Colin McRae DiRT 2

Colin McRae DiRT 2

A passion for driving, not just admiring pretty cars, is required to salvage even the first sliver of enjoyment from Codemasters’ latest.

The sport of rally driving has come a long way from muddy British forests or even African trails. Watching a car being put through its paces on a solo mission against the clock is compelling viewing for some, but certainly not all. And this is no doubt why America invented Rally Cross, the circuit-based on- and off-road stadium event. This, in turn, has attracted ex pro skaters and BMX riders to the sport – the likes of Dave Mirra (BMX) and Ken Block (skater) doing extremely well behind the wheel.

Block served as advisor to the Codemasters team on DiRT 2, and the easiest way of summing up the result is that the Colin McRae series has gone all-American. The presentation is closer to what you’d expect from EA Skate or Tony Hawk’s games: punk music, laminated event passes dangling from lanyards, a caravan hang-out littered with posters and maps plus a video screen previewing each tournament. Along with Tiger Woods PGA and Brain Training, Colin McRae used to be a game you might consider buying for Dad. Not so much anymore.

Given the Extreme Sports make-over, DiRT 2 does give the impression of being more fun. After you’ve accepted the unusual, locked-in career mode presentation, you can start to believe you’re a rookie driver with nothing to lose – apart from your first race about 100 times, as I discovered upon choosing ‘Serious’ difficulty. This takes place in London’s Battersea Power Station at night, with crowds screaming as you crash and spin out of control under swirling spotlights. It’s quite a wake up call.

But having reached for the coffee and turned the difficulty down a notch to ‘Casual’ I made good progress and, to my own surprise, began to enjoy DiRT 2. When the Rally Cross events head to Baja, the game feels more like Sega Rally than Sega’s own attempt at reviving the classic free-for-all off road series. Impressive performances earn you the respect of fellow competitors, and I currently have Dave Mirra as our buddy, who chats to me through my headset while driving then comments on the result, good or bad, after each race. I feel part of this crazy world.

In homage to Colin McRae there are still traditional rally events to attempt, with co-driver shouting out instructions. For DiRT 2 this is afforded greater realism thanks to dynamic responses to your situation – a crashed car up ahead, narrow scrapes, complete disasters, all prompting a few words from an old Scottish bloke or one of several sexy American girls (the latter must be ‘earned’).

There are nine world locations, and the first time you visit say Malaysia or Japan your jaw will hit the floor. McRae just doesn’t feel like a straight-laced rally simulation any more, although the driving skills are still absolutely required, it’s more spectacular than games such as Need for Speed or Burnout that are sold on ‘arcade’ aesthetics. You'll love some the customisation options, pretty straightforward compared to Forza when it comes to liveries, but especially entertaining with the range of dashboard decorations - starting with a googly-eyed skull.

Our one, very important, bugbear with DiRT 2 is that it pretends to be nice, but in fact insists that players learn how to handle the cars and master each circuit – every bump of the way. Whereas Sony's Motorstorm on PS3 is entertaining as a theme park ride with lots of zany routes and not really caring if you win or lose, after the initial wow it’s nose to the grindstone in DiRT 2 if you want to progress.

Possibly the best Colin McRae game yet, depending on how you like yours served.

4 out of 5