As I lined up in my shiny new Subaru Impreza STi to tackle my first race – a Rallycross event in London – I expected the DiRT 2 experience to be like so many before it... just too easy.

Boy, was I wrong.

I hit the first corner (quite literally, it turns out) at speed. Bang! My rear bumper was hanging on by a thread and I was dead last… already. This is no 'stomp-on-the-loud pedal-and-fly-to-the-front' arcade game. No siree, controlling these cars requires a certain measure of finesse. And kudos to Codemasters for that.

The great thing though is that by the end of the first outing I had a gained a feel for the car (which was admittedly battered almost beyond recognition). I was feathering the throttle, sliding around corners and actually keeping up with my opponents. With a bit of practice, this could be interesting...

The story

The player assumes the role of a young driver, mingling with rally stars and taking part in the few events available to rookies. As you build up experience, or XP as it's called, you earn invites to events in exotic locations around the globe (and you get a healthy dollop of cash to upgrade your ride too).

After enough time on the track and the right results, you win promotion first to the Pro Division and eventually the All-Star Division, where you compete against tougher opponents on more challenging circuits.

DiRT 2's driving experience is as realistic as one can expect it to be, with subtle differences between the 35 cars (including a South African darling in the form of an old school Ford Escort MkII) available as well as between the various types of terrain on which races takes place.

As in real life on the road, make one mistake and you could break an axle, lose a wheel and end up 'going home early'.

Of course, if you don't have the patience to start over every time you make a fundamental faux pas, there is another option. DiRT 2 has followed the cue of a handful of other games and given you the chance to 'rewind time' and undo a potentially race-ruining mistake (something they've dubbed the 'Flashback' in Race Driver GRID). Although this may detract from the realism for some, if you're not a fan of this form of 'cheating', there's always the option of simply ignoring it.

While some of the vehicles can take a fair pounding before retiring to the great scrapyard in the sky, knock a wheel and you'll have trouble driving in a straight line. Hurt the engine and acceleration and top-speed will take a serious hit (although both of these effects can be turned off). The visual damage sustained as you battle it out with opponents is also particularly pleasing.

Whether you're blasting through the shadows of mountains in Utah or hitting crest after jaw-jarring crest in a Malaysian jungle, the detail along the various tracks, while not spectacular, is more than sufficient should you be tempted to pry your eyes away from the task at hand.

Variety is the spice of life

There are five racing disciplines, each of which offers a different sort of test: Rally, Trailblazer, Raid, Landrush, and Rallycross. That's plenty to keep you entertained for hours on end, without even mentioning the three 'Special Modes'.

With DiRT 2 being the first game bearing Colin McRae's name since his death in 2007, the Rally discipline is fittingly one of the finer options. Pretty much all of the rally courses are tough and a very vocal co-driver is provided to assist you with navigation.

Initially, this constant instruction (in a Scottish accent, at first) was annoying but I quickly realised that failing to take heed of your co-driver's timely advice soon results in a severely smashed up car. And besides, the Sean Connery act (by Ross Hunter, in this case) doesn't seem all that bad after you give whiny American Chloe Brooks a go with the map. Auto-eject passenger seat, anyone?

Trailblazer is another standout form of racing in DiRT 2, providing high speed thrills on loose tracks. Once you cough up for the required conversion pack, your favourite ride (I have a particularly soft spot for that screaming Jap-machine, the Nissan 350Z) is equipped with an over-the-top front spoiler and a truly massive rear wing… which, incidentally, can also be ripped off should you manage to crash with the required gusto. Despite making your pride-and-joy look like a shopping trolley, the extra downforce provided by the bodykit affords you added grip which makes for exciting cornering.

Give me the bad news

So, I hear you ask, are there any criticisms to be aimed at DiRT 2? Well, the navigational menu, which is centred on life in your 'RV', can become a little tiresome. Sometimes you just want to race, instead of watching the crowd walk by or searching for new events on a map.

Another of the few weak points of DiRT 2 is that the weather never changes. Regardless of where you are racing, the sun is always shining (except during night Rallycross events, of course). A sprinkle of winter events with races in the rain and even snow would have made a big difference to the game.

Although head-to-head racing forms just over half of the action on the track, I enjoyed the point-to-point rallying far more. It felt truer to the rally legend's name on the cover. But if you're looking for an all-round off-road racing experience (complete with team events, one-on-one challenges and stints at the X-Games) then nothing much else can compete.

As a racing experience, DiRT 2 is right up there. Add to that a catchy soundtrack, online multiplayer mode and true longevity, and you have a winning combination.

If you're a petrol-head, buy it. If you're not, give it a bash anyway. It's well worth it.

8.5/10

Buy this game: PS3 | Xbox 360

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