Let’s make
this personal … well, as personal as a video-game can be. Dirt 2, from
Codemasters and available on the PS3 console, is the follow-up to the 2007
release and this is a game that talks directly to the gamer. It is about a
driver – you – traveling around the world and participating in a variety of
mostly off-road events (there are a few stretches of paved areas on the courses)
using vehicles deeded to you and upgraded through victories.
Other racers
will speak to you, both in the event set-up stages or during the race, often
calling you by the tag (or nickname) you use in the initial profile set-up. Your
headquarters are an RV, which serves as the hub for the event selection, your
gear, online connections and extras such as downloadable content and videos.
The main
single-player area is accessed through the map on the counter in the RV (which
receives a few disparaging comments). You pick a race from the Dirt Tour section
and race. Some of the events are based on level, and you level by accruing
points during the races. There are the actual races, but you can rack up bonus
experience by performing certain elements while racing.
It all
sounds easy and it actually is. The difficulty levels will up the challenge ante
and the game has the standard control sets often associated with off-road
racing. You can alter your view of the course, there is the heads-up map display
that shows competitors’ location during the race, you have the hand brake and
the foot brake as well as the accelerator, and that’s basically all you need to
know. The rest is the driving.
In single
player there are the time challenges, head-to-head matchups (called Throwdowns –
the point here is if you beat the challenge you make friends with the other
driver and that can open up other races) and a variety of multi-car events. The
career mode is really the heart and soul of this game, and the dev team made it
not only accessible, but easy to jump into and play. You start at the low end of
the racing spectrum and gain points as you move through and place (as well as
dollars that can be spent on upgrades).
The first
vehicles in your garage are given to you for the sake of competing and include a
Subaru Impreza rally car and a 4-wheeler. Like most other racers, each car has
attributes that include top speed, acceleration and drivability. The courses are
all over the world, and can place you on tight city-style tracks in daylight or
at night, or they might have you careening on gravel around a mountain with a
co-pilot calling out the degrees of each upcoming turn. There are 100 races in
this game (which you unlock as you progress from amateur status to pro to
all-star) and the rewards for doing well flow often. In this regard, Dirt 2
wants you to enjoy the experience and though many rewards are merely aesthetic,
they still bring certain flair to the experience.
When it
comes to the racing itself, the AI seems pretty tight with the computer
opponents and they are not above nudging you out of the way, putting you into a
wall. If you cut them off, or nudge back, you may get a loud ‘watch it’ in
protest, but it is still all about crossing the finish line first.
All of this,
of course, is pretty standard for a top-end racer, which Dirt 2 certainly is.
But Dirt 2 has a graphical quality that is superb, and the interaction between
your ride and the course is pivotal in driving home the rally car off-road feel
of the game. You will have to learn, and quickly, how to slide around corners,
how to judiciously employ the accelerator to power out of corners and when to
brake and when to simply lay off the gas. Dirt 2 is very smart in that regard.
Mashing down on the accelerator is just an invitation to get up close and
personal with a wall.
Dirt 2 also
employs a rewind technique (similar to Grid) in which you can rewind a few
seconds of racing and start from there, ostensibly avoiding a race-ending crash,
or at least a mistake that cost you a front-running position.
With six
difficulty levels, this is a game that should have a broad challenge and appeal.
It certainly is a nice bit of eye candy with quite a number of racing modes.
Multiplayer (online was not available for testing) will feature up to seven
racers.
There is a
whole lot to like about this game, and it certainly ranks as an impressive
off-road rally-style racer – even though pure rally fans may be disappointed by
the lack of tried-and-truly rally races (such as those offered in the Colin McRae
series), but the variety has something for everyone and that makes this a solid
game.
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Gameplay: 9.0
The control
scheme is simple to understand and getting into the racing is easy. This game
has a variety of events with numerous difficulty levels and a nice rewards
system that should have broad appeal to racing video-game fans.
Graphics: 9.0
Dynamic shadows
and lighting, great environmental elements and car damage that includes debris
littering the track make for a great visual experience.
Sound: 7.0
There is audio
that helps explain elements of the game but generally this comes down to the
roar of motors and tires tossing loose track elements about. Solid but not
unexpected.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.5
Overall it does
not appear that Dirt 2 has a lot of originality, but give the dev team a lot of
credit for combining a lot of elements seamlessly into one racer
Overall: 8.8
Many of the
elements here are carry-overs from other games, but they are very well
implemented into the overall design of Dirt 2. Couple that with impressive
graphics, entertaining handling control schemes and you have a wonderfully
enjoyable PS3 racer.
