DiRT 2 (PS3) on Raptr

U2NUMB was the first on Raptr to review DiRT 2!

• 

  5
  

  I am so ready to get dirty. After 2 long years waiting on the sequal to the very impressive DiRT, Codemasters has just released what might be the most impressive racing game in history. Yes, I realize I will now have to back this up, so here we go. As a follower of rally games over the last 15 year more »s or so, I have grown to love the sport in video game form. Most fans will point to Rally Sport Challenge 2 on the original Xbox as being the Holy Grail of rally racing games and I fully support this line of thinking. Considering it was a game developed by D.I.C.E (the fine lads behind Battlefield and Mirror's Edge), a new studio needed to step up and 2 years ago Codemasters did just that and released one hell of a rally game. The closest game to RSC2 we had seen. With that being said a few minor complains were aimed at DiRT, mainly the lack of any wheel to wheel online racing. So has DiRT two moved the series forward or is it more of the same? What first smacks you when you fire up DiRT 2 is that the game has attitude. The developers know they have a damn good game and they pretty much let you know about it. The menu system in the original DiRT was amazing; all clean and mature, it was unlike any other game on any system. Fans raved about it setting the mood for the game. This time around the menu system is one of the most unique in any game on any platform, but gone is the mature feel. This time it feels like Mountain Dew or Red Bull funded 70% of this game. The menu system is done though a first person perspective as you look around your trailer and walk out to start a race. It is done very well and is actually very quick (my one worry upon hearing about this). It oozes style and really needs to be seen since explaining it is nearly impossible. The demo which is up on the PS3 and 360 right now shows this off nicely. If someone was upset at the lack of variety in game modes during the first game, they will be very happy with how DiRT 2 mixes up the goals and modes. Raids, stadium cross and gate crashers have all been added to the lineup of events. One big issue with DiRT 2 is the total lack of hill climb events. This was a big highlight point during the first game and I can not for the life of me figure out why they are missing from DiRT 2. This is a big negative in my book, but I have come to terms with it. Rally races which are tracked based on your stage times are also limited compared to the first game which left a nasty taste for some of the fans of the first game. It seems the goal was more wheel to wheel action even in single player. The game does feature many beautiful destinations from the Baja to China, each location having a unique set of challenges along the side of the road. Just as DiRT 1 was beautiful, this game follows in its footsteps with some of the most jaw dropping visuals to ever hit a racer. Combine that with the impressive damage modeling and the game really outshines most on the market. Pulling a feature from the team's other racer GRID, you are given a number of flashbacks depending on what difficulty you use. Just like in GRID if you mess up a corner or crash you can instantly hit the back button to start the replay, once you get to the spot in the replay that you would like to go back to just hit the X button and you can pick up from there. This is a great way to keep the flow of the game going and will allow many of us racers more freedom in trying to take that last turn at a much higher speed. Keep in mind that if you do in fact use a flashback your lap/track time will not be uploaded to the leaderboards. The career board which is found in your trailer is well designed and allows you to jump from location to location through your career. Highlighted by 1 vs 1 throwdowns and tournaments, including a very touching tribute to Colin McCrae, the rally legend whose name graced this series of games for years. In 2007 he passed away in a helicopter crash with his son. As you progress through the long career mode you will earn XP with each race, the amount depending on your position. This is where the game takes on a COD 4-style design... you heard me right. Outside of the XP you earn depending on your race finishes, the game has a series of missions which are outlined in the fantastic My Stuff area. These missions start out simple like driving for 25 miles which will unlock 200xp. Once you achieve that mission it will level up to Mission Level 2: drive for 50 miles. So it's very similar to how COD4 will have you adding up kills for specific weapons. This is another layer of depth that this game has, and it simply destroys the racing competition. Beyond the missions in your My Stuff area you have a great detailed achievement tracking screen which not only shows you your progress on achievements, but gives you the ability to compare with your friends instantly in-game. It's the little touches like having random community stats in the background of your achievement written in marker telling you how many miles the community as a whole drove yesterday that really sets this game apart. So let's dive into the part of the game many fans were upset with last go 'round. The multiplayer aspect to DiRT 2 is just as deep and well designed as the single player portion. This time around you can race wheel-to-wheel up against 7 other racers and, if you so desire, in a team with friends (similar to the overlooked PGR4). Teaming up with friends to race another group brings a very cool, unique dynamic to racing online; blocking someone so that your teammate can take the race is just as satisfying as winning in my book. Those that jump online should be aware that in the wheel-to-wheel races you will get frustrated. Many racers online simply just do not know how to drive and you will be hit. When the contact gets too much, simply play the rally point to point races with no contact where it all comes down to your speed. Combine this with a XP-like system just for online called FP or fame points. No matter what position you end up in an online race you will earn some FP which will help level you up and unlock goodies. This certainly adds something to the online experience, and combined with all the other additions to multiplayer, it's clear that Codemasters have knocked it out of the park. The last topic to go over is simply how does the game play? In the past, the knock on this series of games have been the center point movement of the cars and how unrealistic that is. Those that know what that means will understand, the rest of you need not worry. I am happy to report that this has been cleaned up and this time around feels much more realistic to me. The cars also have a bit more weight to them which goes great with the already fantastic controls. Combine this with the new track deformation model (no doubt taken from the Sega Rally Revo team which was bought by Codemasters) and you have the complete rally package. Bottom Line 24 hours into my career and I can not wait to get back to racing. Once again we have the most complete rally package we have seen since RSC2. If DiRT 2 had included a few more rally stages and hill climbs I could say without a doubt that this is the best rally game in history. As it stands now it is a sliver behind RSC2, but this game does so many things right. If you are a fan of rally or any off-road type racing you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. You take top notch presentation, gorgeous graphics and the most feature packed racing game I have seen in years and you have one hell of a start to the racing season this fall. Buy with confidence, race with a passion and crash with a smile on your face. « less