Dirt 3 Preview (PS3)

Release Date: May 24, 2011
Developer: Codemasters Southam
Publisher: Codemasters
Genre: Racing
Cross Platform: Yes (PC, Xbox 360)

Needless to say, every racing nut worth his salt is pretty kicked about Dirt 3. If you are one, you must have already been following the build-up and the titbits of information Codemasters has been throwing our way till now. If you aren't, here's what you need to know about the goodies that await us in the third instalment to Codemasters rally/off-roading franchise:

- In-game ability to upload your wipeouts on Youtube
- Gymkhana mode with Kevin Block
- Group B rally cars debut
- Better damage modelling
- Rally mode get a greater focus
- Snow tracks appear for the first time
- DC Compound
- Advanced weather effects courtesy of F1 2010
- 59 more tracks with 100+ different routes
- Split-screen multiplayer
- WRC licensed content


Enough with the theory, because this weekend the good people at Zapak, which has a 50 percent stake in Codemasters, hosted a Dirt 3 preview event at its offices. In stark contrast to the last Codemasters' Operation Flashpoint preview, the Dirt 3 code looked polished enough to pass for a retail copy; unfortunately with a lot of the content being locked away. The most immediate and conspicuous change to Dirt 3 is reflected right at the menu screen. Gone is the banged up RV and, along with it, the awesome 3D menu system from the last Dirt game. In Dirt 3, you are a professional racing driver with access to a much larger roster of vehicles and racing teams. More importantly, all this is merely an excuse to flaunt the tonnes of new WRC licensed content Codies have scored this time around. So expect more cars, including the elusive Group B rally cars, and less of the obnoxious branding silliness found in Dirt 2. The points mechanics, however, stay the same with the reputation points being the denomination to unlock new cars, liveries, sponsorships, and career unlocks.

When I fired up the career mode, which was the only one of the few things not locked away, the visual splendour of the latest iteration of the Ego engine blew me away. Despite being a PS3 version, the graphics, lighting, and the particle effects are slick enough to rival those found in the PC version of Dirt 2. All this despite the framerate remaining rock steady through most parts of the preview, except for a few instances with a lot of traffic and particle effects. That's pretty impressive for a preview code.

I started off with the Finland rally stage and the familiar Ego engine treatment brought the scenery alive with perfectly rendered vegetation, detailed textures, and object models permeating the track. The car detail is bumped up from the previous version and so is the in-car cockpit mode. On the gameplay side, just a few races were enough to confirm the familiar balance between arcade and simulation that the Dirt franchise is well regarded for. If you loved Dirt 2, the same physics and car handling dynamics make a comeback with the sequel. Like they say - if it isn't broken, why fix it?

Few more varied racing events like Rallycross mode let me try out my drifting chops. Having recently revisited Dirt 2, the drift mechanics are more-or-less carried over unchanged. However, the damage modelling is significantly beefed up, both visually and mechanically. The game retains its simplicity by sticking to the simple slider-based tuning options found in the last game. Ditto for the flashback system, which is carried forward unchanged. With the inclusion of Group B Rally, the spectators get a similar hardcore treatment. You will now find them running through the tracks, just like the good old days of Group B. Splitscreen multiplayer component is fun, but the lack of cockpit view in the mode kills it for me.

With the little content that the preview humoured me with, Dirt 3 seems like a prettier version of Dirt 2 sporting familiar handling dynamics that we have come to love from the franchise. While the improvements evinced in the limited preview may look insignificant, one must realise that Dirt 2 was near perfection to begin with. Dirt 3 does have some yet unseen aces up its sleeves, such as the Ken Block Gymkhana mode and a promising Youtube direct video upload. If one were to go by the level of polish on offer with the preview, it wouldn't be unwise to wager on Dirt 3 to be one of the best games to release this year.