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 Dirt
2 (Playstation 3)
Gamers looking for exciting,
visceral off-road racing action should definitely check out Dirt 2, a
solid and challenging racer that showcases excellent visuals. The appeal
is more than skin-deep as excellent physics, superlative handling and,
sophisticated AI make for some intense and challenging races that will
keep players on the edge of their seats throughout. A deep tour mode
allows you to unlock plenty of extra content, additional vehicles and race
locations quickly and effectively. Look inside and discover why Dirt 2's
slick production values, deep gameplay and addictive modes make for an
excellent package that offers another solid entry into the racing genre. |
British Developers Codemasters has
developed a fairly consistent reputation for delivering outstanding racing
titles with slick production values. Recent releases such as Grid, Fuel
and the first Dirt brought the genre forward with innovative menu systems
wrapped around excellent gameplay. Sophisticated physics engines,
extensive garages filled with licensed vehicles and addictive unlocking
structures have become CM hallmarks, and Dirt 2 is the latest solid
installment. While there are some superficial similarities between this
game and the original, there have been numerous changes made. The most
immediate is the new 'underground' vibe that brings players into the world
of street racing. Gone are the sleek but somewhat bland menus of the first
game, replaced with an interactive world that places you inside a trailer,
where you immerse yourself in the racing culture. Instead of bland techno,
there's a harder rocking soundtrack, and tattoo-styled menus that reflect
a harder edge. You'll meet up with many other professional drivers as
well, and there's a lot more trash talk this time around. While the game's
attitude may be different, players don't need to worry about thing getting
watered down. Dirt 2's basic premise and tech underpinnings remain solid
and highly enjoyable. Once you get beyond the menus and look deeper,
you'll see that there are more tracks, additional vehicle types and plenty
of new options to look through. Dirt 2's structure has been simplified and
it's easier to progress up through the ranks. Changing options, selecting
vehicles and customizing them is also much faster this time around. Once
you get on the track, you'll find an enhanced set of controls that bring
you much closer into the action, with added weight, improved physics and
better handling apparent immediately. This gives Dirt 2 an added sense of
realism and authenticity right off the gate.
While the single player modes serve
mainly as a practice mode to help familiarize yourself with the main game,
Dirt 2's real depth comes in its Dirt Tour mode. Here, you begin at the
bottom of the heap on the professional off-road circuit and compete in
various race modes to earn and unlock additional content. At the main menu
screen, you're given a large overview map of the races you can compete in,
which are divided into continents. As you win races, you'll earn
experience points which increases your level, unlocking additional areas.
Dirt 2's racing structure in this mode is fairly non-linear and you can
compete in any event in any area that you have unlocked. You begin with a
small garage of vehicles, which can be upgraded as you gain access to more
advanced classes. Purchasing additional vehicles adds to your garage.
There are several types of races, ranging from basic rally events, to
point-to-point races plus more interesting modes such as eliminator, where
the lagging car on each lap is eliminated. These modes offer plenty of
variety, and the game's online modes add even more depth to the gameplay.
Each race is open to a specific type of vehicle, such as buggies or rally
cars. Placing in the races earns you experience points, money and the
respect and friendship of other drivers. As you win races, other drivers
will be added to your 'buddy' list. Once added, they'll invite you into
special races, join your team in co-op races and give you hints along the
way. Winning races also allows you to unlock additional items, such as
extra liveries for your vehicle, items you can place and see on your
dashboard and extra horn sounds as well. Items and bonuses unlock at a
fairly steady rate once you start winning races, which gives you a strong
impetus to keep playing, though these seem almost too easy to acquire at
first. Likewise, the map opens up quickly, and you should be able to
compete in a large variety of races and locations with an hour or two of
playing.
 Dirt
2's excellent physics engine brings the intensity and action of a
real-race to the PS3 in convincing fashion. With so many different vehicle
types, it's impressive to note that each class brings a different feel to
the track. For example, the game's heavy trucks are more stable, but more
difficult to maneuver while the more nimble buggies and rally class cars
have a greater chance of sliding off the track. Dirt 2 brings plenty of
realism in how they perform because each vehicle has a lot of weight on
the track. There's plenty of bumping with other vehicles and they perform
realistically when damaged, with noticeable degradation in responsiveness
when they've been hit. Obviously, with an off-road sim, mastering the
Drifts and power-slides is an essential skill, which is a matter of timing
and precision. Knowing the track layouts and mastering them ahead of time
can give you a huge advantage, since you can anticipate hairpin turns and
brake beforehand. The controls are very good, and players can use either
the standard shift buttons and analog stick or configure the game to use
the d-pad and face buttons. Performance in these modes is mostly a matter
of personal preference, though the added nuance of analog controls makes
drifting much easier. There's a bit of a learning curve in Dirt 2 that
takes some time to master. At first, you'll find yourself sliding around
the track, but once you get the feel of the controls, these moves are
fairly easy to perform, and how easy it is to get out of tail spins
depends on the vehicle you select. Players can customize the performance
of each vehicle before each race or use the standard configuration, which
should be adequate for most causal gamers. Those looking to go a bit
deeper under the hood will find that Dirt 2 offers plenty of real-world
physics and dynamic controls, but this doesn't come at the expense of
enjoyment.
What really makes the game work so well
is that it creates a fully coherent world that wraps around the races.
It's these small details that make all the difference. For example, the
banter between the other drivers during and between rounds gives the game
a kind of story narrative that makes you feel like you're right in the
middle of the action. Excellent controls and physics are what makes the
difference as well, and keeps you playing on. As you slowly build your
skills, you can definitely see how much the game offers, its nuanced
driving mechanics and movements make you feel like you're actually driving
these vehicles. Dirt 2's smart course design mixes different surfaces,
hairpin curves and muddy section to create some truly challenging tracks
that will keep you coming back for more. A variety of locations ranging
from the Baja desert, to China and more urban sections like London's
gritty docks and Tokyo's side streets gives you plenty of variety.
Numerous special events and challenge modes add even more to the
experience, which gives the game plenty of depth with loads of course and
vehicle types to master. There's an impressive level of detail evident
throughout Dirt 2, and the visuals in each stage are brilliantly rendered.
Each track feels authentic and realistic with excellent light sourcing and
environmental effects used to create a stunningly beautiful game world.
From a driving standpoint, the game feels great and does an excellent job
in recreating the feel of off-road racing, with the rally stages
particularly impressive. This is no surprise considering the franchise's
roots in the famous Colin McRae series. It delivers on its legacy in a
number of ways. One example of this comes in the fact that Dirt 2 offers
several camera angles, with the standard out-of-car views complimented by
some breathtaking first-person and inside-the-cockpit perspectives. This
makes for some superlative production values that give the game a slick,
yet authentically gritty look throughout. It doesn't quite match the slick
look and feel of Grid or Fuel, but this is an excellent off-road racer
that brings some intense action and surprisingly deep physics to the
genre.
- Michael Palisano
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