the gameplay which is surprisingly improved is still intact. DiRT 2 is a game that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any one looking to pick up a racer this year and with the intense competition yet to come, that’s saying something.