There was a time when only people who had heard of Colin McRae would be the ones to consider picking up a game that had his name on it. Unfortunately, with the great rally cross driver’s passing in 2007, his games have dropped his name, and soldiered on under Codemasters’ “Dirt” franchise, re-branding it, an opening it up to a new audience. The first “Dirt” was a racing experience unlike any other on the current generation of consoles, and “Dirt 2” follows it up, taking the original title to the extreme.
The Basics
“Dirt 2” is the follow up to 2007’s groundbreaking rally racing game “Dirt,” which came from the same minds that worked on the long-running Colin McRae series. While both titles are continuations of that franchise, they have dropped the moniker of the late rally racer, and this release features a host of other professional off-road racers in his place, including Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Dave Mirra, and Tanner Faust. “Dirt 2” includes 100 races in nine different types of events on 41 tracks in eight different locations around the world in the single player, as well as an up to 8-players online in nine different modes.
The Highs
Flawless Gameplay
“Dirt 2” isn't just rally racing at its absolute best, it’s video game racing at it’s best. Everything about the gameplay in “Dirt 2” is spot on, from the way the cars handle out of the gate, to the drifts around hairpin corners, and everything in between. This game sits perfectly between sim and arcade racer, making it easy enough for anyone to pick up, and enjoy, but it also has enough depth to attract a more seasoned gamer.
The Dirt
The visuals in the original “Dirt” were nothing to shake a stick at, and “Dirt 2” follows suite. The key is in the details; every lap around the track influences the next one, the dirt on the ground wears away, damaged car parts litter the track, and cars become progressively dirtier. "Dirt," it's not just the name of the game, it's a lifestyle.
Gate Crashing
One of the new modes for “Dirt 2” is Gate Crashing, which is basically the slalom of car racing. Out of the gate your time is ticking down as you make your way through the course where crashing through each strategically placed, stationary gate on the road adds two seconds to your time. It sounds simple because it is, and that’s what makes it so addictive.
Flashbacks
A relatively recent addition to racing video game, flashbacks allow the player to reverse time, and undo a mistake they just made, giving them a second chance. They’re cheap, they take away the challenge of needing to run a race flawlessly, and most gamers (including myself) should be fundamentally against them. But, I found myself using them over and over to correct minor mistakes that resulted in my car turning into a tin can. They suck a lot of the challenge out of racing games, but with that goes the frustration of having to race the same course 10 times just to get to the podium. Fortunately, the game offers a cash reward incentive for playing the races on a higher difficulty level, which give the player less flashbacks to use.
The Lows
Motion Sickness
“Dirt 2” joins “Twisted Metal: Head-On” on the very short list of games that have made me feel queasy while playing them. The funny thing is that this time, it wasn’t the driving that did it. Before and after every race you head to your trailer, which serves as your racing hub, however, it’s also home to a very fast moving, and rather shaky camera. Whenever you want to start a race it zooms into the map then flies outside, and then spins over to your car, essentially all in one motion. It’s a smooth movement, but, it's so fast that it's enough to make any race fan feel a little unsettled, especially since you have to see it so much.
"Dirt" Gets EXTREME
In The original “Dirt” it seemed like the entire focus of development went towards creating a solid racing experience, and along with that came very little emphasis on the bells and whistles of the game. In “Dirt 2” it seemed that Codemasters was so happy with the driving that they didn’t need to do a thing to it (rightfully so), and spent all the rest of their time creating an extreme rally racing environment worthy of X-Games championship races that are included in the single player campaign. The only problem is that it wasn’t necessary; the minimalism of the original emphasized how good of a job it did at being a racing game. It’s comparable to when "Itchy and Scratchy" tried to add Poochy to the mix; completely unnecessary.
Ads
I understand that in-game ads are a vital part of modern day gaming, and that they’re here to stay. That’s perfectly fine. If they offset the cost of development, and allow for some kind of savings to be passed onto the consumer, while creating a more realistic in-game environment, I say leave ‘em in. I also get that corporate sponsorships are the lifeblood of every car racing circuit. However, “Dirt 2” comes with three separate corporate logos on the box. If that’s not enough, your trailer comes littered with Monster Energy drink cans, as well as DC Sneakers stickers. There’s a line between including logos and products to create a realistic world, and just being excessive: “Dirt 2” definitely falls on the excessive side of that line.
Final Word
The limited online functionality was one of the things that the original "Dirt" need to improve on, making the online mode in "Dirt 2" one of the game's biggest accomplishments. It creates a more robust experience than the original, and it should only be attempted after you’ve put in your dues in the single player. There’s no flashbacks, other players are going to be way more aggressive than the game’s A.I. opponents, and it’s a lot harder to make it to the finish line at the front of the pack. It's really the only way to put your racing skills to the true test.
The original didn’t have too many problems, but “Dirt 2” succeeds in the few places where that game fell short; however, it also adds in a lot of unnecessary clutter to a game that stood out because it was so minimal. If you can work your way past the decision the “EXTREME” nature there is a really great racing game at its heart, and it is a worthy successor to “Dirt.”