Dirt Showdown: A New Breed of Carnage

Codemasters' Dirt series has consistently delivered a fantastic racing experience, and with Dirt 3, the developer/publisher managed to win our Best Driving Game of 2011 award. Diehard fans could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow when it was announced that Dirt Showdown would be going in a different direction--namely crashing, bashing, and general no-holds-barred destruction.

The game is set for release in May, but we recently got the opportunity to get behind the wheel and cause some in-game carnage. Five different event types were on offer--take a look at the exclusive trailer, roundup feature, and our exclusive gameplay movies below to see some action from each discipline.

Knock Out, Yokohama

Knock Out events are best described as sumo wrestling with cars. To score big points, you've got to bash as many opponents out of the ring as you can within the allotted time. If you happen to get bashed out yourself (or accidentally drive off--it happens to us all), then don't worry; you don't get docked any points, and you quickly respawn, allowing you to get right back into the action.

Hard Target, San Francisco

Hard Target events see an increasing number of enemy vehicles launched into the arena, all of whom are hell-bent on transforming your car into a steaming pile of twisted metal. Survival is the name of the game here, and the longer you survive, the more points you bank.

Race Off, Miami

Destruction isn't always the best tactic in Dirt Showdown. Take Race Off events, for example, where your best tactic is to drive stupidly fast. Observe.

8 Ball, San Francisco

8 Ball events have you race at breakneck speed around a figure-of-8 track. It's an unavoidable recipe for carnage, and in Dirt Showdown, this is a very good thing.

Rampage, Yokohama

Rampage is Dirt Showdown's answer to deathmatch. Cause as much damage to your opponents as possible, while trying to avoid the carnage yourself. Simple. And fun!

Let us know what you think of these gameplay movies in the comments box below!