A New Breed of Racer for the Portable - The Real 'Revo' is DiRT 2.
This is where the game excels, for the locations are unique, varied, and actually makes a difference to the races. A 'Trailblazer' event, for example, sees the player behind a Nissan Z or BMW Z4 flying across tundra and snow fields of Iceland. Here, the game shows us that racing is all about two things: your machine and your surface, for Codemasters have made the effort to create a contrast between the constantly varying surfaces of the road. Sliding across a snow-drift (ice-planing?) comes to a halt when you hit a patch of exposed asphalt – the sudden grip is announced as a tyre squeak as it drags you back into line.
Desert locations echo that of the console version admirably, and the table-tops and long, banked corners (each remembering your previous lap's tyre tracks) are included here too. Your F150 or Dodge Ram flies across and over these things as if mere inconveniences, landing you nose-down (realistically) and challenging you to not overshoot, land crooked or hit the impending banks. These car models, by the way, are nicely done, and the shuddering, clunky heaviness of your touring beast (too often ignored by other releases) has been installed in the game play brilliantly.
DiRT 2 will penalise you for doing the one thing every Rally driver must comprehend deeply– speeding beyond the limits of the track. Like a temptress offering thrill, each machine gives you more than enough horsepower for the modest, twisting and lumpy tracks (this is about 'dirt', you remember?), and so giving into temptation will leave your nose against the incoming competitors or the barricades. This will frustrate you, but it will also teach you: power does not trump finesse. Application of the throttle is the key to navigating the track, and Ridge Racer enthusiasts are sure to feel cheated – this may be valid, but DiRT 2 will not spoil you either. Earn your wins, say Codemasters.
Strangely, some of the game's presentation is sometimes too quick for itself. While all efforts have been made to portray the world's cache of racing tracks and sprints, we are left wondering just where we are sometimes. The race just starts – no title, no pre-race summary, just a count-down, and an automatic one at that. Before you realise, you've got the throttle down with no idea as to lap count, goal or any other detail you may wonder. Yes, these details are on the screen mid-race, but it would be nice to know before the bugs and gravel start hitting the windscreen.
Frame rates throughout the experience are varied. You will see some slight skipping or halting, but it recovers well and is bound to happen when pushing the video requirements this far. The forest of cactus flying past on a desert level will reinforce just how clever the video-processing is – I've not seen anything this clever in on the racing games on the PSP. These touches are what make the game feel fresher, and part of a newer generation of games. Sega Rally Revo however, had none of this. Obstacles were few, and when hit flew like a helium-filled cannonball across the stage faster than your vehicle – a Newtonian disgrace.
Modes are standard, and fairly generous for a portable racing game. World Tour is fair enough (you'll go to the world's exotic ends, I stress), Challenges give players a unique objective in a non-competition setting (beat the clock, makes the gates, rack up air-time, and so on) and an Arcade Mode will give you a four-race Cup (or Cup-let). Unlockable goods are available after completing some of these challenges and extra, and it is impressive that DiRT 2 showcases its cars properly – Sega Rally Revo on the other hand, gave a static shot of your vehicle on a daggy, photo-book frame. DiRT 2 gives us a presentation worthy of the machines it offers.
DiRT 2 is on the easy side though, and once you've beaten your way past the three other racers, it's a small effort to block them out or hit them away. Occasionally and inexplicably, a rogue rival will give you a lot of trouble, as if making up for the previous cakewalks. But the game cannot be faulted as being unfair, only strict with its established rules – remember: watch that throttle!