Codemasters has announced DiRT Rally, the next game in its popular rally racing series available to download now on PC via Steam Early Access.
Available for $31.49, DiRT Rally switches the franchise’s focus on arcade racing for a new simulation-based physics model, offering hyper-realistic handling and a hardcore level of difficulty previously unseen in a DiRT title. The game is not available on any other platform.
“Our team has been working tirelessly to get the simulation just right,” chief game designer Paul Coleman told VideoGamer.com during a visit to Codemasters earlier this month. “And that’s not just from the mechanical simulation of the vehicle; that also speaks to the road surface that you’re driving on. Many other racing games have the easy option of just representing tarmac. We’ve got tarmac, ice, different types of gravel, mud, snow… all of these surfaces to deal with, and they all have their very own unique characteristics. It was very important to us to get that aspect right because that’s what makes DiRT special.”
The initial launch package includes access to 36 stages across 3 meticulously recreated real-world locations: Wales, Monte Carlo’s Col de Turini and the Acropolis Rally in Greece, and is backed up by a Career mode, asynchronous multiplayer and the option for players to create their own online leagues.
But Codemasters also has plans to introduce new cars, locations, modes and gameplay tweaks throughout the game’s development via a series of free content updates. The first update, which is due to arrive in May, will add hillclimb rally Pikes Peak, with a new German environment following in June. Later updates will deliver a new Rallycross mode and PvP multiplayer.
