Dirt 2: Hands-On With the Wii Version

A few weeks ago, my colleague Shaun McInnis spent nearly an entire day griefing rally driver Ken Block--or, more specifically, a CPU driver programmed with the name Ken Block--in a preview build of Dirt 2 for Xbox 360. Whether Shaun was intentionally T-boning him into the side of a wall in the first corner of a race, or springing elaborate traps that would inevitably involve sharp corners, blind jumps, and horrific crashes, Ken Block paid the ultimate price for hours on end. As an aside, Shaun cackling with such demented glee while he tormented what amounts to an AI routine speaks volumes to me about what a sick human being he is.

As it turns out, Shaun will get a chance to taunt Block--or at least other AI drivers--in Dirt 2 for the Nintendo Wii. I had a chance to take the game for a quick spin yesterday. Here's a few movies for you to check out:

As you can see, the game runs at a pretty good clip--as it should, considering there's only four cars on screen. All of the above clips were taken from the game's career mode, which pits you in races from locales as varied as Japan, Mexico and the USA, racing in rally cars, big trucks, and dune buggies. There are several controller options, including using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, the Wii Remote by itself, or driving with a classic controller. There's several camera options to choose from too, though the cockpit cam that is my favorite view in the 360/PS3 version is sadly missing here.

The game leans more arcade in terms of car handling compared to its counterparts but there's a decent sense of speed, especially using the hood cam. For more on the game, check out some brand new screenshots.

Dirt 2 will be released in early September, so get your Ken Block griefing techniques ready.

[UPDATE: Codemasters contacted GameSpot today to let us know that there are actually three control schemes for the Wii version of Dirt 2, not one as previously reported. I've since corrected this in the article above.]