DiRT 2 – PSP – Review

When the day finally came for GRID
to shift gears and head to the DS, the developers knew it’d be impossible to
create a console-perfect replica. So they did what any smart development team
would do and scrapped the idea of mimicking the PS3/PC/360 masterpiece and
designed a racing game that was fun but not necessarily true to its name.

Inevitably, the studio behind the
PSP version of DIRT 2 faced a similar dilemma. As powerful as Sony’s handheld
may be, it is best suited for gaming experiences comparable to PlayStation 2 –
not PS3 or Xbox 360. Thus, when playing this handheld sequel to a two-year-old
racer that never appeared in handheld form, you won’t find yourself driving down
the roads of a ported game. While that might sound like a huge letdown, the game
is still tons of fun and is easily one of the best racers available for PSP.

DIRT 2 stays current in the
automotive world with heavily upgraded versions of the Ford F-150 and the Dodge
Ram, as well as smaller staples like the Evo X and the Cruiser FJ. The game goes
back a few years, however, with its utilization of arcade-influenced crash and
handling physics that make cornering simple (brake ahead of time and you’re
safe) and turn environmental collisions into something unusual. Hit a curved or
angled wall too harshly and your vehicle is more likely to flip over than it is
to be crumpled. When crashing into other racers, the results are unremarkably
subdued; rather than forcing one or both drivers into disarray, DIRT 2 either
softens the blow or pushes the two vehicles apart from each other.

This is one of the quirks of DIRT 2
that players might not expect. But in time, they’re not so much a nuisance as
they are a different style of racing gameplay. Take the courses, for example.
Primarily, they come in just three flavors: short (with laps), long (with laps),
and straightaway (lengthy but no laps). None of them are really the perfect
size. At first you’ll be wishing the courses were a little longer or a little
shorter, as there are times when a race ends too quickly and other times when
it’s a tad too long. But after racing through each of them a couple times –
you’ll be revisiting old (and altered) courses to gain additional medals – their
length isn’t all that noticeable.

But players will notice the game’s
speed, which isn’t the jaw-dropping, can’t-believe-your-eyes experience of
Burnout or Wipeout. But compared to all other racing games, DIRT 2 is fast,
packs a steady frame rate, and offers just enough background detail to keep
things interesting as the environments fly by.

Unlike the console versions,
however, graphics are not one of DIRT 2’s strong points. Compared to other
recent releases, the game looks good. But if you go back four years and look at
Wipeout and Ridge Racer, or glance at later releases like Burnout and Midnight
Club, DIRT 2’s visuals come off as being solid and acceptable – but nowhere near
impressive or memorable.

As far as the game setup is
concerned, DIRT 2 will keep players busy (and very entertained) with the World
Tour mode, which includes four separate tours: Clubman, Amateur, Pro-Am and Pro.
Each tour is jammed with four different competitions, and each competition
contains at least one race (most of them have more).

DIRT 2 also features a challenge
mode with – you guessed it – a series of challenges aimed at enhancing the
game’s replay value. The lineup includes Airtime (gain several seconds of air
with the help of ramps), Gatecrasher (cruise through a bunch of gates at the
required speed), and Trailblazer (DIRT 2’s version of a time trial race).
Powerslide and Last Man Standing challenges are also included; their play styles
are as obvious as they sound.

Lastly, for those of you who want a
quick race or two, DIRT 2 offers an arcade mode with three options: single race,
championship and time trial.

While DIRT 2 is a compelling game,
you can probably imagine that it does have a few flat tires. In theory, the
whole point of an off-road racer is to give players the chance to leave the road
behind. DIRT 2 somehow missed that point, as the developers have chosen to box
each car into a mysteriously linear environment. It’s mysterious in that it
doesn’t always appear to be linear – there are plenty of opportunities to drive
off each of the evenly carved dirt tracks.

However, let’s say you wish to drive
around a road sign to cut in front of an opponent …well, you can’t. If you brake
too late while approaching a turn and your vehicle spins off course, the game
won’t give you the chance to recover from that either. Instead, DIRT 2
automatically transports your vehicle back to the track. While this is helpful
in some circumstances, it is also heavily prohibitive in forming any original
strategies. Yes, one might argue that going off course to cut in front of others
is cheating. But what about the occasional open areas that appear to be
shortcuts but are blocked off by invisible walls? That’s just flawed game
design.

Regardless, unless you’re a racing
purist, that shouldn’t be enough to keep you from speeding toward this enjoyable
PSP racer.

Gameplay: 8.2
Mechanically, DIRT 2 is inescapably different from its console predecessor.
There aren’t many other dirt racers that it compares to either, though you may
notice a slight control similarity in Need for Speed and Midnight Club (both
on-road racers). The button layout is standard and straightforward, and the
thumbstick steering is fairly intuitive, albeit not to the extent that would be
possible with a full-fledged analog stick.

Graphics: 6.0
In the beginning, DIRT 2 doesn’t look too spectacular. The vehicle designs
are merely decent, not mind-blowing, and the backgrounds can’t compare to PSP
launch titles like Ridge Racer. It’s still a pretty good-looking game … just
not one of the best-looking on PSP.

Sound: 5.0
Boring, all-too-familiar rock music (crummy rock music) and a mix of
sound effects you’ve definitely heard before.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Unexpectedly simple. You won’t have to struggle to win these races as you
might have while playing the original DIRT two years ago.

Concept: 5.0
Good racing games do come in small packages. But being a good game is not
the same as being unique.

Multiplayer: 6.9
Nine tracks ranging from the US, UK, Mexico, China, Japan and more. Game
sharing is supported, but whatever option you choose, this isn’t the most
inventive or the most expansive multiplayer racing game experience.

Overall: 8.0
DIRT 2 is a fun and gripping, highly worthwhile racing game.