Sometimes a fresh set of eyes brings a different perspective, so here for your reading pleasure is a 2nd look at Codemasters latest off-road adventure, Colin McRae: DiRT2 – ed

A part of me hopes that the rights to use the name of Colin McRae run out soon as my first reaction was that this serves as a morbid reminder of the shocking last events in the man’s life. However, this also has the ability to serve as a positive reminder of Colin’s greatest rally achievements. I would prefer to focus on the second memory and it’s a damn good thing this game is good enough to do the man justice. My initial experience with DIRT 2 wasn’t a particularly happy one. I like to be very aggressive in driving games and at first I had some difficulty getting used to the fact that I couldn’t avoid being punished if I chose to drive around like O.J. on crack. Those earlier concerns were squashed as soon as I got to grips with the controls and ever so slightly reigned in my aggressive streak.

The first thing which struck me about this title is the slick presentation. I personally feel the presentation is far too flashy for a rally game. It has been a while since I last played a Colin McRae game, and it’s been even longer since I played Sega Rally, but I much prefer a no-nonsense approach. DIRT 2 feels more like a Need for Speed take on a rally game than the older games I have fond memories of.

I am familiar with Dave Mirra from playing his old BMX games and watching extreme sports on TV. I enjoyed those BMX games on the original Playstation, I appreciated his talent on those extreme sports shows, and it’s nice to unexpectedly find him featured in this rally game. None of that means I want to be friends with a virtual representation of the guy but that is exactly what happens in this title. I was driving around, winning a few races, just doing my thing. Dave Mirra, one of the many voices in my character’s head, informs me that he doesn’t share the views of Shania Twain as my moves do impress him much. Dave considers me a worthy opponent. In a move which is no doubt incredibly realistic, and something which must happen all the time in real life, Dave challenges me to a dangerous race up the side of a mountain. In an wonderfully fair move Dave turns up in something fancy and high-powered while I make do with my newly purchased beat-up Hummer. Virtual Dave is such a kind-hearted gentleman. I race this guy a number of times and, after smashing into a few carelessly placed walls, finally beat him. After all that effort he reveals that he wants us to be best friends forever. I was ecstatic.

You will eventually make friends with other people in the game and that’s great, as friends are a valuable commodity, except that in this case it doesn’t actually do anything. If the name of this game was GTA IV things would be a little different. Those friends you make would call you up at the most inappropriate moments, perhaps as you struggle to keep your car from sliding off the edge of a cliff, and they would moan about how much they miss your company. Dave Mirra never asks me to join him for a burger or to go Bowling. I am starting to question whether or not he actually cares about this friendship.

This game looks as lovely as you would expect from an Xbox 360 title. The cars look nice and shiny and, if you happen to drive around like a maniac as I do, you will notice impressive vehicle damage. There is a good variety of tracks each with their own region-specific scenery but, as any racing fan will tell you, as long as the driving is enjoyable an attractive scenery is little more than a visual bonus.

The soundtrack is surprisingly good for a game outside the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series of titles. The most notable band inclusions for me are Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Queens of the Stone Age, Bloc Party, Biffy Clyro, Ladyhawke, and Black Stone Cherry. I also really like hearing the voice of your driving partner as this makes the experience feel more realistic. The sound effects in general are satisfying with grunting engines and little comments from my opponents which made me want to smash them into the barriers. I never claimed to be a master of anger management.

Despite the issues I have with the glossiness of everything DIRT 2 has to offer this is a very enjoyable driving game and with a lengthy World Tour it is sure to last you a while. This is easily the most fun I have had with a racing game since Motorstorm 2 was released on the PS3. I recommend this to racing fans, especially those who like rally driving, and to anyone who enjoys relatively mindless games in short bursts.

8/10

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