DiRT 3

Overview

Following in the tracks of the critically acclaimed Dirt 2, Dirt 3 is an off-road racing game with a variety of events to complete. There are over hundred events to participate in, and drivers will race in many different environments around the world, including African plains, mountainous Aspen, Monaco and Norway. The player will work as a team with other drivers to win races. Developer Codemasters described it as their "biggest racing game" yet. On the 10th May, the game was submitted to Microsoft and Sony for certification.

Development

There is a new scoring system in place that takes into account how close the driver comes to various obstacles, similar to the "near miss" bonus in the Burnout franchise. Multiple In-game replays, of 30 seconds in duration, can now be uploaded directly to YouTube (to DiRT3 community channel and the personal channel) to share with others. The graphic engine also got an upgrade with more varied weather effects, better lighting and damage model for the cars. Varying track conditions also make a return featuring rain and snow.

The car handling will be more realistic than DiRT 2 as cars will drift differently based on whether they are front/rear/four-wheel drive. The car's weight distribution will affect the amount of traction available in corners. The cars also have independent suspensions that shift its balance and center of gravity while drifting. The Gymkhana cars are setup differently but use the same physics and handling model that the game uses throughout. The damage modeling has been updated to take into account where exactly the car got hit and the handling will change accordingly. The game has a system that allows the player to get punctures. If one drives on, the tyre will eventually shred off the rim.

User Interface

The developers have moved away from the first-person menus of DiRT 2 to what they only describe as a "more stylized" 3D menu system. The game also shuns its Xtreme elements from DiRT 2 in favor of a more slick and minimalistic presentation. There will be a garage area where one will be able to view the cars. The loading screens will show the car which will be driven.

Licensing

DiRT 3 is the first game in the series since Colin McRae 2005 to feature the important World Rally Championship license. Along with the more dynamic environment model, it marks a bigger focus on rally. This shift coincides with the series' current figurehead, Ken Block, joining WRC in 2010. Block's famous Gymkhana will also make its first appearance. It's a stunt event, focused on extreme acceleration and executing tight drifts in confined spaces. In addition, DiRT 3 will retain the X-Games license. The game will feature Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Kris Meeke, Liam Doran and Sebastien Ogier.

Game Modes

The single player campaign, named DiRT Tour, takes place over 4 seasons. Within each season there are 4 championships with multiple events in different disciplines and challenges that test the players driving skills with races and various gymkhana events.

Returning modes from DiRT 2

• Rally - Standard rally mode, which will carry the WRC branding this time.
• Rallycross - DiRT's form of a standard race, usually on a closed-looped circuit.
• Trailblazer - Standard rally format with a twist. All cars are on the track at the same time and the player has no co-driver to help with the turns.
• Raid - Off-track racing with large all-terrain vehicles.

Compound

An open-ended playground to improve one's skills in the new Gymkhana mode. The Multiplayer party modes will be held at this Compound. The obstacle courses are based on Ken Block's Gymkhana videos. The compound is designed after the Battersea Power Station in the UK. It will be divided in 3 areas, namely:

• Depot
• Power Station
• Parking Lot

Party Modes

Party modes are being introduced to the multiplayer portion of the game. Cat 'n' Mouse, Invasion, Outbreak and Transporter are the available party modes. DiRT 3 also marks the return of split-screen multiplayer, which was absent from the previous game.

X-Games

The Season two X-Games will be held at LA Coliseum whereas the Winter X-Games at Aspen.

Vehicle List

With the newly acquired WRC license, DiRT 3 will feature a number of classic cars from the different eras of rallying. So far, the following cars have been confirmed:

1960s Rally Class

• Mini Cooper S
• Lancia Fulvia H
• Renault Apline A110 1600 S

1970s Rally Class

• Opel Kadette GT/E 16V
• Fiat 131 Abarth

1980s Rally Class

• Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
• Opel Manta 400
• Renault 5 Turbo

Group B Rally Class

• Audi Sport Quattro Rallye
• MG Metro 6R4
• Ford RS200

1990s Rally Class

• Lancia Delta HF Integrale
• Ford Escort RS Cosworth
• Toyota Celica GT-Four

S2000 Class

• Peugot 207 S2000
• Abarth Grande Punto S2000

Open Rally Class

• Subaru Impreza WRX STI SRT USA
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI N12
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
• Colin McRae R4
• Ford Fiesta Open Class

Pro Rally Class (WRC)

• Ford Focus RS WRC
• Citroen C4 WRC
• Ford Fiesta RS WRC
• Mini Countryman Rally Edition

RallyCross

• Subaru Impreza WRX STI GR Rallycross
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
• Peugot 207 T16 4X4
• MG Metro 6r4 RallyX
• Ford RS200 RallyX
• Ford Fiesta RallyCross

Trailblazer Modern

• BMW Z4 M Coupé Motorsport
• Monster Sport SX4 Hillclimb Special
• Rhys Millen Racing PM580
• Ford Fiesta OMSE Hillclimb Special

Trailblazer Classic

• Audi Quattro S1 Pikes Peak
• Peugot 405 T16 Pikes Peak
• Toyota Tacoma

Gymkhana

• Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD Gymkhana
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI GR Gymkhana
• Ford Fiesta Gymkhana 3
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X JUN

Landrush

• Stadium Truck
• Stadium Buggy

Locations

The game will feature about 100 tracks; but with different weather conditions involved, one will visit each track about 3-4 times in the game with each time being at a different time of day and weather.

The following is the complete list of locations featured in the game:

• Kenya, LA Coliseum, Monaco featuring dry terrain.
• Aspen, Norway will feature snow.
• Finland, Michigan and Smelter featuring wet terrain.

Event wise listing of Locations:

• Rally and Trailblazer in Kenya, Norway, Finland and Michigan.
• Rallycross in Aspen, Monaco, LA Coliseum and Smelter.
• Landrush in Aspen and Smelter.
• Head-to-Head in Monaco.

As for Gymkhana, there will be

• 4 routes in Monaco (in the DiRT3 Tour)
• 4 in LA Coliseum (in the DiRT3 Tour)
• 3 areas in Battersea Compound

Online pass

Like many games it will have an online pass in new copies to enable online play and YouTube uploads. As with Mortal Kombat the online modes were made free for all PSN users during the PSN Store downtime while codes were not redeemable. The Online pass also comes with 5 cars:

• Colin McRae R4
• 1995 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
• Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
• Peugeot 405 T16 Pikes Peak
• Hummer H3

Sound & Music

The audio engineers made a special effort to record the effect of gravel & mud hitting the underside of the car. They went out with Rally and Rallycross drivers and recorded the sound effects from inside the car as it was driven at speed.

The 49 track, dominantly hip-hop and rock soundtrack was revealed via the game's Facebook page, and was compiled by Kerrang DJ Christian Stevenson, the same music consultant that was used for DiRT2:

Spoken Audio Names and Nicknames

Supported controllers and steering wheels (PC)

Keyboard

• Keyboard Controls

Control Pads

DiRT 3 can be configured to use almost any PC controller, however it is recommended to use one the following controllers for the best experience:

• Xbox 360 Controller for Windows
• Logitech Rumblepad 2
• Thrustmaster Run'n'Drive
• Run'n' Drive Rumble Force
• Thrustmaster T-Mini 3-In-1
• Dual Trigger 3-In-1
• Thrustmaster Dual Analog 3 (ensure official Thrustmaster drivers are installed)

Steering wheels

DiRT 3 provides default configurations for all of the below, meaning that you should be able to plug-and-play, without tweaking.

For some wheels (e.g. Logitech MOMO, Fanatec Porche) it is important that the pedals are on separate axes, rather than combined. From the Windows Control Panel, choose 'Controllers' and click 'Properties' for the wheel you will be using. Click 'Settings' and ensure that the 'Combined' or 'Single Axis' setting is unticked.

• Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
• Logitech G25 Wheel
• Logitech G27 Wheel
• Logitech Formula Force EX Force Feedback Wheel
• Thrustmaster T500RS Racing Wheel
• Thrustmaster Ferrari 430 Force Feedback Racing Wheel
• Thrustmaster RGT F/F Pro

System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
• Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 2.8GHz, Intel Pentium® D 2.8Ghz
• Memory: 2GB
• Hard Disk Space: 15GB
• Video Card: AMD Radeon™ HD 2000 256MB, NVIDIA® GeForce® 8000 Series 256MB
• DirectX®: DirectX® 9
• Sound: DirectX® compatible soundcard
• Controller: Keyboard, Microsoft Wireless Racing Wheel or Xbox 360 controller

Recommended

• • OS: Windows Vista® or Windows® 7
  • Processor:AMD Phenom™ II or Intel® Core™ i7
  • Memory: 3GB
  • Hard Disk Space: 15GB
  • Video Card: AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 Series, NVIDIA® GeForce® DirectX® 11 based cards
  • DirectX®: DirectX® 11
  • Sound: DirectX® compatible soundcard

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Installing this game to the Xbox 360 hard drive requires 6.1GB of memory.