Colin McRae DIRT 2

Colin McRae DIRT 2 simulations for enthusiasts.

Founded in 1998, the saga of the late Colin McRae rally Codemasters has seen gradual approach to change over the years: if the first titles were strictly simulations for enthusiasts, the brand slowly opened to a wider audience, coming to embrace with DIRT for the first time different types of offroad racing, and a driving model definitely more arcade.

Welcome to the show

DIRT 2 continues the same path, presenting itself openly as a product that makes a spectacle of his strengths. That purpose is spelled out right now exploring the options game: the minimalist menu of its predecessor has been replaced with colorful, noisy graphical user interface that takes the player straight into the racing paddock, allowing them to browse through its various screens and trailer garage for vehicles, such as selecting the races from a map of the world, or the options panel on the wall.

As access to events requiring a little 'more time than normal, this approach helps make immersive DIRT 2 from the first moments, without those text menus that tend to create distance from the heart of racing gameplay and atmosphere.

Around the World

The different categories of racing offroad are enclosed in a single enormous career mode, the Tour Dirt adapting to the cliché "from zero to myth ', step by step, the player follows a path that goes from amateur races up to the peaks represent the X Games, competitions that actually exist that contain the best of extreme sports world. Race after race, the player will gain useful experience points to unlock new areas of the world, and the competitions, all accessible from the same map. The car park will instead be extended with an appropriate economic system, one begins his career with a classic Subaru Impreza, but to buy race cars ever more efficient it will be necessary to accumulate the cash prizes offered as prizes for events, you just get a placement in the first place . The higher the difficulty level selected at each race start, the higher the figure if they win.

As events, about 30 licensed race transporters are divided into categories, sometimes forcing purchases forced to engage in a given competition. The soul of the arcade title is not proposing a lot of options with regard to customization and tuning of vehicles: there are unlockable liveries prepackaged with the victories, nice gadget to customize the dashboard, and a simplistic menu that lets you change basic aspects of engine and transmission, but without the possibility of deepening.

Soul mud

Where 2 DIRT does best on his work because it is not in customize menu, but on tracks scattered throughout the four corners of the globe. The events of the campaign are more than 100, divided by geographical areas. It begins with the classic rally racing is in solitary, either on the circuit with opponents, and then move on to the more fanciful aboard pick up and dune buggies. The title boasts the participation of representatives of the real world of offroad racing, including Ken Block and Travis Pastrana: advancing in rank Tour Dirt we can earn the esteem of these celebrities, we sometimes provide direct challenges, or may be chosen to compete with us in racing mode

As mentioned, in addition to the races present on the map, leveling up you will have access to the famous X Games, competitions, special consisting of three consecutive races from three different categories: won first place you'll get substantial cash prizes and special vehicles.
The driving model created by the children of Codemasters is a good mix, with a particularly strong vein arcade that does not give up, however careful to differentiate the different categories of vehicles and their responses according to terrain. As you have sometimes a feeling of lightness and excessive skidding of vehicles on various surfaces, inherited from his predecessor, the model is generally enjoyable, and will be able to entertain anyone who has pretensions of absolute realism.

Inherited directly from the Grid option is Flashback, which allows you to "rewind" a few seconds of the race and go back in time before such a disastrous collision. This possibility is of course limited or absent depending on the difficulty level selected at the start of the race.
The idea of spreading the circuits for the four corners of the earth has allowed developers to be very different settings of the individual tracks, and the track conditions. From the sands of Morocco to the green of Croatia, the street circuits of Japan in the wild in Baja California: the variety is guaranteed. The design of individual paths is mostly well-kept, showing alternative routes and insidious obstacles ad hoc system that will increase the adrenaline races.
The Artificial Intelligence that moves the opponents is good but not exceptional: the more savvy players right now will set the difficulty level best to find a sufficient level of challenge.
Although a certain amount of realism is evident in the errors that the pilots committed along the tracks, they always tend to remain in a tight group, ensuring that intermediate levels of difficulty the player is to compete often in solitary.

Multiplayer

Dirt Tour, the long mode is supported by a key online that supports up to 8 players compete with each other, with the ability to create completely custom events and tournaments, choosing modes, vehicle category and paths. All machines are available immediately, but have not been unlocked mode Dirt Tour, making online games enjoyable for everyone. Compared to its predecessor, with Dirt 2 is finally possible to compete with other cars simultaneously on the same track, which offers competitions fought and extremely dynamic. We tested some of these races and found the complete lack of lag and a chart to downgrade anything invasive. Excellent tracking statistics, which provides for the accumulation of reputation points system similar to the experience seen in the Tour single player.

Tech sector

The engine that drives DIRT 2 is the same visa optimism GRID, updated by the boys of course, Codemasters. A strike is certainly the visuals very ample breathing, characterized by a wide horizon and a good detail at the trackside, public structures and vegetation.
The modeling of the vehicles is done well, going to include interesting details such as moving parts and animated. The textures that cover the models show a fluctuating quality: very good ones of the body, reflected in real time, the undertone of some components such as tires and other details of the bumper.

The special effects are excellent, from light industry and continuing with the reflections and particle effects associated with the clashes. E 'naturally present a complete model of the damage, which goes to encompass both aesthetics, in a realistic manner, the performance of vehicles. In some places the tracks have been added elements of destructible scenery, to give up some spectacular sequences.

The frame rate, one of the major shortcomings of his predecessor, was dramatically improved and undergoes only occasional slowdowns in some phases of wild brawl. More frequent is instead tearing due to problems of vertical sync, which in the PlayStation 3 version we tested is presented several times.

To get the most out of a race you can see you through the practical replay, with excellent shots.
Overall a glance of all respect, perhaps less revolutionary than its predecessor, but still solid and full of effects used with skill.
The fund also good sound, characterized by a rock soundtrack license, and the effects of high quality.

Summary

The saga of Colin McRae rally is in DIRT 2 a worthy successor, who continues on the path of innovation undertaken by his illustrious predecessor. If the purists of the rally might not be happy, it must be said that the inclusion of other categories of racing offroad no little variety to the gameplay. Longevity is ensured by the mammoth tour-mode and common-key online, which proves to be fun and very customizable. Nature arcade driving model still manages to be satisfying and challenging, and the many levels of difficulty ensure a product also open to experienced players. DIRT 2 has the same innovative drive of its predecessor, but some flaws and file surprised at the excellent attention to detail, confirming itself as a must buy for all fans of offroad racing.