Xbox Gaming in South Africa

I loved almost everything about the first Colin McRae: DiRT, except maybe the overly "USA! USA!" vibe which radiated from parts of it. The core rally game was brilliant, but I guess I felt that the other more American style racing disciplines ended up watering down the beauty of the rally experience. Buggies and trucks and things that handle like waterskiing elephants just didn't hold my attention for long.

It was with this in mind that I loaded up the demo for the upcoming sequel, Colin McRae: DiRT 2, full of hope for something special. I'll cut straight to the chase here and say that good old Codemasters has taken what made DiRT so good and just distilled it down to a purer form of awesomeness.

The presentation deserves special mention here. I will go as far as to say that the menu system and general presentation in DiRT 2 is probably the coolest I am yet to see in this or any past generation. I'll leave the details for the full review, but be sure that from the moment DiRT 2 loads up you know you are playing a game which has been a labour of love for Codemasters. The first game had a very clean, almost web 2.0 look about it, but DiRT 2 is far more edgy and original in its style.

Once you've finished gawping over the presentation (I spent probably 10 minutes just looking at everything), it's time to try out the game itself. The Trailblazer mode on offer here is a straight point-to-point rally, but with staggered starts meaning that you can catch up and overtake other drivers during stages. Let's just say that rally in DiRT 2 handles exactly how you would hope. It isn't long before you're pulling off smooth powerslides through long banked corners.

While my preference is to play racers from the cockpit view, I made a point to try DiRT 2 from the external view too, just because the vehicles are so stunning to look at. Don't get me wrong, the cockpit is excellently modelled and offers a far more exhilarating experience, even if it is significantly more difficult.

The other mode included in the brief demo is a Baja Landrush, which sends us back to the "USA! USA!" style which put me off the original DiRT, but even here there is much more to be positive about. The handling is far less 'floaty', and the sluggish trucks are more responsive. Cockpit view here really is a challenge, as the viewable area is about the size of a dinner tray, but I imagine that's what it's like in a real Baja truck, so who am I to complain.

Graphically there seems to be a significant improvement over the original, as can be expected. While DiRT 2 certainly doesn't re-invent the wheel here, there is enough to show that it's far ahead of its predecessor. Favourite touches? The way the water and mud splashes over your windscreen when you tear through a puddle, obscuring your view completely; the fact that you can select to have your avatar as a bobblehead hanging from your rearview mirror; the way your controller rumbles in your hands when fireworks go off as you make a big jump... I could go on, but I need something to gush about when the full game comes out.

DiRT 2 is going to be good. Hell, I'll even say it's going to be great. I just need to see how much focus is put on the classic rally modes, because for me that really is the strong point here. Then again, that's probably just a matter of personal taste.

I will admit that for most of the time I spent playing this demo I had a stupid grin stuck on my face, and that has to be a good thing. DiRT 2 has now secured its place on my already overloaded Christmas shopping list.