Codemasters returns to the track again this year with DiRT Rally 2.0, the maximum expression of the capabilities demonstrated to date by the graphics engine EGO Engine, owned by the same British developer, and which has already been the basis for the racing games published in the past by the "Codies". The title boasts the Official WRX License (FIA World Rallycross Championship), presented by Monster Energy and not to be confused with the official competition dedicated exclusively to the world of classic Rally, or the most famous WRC.
All the magic of the WRX
The Official WRX License allows DiRT Rally 2.0 to show off an impressive fleet of cars, also containing the models of the 2018 season, as well as 8 official WorldRX circuits. The racing cars with which to tackle seamless mud and hairpin bends are divided into four classes: the official Supercars of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, the RX2, the RX Super 1600s and, finally, the RX Crosskart. Among the new supercars proposed shine thanks to exciting models such as the Megarel RS RX of the GCKompetition World Rallycross team and the PSRX Volkswagen Polo R Supercar of Johan Kristoff, members of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Champion. RGT Rally Spec, as a gift to all who purchase the title in physical version. Ultimately, and not to bore you, we will say that DiRT Rally 2.0 offers over 50 of the most powerful off-road racing cars ever made, between modern cars and historic cars.
There is no shortage of horses, of course, but it will be necessary to find dirt roads where to let them unleash! In DiRT Rally 2.0 there are 6 different locations (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Poland and USA), including new locations, for the first time in the series: Mettet, Silverstone and Circuit de Barcelona in Catalonia. Each setting hosts two types of races: Rally and Rally Cross.
Between Rally and Rally Cross: an exciting challenge
Rally-type races represent the most exciting challenge between the track and the driver, both in the real world and in this splendid digital reinterpretation orchestrated by the guys at Codemasters. Once the "Via" is received, the lights go out and it is a real battle to turn on: the track will do anything to send you crashing into a tree or, even worse, to make you fall off a cliff, and you for your part will be called to do everything to stay there, in the damned, dusty and muddy track. The stopwatch, up there, takes your breath away and your vision fogs: dose the brake with caution or unleash hell by coming to the next hairpin furiously, hitting your own limits as a rider, sinking the handbrake lever firmly? The choice is yours, the glory or the shame ...
The other type of races is that belonging to the Rally Cross world, where you are called to challenge other drivers, for a maximum of 8 participants, whether they are controlled by the CPU or managed by real players. Those offered by Rally Cross are car races similar to Gran Turismo competitions, with the difference that the tracks offer not only parts on asphalt, but also on dirt. The four-wheeled demons must therefore be able to unleash their horses and their fury by continuously alternating the driving style and resisting and responding with strength and determination to the opposing doors (which will not fail, even by the AI that rules the cars controlled by the CPU). For the Rallycross races the developers have introduced for the first time in the series the possibility of competing in a dedicated Championship, in order to satisfy all those who are most attracted to the competition in real time against other cars, which compete simultaneously on the track, rather than entrusting all the adrenaline of the challenge to a "cold" stopwatch. A matter of taste, there is little to add.
EGO Engine: the beating heart of DiRT Rally 2.0
Whether in Career Mode or through the fascinating tests of the "Historic Rally" world, or whether you decide to give your best in Time Trials or through the creation of customized Championships (or a Stage and a single Test), in after all, the most important thing will be to wear a helmet, close the door and finally get on the track. The first aspect that strikes the player is that relating to the graphics sector, obviously. DiRT Rally 2.0 uses, as mentioned at the beginning, the best version observed to date of the proprietary graphic engine EGO Engine. Compared to the past, practically all imaginable aspects have been improved. We then find ourselves admiring gods simply exceptional 3D models of cars, with attention to every detail, which if on the outside they strike for precision, in the interior they are perhaps less impressive for the quality of the textures, but they do not give up an inch in terms of attention to detail, offering a personalized modeling for each model. The animations of the pilot are well done and it is a sight to watch our virtual alter-ego "fidget" like crazy, with arms running quickly and relentlessly from the steering wheel to the handbrake lever, passing through the gear lever.
The visual rendering of the tracks, although it certainly does not offer the best possible quality present on the PC and Console market today, is in any case pleasing to the eye, thanks above all to the impressive stability of the graphics engine - nailed to 60fps in both mode Rally che Rally Cross - and the excellent pixel representation of certain details, such as the rendering of rain and water that stagnates on the tracks. The particle effects of a decent level are contrasted by a splendid (truly splendid!) Management of light and shadows in real time., which makes every night race a true feast for the eyes (and a nightmare for the heart). The headlights illuminate in an incredibly realistic way the scenario that is drawn at high speed on the screen, and each beam of light impacts precisely on everything, whether it is the trunk of a tree or a slight difference in height on the ground.
Real-time terrain deformation
Speaking of gradients: in Rally competitions, and to a slightly lesser extent in Rally Cross competitions, as we know the tracks are the worst representation of a nightmare for the cars that are called to face them at crazy speeds. In DiRT Rally 2.0, confirming that for developers, quality certainly matters more than quantity (which in any case is not lacking), the EGO Engine is able to calculate the deformation of the surface in real time: that is to say that passing in the same point of a track, the next time you will be able to notice on the ground the signs of the previous passage, with all that this entails in terms of advantages and disadvantages for determining the best trajectory to travel. There will also be dynamic weather, with showers or light rains that will change the reliability of the surfaces themselves, forcing the drivers to suddenly change their driving style in order to avoid a disastrous off-piste. Flying off the track, that is obviously suffering damage, both aesthetic and technical. The level of deformation of each element of the cars is of excellent quality, even if the system that regulates the resistance of each single piece is perhaps too permissive (essentially, to visually notice significant damage it will take much more than a single front against a tree!). To physical damage, which as a logic and tradition impose the state of health of all the elements of the car, the possibility of puncturing the tires is added this year. The choice is up to the player: run for cover during the race (the repair animation is not present, but a precise amount of time is added to the race clock), or bravely tackle the rest of the track with a tire in dire conditions. (with consequent changes to the behavior of the car on the track).
Starts your engines!
In terms of pure gameplay, DiRT Rally 2.0 thrilled us: the driving style offered by the developers clearly tends towards simulation, with a nod to the Arcade genre only (in our opinion) when facing a hairpin bend, where the handbrake management, combined with the driver's ability to maneuvering in counter-steering, perhaps makes the maneuver too permissive, favoring a good result with a minimum of experience, even by deactivating all the aids. In general, however, this is a simulation, there is no doubt about it. The art of releasing the accelerator to "glide" gently between a series of curves, then deciding to push with competence and courage without even thinking about using the brake, translates into a fantastic driving sensation and, never before now, so much enjoyable even relying on the controller alone, rather than a steering wheel. The cars react credibly and convincingly on every type of track, whether on dirt or asphalt, dry or in the rain and the tires sink with extreme pleasure into the earth and mud (an appreciable element also in the splendid replays offered). Gameplay is the beating heart of DiRT Rally 2.0, and we just fell in love with it. The vibrations and the force feedback create a playful experience of absolute value in the hands of the player, where every unevenness of the terrain, masterfully reproduced, responds to a driving model that allows you to react in the best way, pinning your racing car back to the center of the track, with the headlights pointed straight at the horizon, overlooking the finish line. Whether you are looking for a new record or just a few minutes of leisure, DiRT Rally 2.0 represents today the best product available on the market able to reproduce that challenge on the screen, in a successful mix of simulation and a pinch of Arcade ... That challenge that makes you pump adrenaline, that makes your eyes widen, that makes your hands tremble: the one between the track and the driver. Are you ready to accept it?
