DiRT 2 races on to the scene in a flurry of mud, shiny graphics, flashy menus and fun physics.

I don't generally like sims, which is why I probably enjoy DiRT 2 so much. It's distant enough from a sim racer to be enjoyable without being as far out as something like Flatout or Burnout. My first experience with a Codemaster's racing game was with GRID, a fun game that left me frustrated with the multiplayer experience and wanting to take those cars off-road. With DiRT 2 I'm able to finally get dirty (I'm so sorry).

Driving the cars is somewhat different than in GRID. I have that same great sense of speed, but now I feel like I'm always about to fly out of control whenever I make a turn. It's like driving on a knife's edge, you always feel like you're just going to tip over, but when you manage to hold on and stay in control it's a great feeling. It never stops feeling thrilling.


The menus are also something of a treat. You're situated in a trailer where you choose between various options like completing single player races or going online to play with others. This is where the game really shines. Unlike GRID the multiplayer in this game isn't an exercise in frustration. Finding and joining games is incredibly easy, and you can finally invite your friends to the game using Games For Windows Live. This has to be the first time ever that GFWL hasn't frustrated the hell out of me and actually makes the experience more enjoyable. The inclusion of GFWL makes the multiplayer experience seem seamless and is really painless. At this point I'm playing the single player game just to unlock the other maps and cars so I can mess around, but I see myself spending most of my time playing multiplayer.

The game also has TrackIR support right out of the box, sporting full six degrees of freedom. It's a great implementation, and as a result I race within the cockpit with the hud turned off so I can make use of this feature. My only complaint with the support is that the game seems to block your toggle keys, such as centering the view or pausing the TrackIR support. I hope this is addressed in a patch or it could become a major annoyance.

Bottom Line

Worth It?

If you're not a sim nut, or just looking for a fun time driving cars off road this game is worthwhile. The multiplayer experience is really nice.

Caveats?

If you don't like driving games this won't change your mind. Also, if you require absolute realism in your games this might frustrate you.

83%