onStart – DIRT 3 Preview

Posted by: 2/4/2011

The names Codemasters and DIRT are something very familiar to racing game fans. The UK development studio, currently working on DIRT 3, is responsible for creating some of the greatest motor-sport based video game series including Colin McRae DIRT and GRID. This year the team is on schedule to deliver the third entry into the rally series with DIRT 3. I recently sat down with the lead designer for the game, Paul Coleman, and experienced DIRT 3 first hand.

During my demo I was able to play three different types of stages, which will be featured in the game when it releases later on May 24th. DIRT 3 will feature the new car ballet phenomenon Gymkhana, made popular by the American rally driver Ken Block, who has also been a hands-on advisor to the game. The Gymkhana mode is a brand new and fresh experience and will feature a great variety of real-world obstacles, such as construction cones, different types of barriers, jumps and vehicles, for players to maneuver. This is a very fun, skill-based and challenging mode – one, when mastered, that will provide hours of fun. There are several areas on each location which can be unlocked and finally opens up to a massive area, which is also enabled for online party mode. The stage I got to play was the DC Complex and only showed glimpses of what will be possible. Doing wild and imaginative car stunts and tricks in an overpowerd Ford Fiesta with some friends in a giant parking lot sounds epic and should make for plenty of mayhem. To give you a better idea as to what Gymkhana is I included a video of Ken Block in this preview.

DIRT 2 had quite a few modes and did not focus as much on the professional rally aspect as previous games in the Colin McRae series. That now changes with DIRT 3 as there will be tons of traditional rally stages and cars available. This was one of the biggest decisions in the development of DIRT 3 and based on fan feedback. The game will boast a massive 100+ stages and several dozen official rally cars which span over 5 decades. There will be classic cars like the Mini Cooper, iconic racing machines like the Audi Quattro and Lancia Delta Integrale as well as new age cars like Block’s Ford Fiesta. If you are a true rally fan DIRT 3 will be absolute eye candy and loaded with fan service because the guys making it are passionate about the sport.

Besides the new Gymkhana mode I went hands on with stages in Scandinavia and Kenya. Driving on those stages really showed off how much improvement and fine tuning went into physics and handling. While DIRT 2 and previous games have been a bit more on the Arcade side of things, DIRT 3 feels much more simulated with cars really gripping the different surfaces, especially on transitions, requiring some skill and understanding of how a high performance vehicle will react during different conditions. No worries though if you are a casual fan who just wants to have fun, DIRT 3 has plenty of assists which will aid in keeping the game accessible for you. As a huge rally enthusiast myself, I am absolutely pleased with the way the cars feel in this year’s iteration. Driving the powerful but bulky Audi Quattro across gravel and asphalt felt heavier and more connected with the surfaces beneath, creating a realistic feel and some tension while focusing on hitting the ideal line. When I did crash though it looked beautiful in the slow motion replay before I used a rewind to start over a difficult section. The engine used for DIRT 3 is Codemasters’ proprietary EGO engine which is also utilized for GRID and the F1 series. The software allows for some really intricate calculations to determine how much grip a tire has at any given moment in order to simulate the handling as surfaces change real time.

The handling is not the only thing Codemasters evolved. Upon taking my first look at the game, I immediately noticed that DIRT 3 looked sharper, more vivid and crisper compared to its predecessor, while keeping its incredible attention to detail on the car models and environments. A new feature this year is the addition of active spectators, inspired by the fans standing near the tracks at the real life events. During rally stages, players will see a fan dash across the road mere seconds before passing that spot exact spot at break-neck speeds. This is only one example of how the team is trying to bring the rally back into DIRT in a big way. Another is the audio. When I asked Paul about the sound design, he noted that the engineers actually went out in real world rally cars to record authentic audio compared to previous games. Players who enjoy the cockpit view will hear and appreciate this especially well.

Something I did not get to see were the weather effects. DIRT 3 will incorporate rain and snow as well as day and night stages to increase the authenticity and atmosphere in the game. This will be demonstrated with details such as additional headlights on the hood of the car during night stages and snow deformation during the winter events. Lastly, DIRT 3 will include multiplayer as mentioned previously. Friends will be able to get together and race each other in real time as well as time based one on ones and of course the party mode on the Gymkhana tracks.

The team at Codemasters are an incredibly passionate group who love rally and wanted to make a game that matches that passion in quality and authenticity. DIRT 3 will be bringing back the hardcore rally elements but also introduce a new aspect in racing with Gymkhana. During my demo I had an extremely good time and the title showed a lot of potential. All the new additions and handling changes make DIRT 3 one of my most anticipated games of 2011 and I simply cannot wait to play it when it ships later this spring.

DIRT 3 has a release date of May 24th, 2011 and will be available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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