Colin McRae: DiRT 2 Review [DS]

15 Sep 2009 at 14:45:32 by James Chalmers
Systems used to review this title: (DS)

If you read my DiRT 2 preview for the 360, you would know I'm not the biggest fan of racing titles. However, it was Codemasters' latest entry in the rally racing series which has swayed me to try playing the genre more. The console version of DiRT 2 was well received by IncGamers, but can Firebrand Games' newest DS racing title live up to the accolades which the console versions received?

Like the console version you will be spending the majority of your time in the career mode as you travel to a variety of locations across the world and build up your points to unlock more tracks and locations. Unlike the career mode in the 360/PS3 versions, you are not given the ‘festival' atmosphere with each location you visit, but it's not really missed. Instead you are given a simple map of the world, and each playable location is marked by a coloured dot. Iceland, Ethiopia, China, Japan, Mexico, USA, Battersea and, finally, the DS version of the X-Games - entitled Xtreme - all make the cut with a variety of different race tracks and types.

When you head to a different country the ground and environment on which you race on change. You're going to be careening around corners while trying to master the different effects which gravel, tarmac, snow, sand and dirt bring to the playing field, and believe me, each of them react differently under the wheels of your selected vehicle. A lot of the corners will see you having to time your power slides correctly or run the risk of running into fences while your opponents overtake you. While most tracks can be accomplished using any vehicle, some certainly have a much easier time than others.

The variety of vehicles on offer in the game is impressive, ranging from the scrap-heap motor of a MK II Ford Escort to my personal favourite, the off-road power beast that is the Bowler Nemesis. The cars all feel different, but unfortunately the stats apparent in the console versions have been replaced with details of each vehicle such as torque and wheelbase. For non-racing gamers such as myself it's quite a mind boggling experience to try and pick a car based on torque or power-to-weight figures.

Still, the cars can be upgraded using the money you earn throughout the career. Numerous options can be customised, with the likes of acceleration and handling ready for boosting, and this makes your vehicle a lot better than the standard out-of-the-garage motors which you start with. Having the ability to upgrade your rally cars is a great addition, although on numerous occasions it led to me picking the fully upgraded car for every race just because the customisation has made it better than everything else. Not great for trying everything out.

While rally driving is the main aspect of DiRT 2, customisation plays a major part in the game. Along with upgrading vehicles, you can also create your own personalised skins for the cars. You have a full palette of colours to paint them with, as well as a wide range of sponsors such as DC Shoes, FLIP and OGIO. If the selection on offer doesn't float your boat, you can try your own artistic skills with the decal editor, which allows you to draw and paint your own sponsors using the stylus and lets you add them to your cars in order to fully customise your doors, hood and roof. It takes a while to master, but I daresay you'll soon find yourself creating your own masterpieces.

Other than the car decal editor, Firebrand has included a track designer which also featured in previous title Race Driver: GRID. This, too, seems daunting to start with but the easy-to-follow tutorial will set you in the right direction, and it allows you to create your own courses, whether it be a point-to-point or a circuit track.

Game modes in the DS version almost match up to those present on home consoles although sadly the enjoyable Staggered Rally has disappeared, seemingly in favour of a minigame-esque mode. This doesn't make the best addition though as it comes in the shape of a jump-style game and quickly becomes a very frustrating affair. The levels are jump stages of increasing difficulty that ask you to get your vehicle to a (hidden) required speed and then, in mid-air, realign your vehicle for a perfect landing and a perfect rating. It sounds easy, but it's not. After numerous attempts you'll find the required speed, and it's then a case of repeating until you can nail the landing. In theory its a nice change to the racing but in reality its nothing more than a frustrating distraction to the great career.

While the festival feel of the career mode is missing in the DS version, the game boasts an impressive soundtrack. There aren't too many musical tracks, but there are some decent choices and the sound quality is crisp. The rest of the sound design is equally well presented. Cars have an array of sounds and the change in sound from the different ground types is noticeable, especially when playing on a part-gravel, part-tarmac track.

And as the sounds differ based on the material you're racing on, so too do the looks of the race tracks which change as you move from country to country. Each location has a different look and feel to it, with the Xtreme venue taking part in a packed out arena with thousands of fans watching you, while the Iceland set of tracks is a bleak, snowy affair with the bare minimum of fans present. The graphics are an impressive feat on the DS, producing a full 3D experience while at the same time recreating the full fast-paced action of rally driving without framerate drops. All the cars look different and while the bottom screen during races only has a bog-standard map that leaves much to the imagination, you don't really find yourself having to look at it throughout a race.

The DS offering of Colin McRae: DiRT 2 has been a welcome addition to my games collection. I expected a watered-down version of the console title, but Firebrand has created another hit racing title for the DS and has once again ignited and expanded my interest in the genre. Fans of the rally series will not be disappointed by this game and will happily sink numerous hours into the career mode, and the addition of the track creator means unlimited race tracks to ride through, helping make this game a solid, long-lasting addition to your handheld.

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