It’s all in the details — the odd bumps over blind crests, the sense of urgency in the co-driver's voice, the sensation of grip shifting with every input. That's what makes “Dirt Rally 2.0” from Codemasters the best in a long line of games that have tried for decades (some more successfully than others) to capture the rush of rallying.
Drawn up as the highly anticipated sequel to 2015’s “Dirt Rally,” “Dirt Rally 2.0” takes everything the original built and improves on it. The stages across the game’s six locations are all exquisitely crafted with small bumps, blind crests, and/or decreasing radius turns to make for a variety of terrain to race on.
The grip levels change depending on location – when you’re in Argentina, you can tell the road is filled with large gravel that pulls the car every which way. The USA has fast and flowing roads with consistent dirt and medium gravel. Spain: perfect tarmac that winds its way through the mountains — very slippery when wet. Each location is different. It’s a treat.
The cars too have that same attention to detail. Here, when you spend a couple of hours driving through the woods in a brand spanking new R5 and then jump into a Group B Peugeot 205, you’re stunned, scared and in awe — you get a glimpse at understanding of how raw and terrifying those cars were with massive power, crap suspension and crap brakes.
You’ve got more than 40 rally cars to choose from, with more being added all the time through updates. We’re talking Lancia Fulvias to Group B, 240Zs to contemporary top machinery like an R5. All are unique and require patience to adjust your driving style appropriately.
Small details like changing road conditions depending on road order and how many times you run a stage add to the experience. The notes are detailed with “cautions,” “tightens,” and “don’t cuts” appropriately placed. With complete confidence, you’ll pick up seconds, but if it’s misplaced, you will crash and have to start over. No rewind here.
"Dirt Rally 2.0" is also the official game of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. With eight different tracks and the World Rallycross cars, there’s plenty to keep you on your toes. The acceleration is what I’d call stupid fast, the rotation near immediate, but again, it’s in the details. Those details come together to give what seems like a real taste of the short-burst format that is rallycross. A tight track, 600-hp cars with incredibly short gearing, all pushing, strategically sliding and jumping their way to the front.
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