E3 2011

Dirt 2 Hands-On Impressions

Shaun McInnis
By Shaun McInnis, Editor

We race, drift, and crash our way through four events from Codemasters' upcoming rally game.

With E3 2009 looming on the horizon, Codemasters recently gave us an updated look at Dirt 2, the upcoming rally racer carrying on the legacy of the Colin McRae series. It was our first time seeing the game since it was unveiled at a press event this past February, when the English publisher discussed some of the engine enhancements and a new focus on what it is calling an "action sports lifestyle." With this most recent look, though, we've now had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game to see how those changes are falling into place.

See Dirt 2 in action.

The four events we played provided a good mix of new and old. We'll go ahead and dive headfirst into the new stuff. As part of that action sports vibe Codemasters is looking to achieve with Dirt 2, rally cross events (multilap races on closed-off courses) have been spruced up with a more vibrant atmosphere. We raced in a pair of rally cross events in Tokyo's Shibuya district, as well as London's Battersea Power Station, and they definitely had a lively feel to them. The engine supports audiences of 100,000 fans, meaning people are packed like sardines onto the sides of every turn and straightaway. They'll react to how well you're driving, throwing out dramatic "oohs" and "ahhs" any time you trade paint with another driver or nudge a wall. That, combined with the ambient music of the event, makes for a pretty festive atmosphere.

But more importantly, changes have been made to the driving engine. Most striking is how the visuals have been given a noticeable upgrade to such things as lighting effects and the quality of vehicle models--all while maintaining a solid, steady frame rate. Furthermore, there's a wide variety of surfaces you'll be driving on, and they all have a distinct feel when handling your car. The big new surface comes in the form of puddles of water. Dirt had rain effects, but no giant puddles to blast through at full speed. In Dirt 2, these pesky bodies of water often collect right at the ideal line through a corner, so there's a big risk-reward decision to face because they'll dramatically slow you down (and drench your windshield if you're using the cockpit view). There's a particularly nasty pool of water on the Shibuya track that comes right before a huge turn, which leads to a jump that takes you back over the pool. If you fail to launch over that jump with enough speed, you'll tumble back into the pool--it's a pretty fun little sequence.

Dirt 2 will have a more traditional look and feel when you get outside of rally cross events and into some point-to-point races. One race we tried was a standard rally in the Croatian countryside. It's a race against the clock through a narrow series of switchback turns overlooking a dramatic cliff, which you can very easily tumble from if you're not paying attention. Although your overall finish time determines your success here, there will be other racers on the track--all with staggered start times. That means you could easily be passed up by another driver if you do poorly, which happened to us on our first run through the event. It was embarrassing to say the least.

The other event we tried was a rally raid in the California Baja against a collection of off-road trucks. Going from the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Evo used in the other events to this big, powerful off-roader was every bit the stark change you’d expect, but the track was quite a departure from the other ones as well. Toward the beginning of the stage, there were a few risky shortcuts available to take, and at the latter end was a stretch that went along a gorgeous coastal cliff overlooking some rather nice vistas. We’ll go ahead and admit that we were distracted by the visuals to the point of letting our truck veer off the ledge.

Indeed, Dirt 2 is already very pleasing to the eyes. The particle effects of the various bits of mud and dirt that get kicked up as you careen around the tracks have an authentic look, while the backdrops you’re racing in look equally realistic (right down to the hazy Shibuya air and the Thames peeking out in the background in the Battersea track). Audio is equally impressive, with engine sounds growing more sickly and worrisome as you take increasing amounts of damage.

Battersea Power Station is one of the new locales.

Battersea Power Station is one of the new locales.

With the handful of events we played, Dirt 2 has reaffirmed its status as a worthy sequel. What’s left to see is how much the new dedication to an action sports lifestyle will add to the overall experience. Will it pull off the difficult task of drawing new fans while keeping racing purists content? We should have a better idea of that when we get to see the Career mode, which is said to be a more story-driven experience where you take an RV on tour to various exotic events. So keep an eye out for more on Dirt 2 leading up to its September release.

Shaun McInnis
By Shaun McInnis, Editor

Shaun McInnis has always dreamed of an a open-world car combat RPG based on Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Outside of video games, he enjoys photography and learning impractical coffee brewing techniques.

65 Comments

  • pongley

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 11:37 am GMT

    This game only really suits the point to point races. The others are pretty much a waste of time and the novelty of the first game wore off pretty quickly. I really wish Sony would let GT5 come to the PC. Gits.

  • paul_2009

    Posted Aug 22, 2009 1:26 am GMT

    Dirt 1 was pants unstable and car handling is not realistic at all rubbish. 2005 game plays far better. dont care about flash graphics just realistic driving and car setups. driving games should be about realism.

    Race07 rules

  • Store24

    Posted Aug 8, 2009 7:58 pm GMT

    Its going to have a lot of fake tracks... Like a dirt track running trough NYC, Vegas, etc. Kind of cheesy....

  • lukie_gamer

    Posted Aug 6, 2009 10:19 pm GMT

    I hope they have the full course at Crandon,WI this time and not the short track. Where the hell was the Argonne loop????

  • Store24

    Posted Aug 5, 2009 8:26 pm GMT

    P.S. I just looked through all the screens and from what I am seeing there is still no rain, snow, weather. This is really disappointing in 2009!! Even Tiger Woods 10 has live weather for gods sake! There is just no excuse for them not to be able to add weather effect to this game this late in the video game evolution. As good as the graphics look I have to say lake of weather kind of kills all that. Codemasters already proved they can do over the top sunlight and shadow effects (to the point were its a little annoying because a lot of the time you cant see where the hell you are going!)

    And as far as the video goes, have you noticed how the cut-scene at the begging of DiRT1 looks better than any part of the real game? I think its one of the only games where the cut scene looks better not worse than the real game. So dont believe the hype on these videos. I'm sure the game will look very good just like DiRT and GRID do, but not as good as the videos.

  • Store24

    Posted Aug 5, 2009 8:15 pm GMT

    I am playing DiRT 1 right now. I know its an older game now but I am just hooked. I have not played a game this much day in and out since GTA4.

    That said it still is not perfect. The best rally racing game of all time is still RalliSport Challenge 2. DiRT finally gets close to being as good as RSC2 after years and years of terrible Colin McRae (RIP) games. For a long time I would think of Codemasters as a total joke (or one hit wonders with the fantastic Operation Flashpoint!) because of the Colin McRae series and how bad and behind it was compared to RSC2.

    DiRT is very good but has almost no online and no weather!! Sure you get some rainy tracks but their is now falling rain. And there is no snow!! Lets hope all of that is fixed in DiRT 2! Also the cars in DiRT are too bouncy and floaty, but I still really love the game. I cant wait for DiRT 2, Im still highly critical of Coademasters (I think GRID is a total POS) but DiRT was finally good after years and years of really bad Colin McRae games. Lets hope it delivers!!

  • GenVidTh

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:05 am GMT

    Awesome graphic.. hope the steering control works well.. because for me, steering is the most important part, in racing genre..
    i love the predecessor, and i think i will love this one too

  • BECKS23LA

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 10:01 am GMT

    +1 neonknight47
    I loved the first too, September 8 still far away, i can't wait god damn it

  • leopold_legand

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 1:57 am GMT

    hope for lots of trophy trucks

  • ChemiKaze

    Posted Jun 15, 2009 3:00 am GMT

    The Baja can be a nice addition... I wish there were more elements of the WRC, if not IRC.. Rallycross can be nice... but I would like if there were more real-life tracks... Dirt 1's tracks were very limited to say the least

  • dont_know_2

    Posted Jun 14, 2009 9:44 pm GMT

    i dont know what to get my birthday is september and there is a lot of good games coming out i can only get 3 or 4

  • SQUALL20XX Site Greeter

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 11:56 am GMT

    Yah can't wait

  • SSBFan12

    Posted Jun 6, 2009 7:53 pm GMT

    Dirt 2 is going to be really awesome just like the first one.

  • liffaman

    Posted Jun 6, 2009 9:32 am GMT

    Awesome 3d engine!!

  • PSFreak1

    Posted Jun 3, 2009 6:46 am GMT

    dirt 2 looks great

  • evildead7

    Posted Jun 3, 2009 6:15 am GMT

    @famguyfan2685

    WTF kind of story do you need? It's a sports/driving title. Please for the love of gaming quit adding stories to games that don't need it. Skate and Skate 2 would be great games if they didn't have the lame stories attached to them. All those two titles needed were Skating and Skating competitions, instead you get some lame story with horrible poser dialogue that unfornately ruined an otherwise great game.

  • famguyfan2685

    Posted Jun 3, 2009 5:00 am GMT

    This is going to be awesome! I just hope that it has a bit more of a story behind it than the previous game's complete lack of story, haha. I mean, the story isn't completely necessary, but I feel like it would still add to the realism and playability of the game ..

  • philp37

    Posted Jun 2, 2009 9:46 pm GMT

    "changes have been made to the driving engine" Please Codemasters be careful here. Don't make the same mistakes that were made in GRID by trying to make the driving feel too much of a realistic simulation and taking away from the raceability that DIRT 1 had in spades. The first DIRT was the best racing game ever created. Go for the improved graphics, new hazards, better online racing, increased tracks, but too much tweaking can be dangerous when you already have the best driving game out there. Please don't let it become another GRID. I had such high hopes for that game when I heard of it's relationship to DIRT. But was let down emensely.

  • codename-60091

    Posted Jun 2, 2009 10:39 am GMT

    September release guys!! get this instead of stupid need for speed!!!

  • Kris024

    Posted Jun 2, 2009 10:03 am GMT

    This could be one of the best rally games ever!