Preview: Colin McRae: DiRT (360)

For a while back there, rallying games were the fashionable vogue of the industry. Originally during the Psone era we may have seen one or two licensed releases based around a "notable" rally driver. Then the genre exploded into life with releases such as WRC and rally modes appearing in Gran Turismo. Rally games and enthusiasts certainly benefited as more money was thrown into development and taking cars off the tarmac.

While Sega Rally was first off the mark (and still stands the test of time), the Colin McRae series has consistently offered the most challenging and faithful rallying experience. Whether the high demand still exists has not thankfully dissuaded Codemasters from developing another instalment in the series, which is consistently well received and has acquired a loyal fan base.

Colin McRae: DiRT is the first release for the flying Scotsman on the new generation of formats (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) and looks set to take advantage of the new possibilities offered by both including online modes. Codemasters have cleared the board and built DiRT from the ground up specifically for both systems and have been making exciting sounds regarding their proprietary Neon engine.

Gamestyle is always a sucker for game engines with codenames, as it brings a sense of the unknown and the promise of something more than average. Gavin Cheshire (Vice President of Codemasters studios) certainly shares our excitement. “Neon delivers an engine that provides us with so much more scope and possibilities than an update of existing tech would have ever allowed. The most obvious result is in the visual detail and physics that produce incredible particle effects. Neon makes it possible to go into seemingly minute detail but will create the most realistic and involving environments in the racing genre.”

While we have heard such talk before, the Colin McRae series has never been a slouch in the graphical or physics departments. Yes, we’ll certainly miss those terrible trees and natural scenery (when up close) but this is why you pay that extra to own a 360, PS3 or both if you’re luck enough. From what we’ve seen of the game, there are no complaints and some fantastic opportunities for writing off your vehicle. Then you can relive the race through a replay system that you can direct.

Whereas previously entries in the series have been content to base themselves around the world rally championship influenced events and vehicles, DiRT is expanding to encompass all forms of rallying. This means the inclusion of Dakar-style trucks and extremely powered 4x4’s making up over 40 licensed vehicles across 12 car class categories. It’s not only the vehicles that have been expanded as the team has gone beyond the frozen wastelands of Northern Europe and tackled the North American Championship Off-Road Racing. This series includes events such as rallying, hill climbing, rally raiding (a new form of ram raiding?), rally cross and crossover events set in the environments that you would expect to experience them in.

While MotorStorm has wowed PlayStation 3 owners with its blend of epic scenery and graphical flair, it was still a flawed and shallow experience. Gamestyle went away unsatisfied with its rallying fix still unfulfilled and tired of the overblown physics, and lack of rumble. Hopefully when Colin McRae: DiRT arrives next month Gamestyle will finally receive the experience we demand.

Words by Jason Julier