Colin McRae DiRT 2 (PSP)

Imperfect handling and shallow gameplay leave DiRT 2 in the dust of more compelling, competent off-road racers

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will benefit from tuned-up car-handling physics system, a new damage engine effects, showcasing a spectacular new level of visual fidelity, with cars and tracks twice as detailed as those seen in the original. Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will feature a roster of contemporary off-road events, taking players to the most diverse and challenging real-world environments.

It is not bad but it is not great either, not by a long shot. I am a huge fan of the Colin McRae series of games and was hoping Dirt 2 would follow the same tradition. Unfortunately I found the game limited in it's appeal. What I loved best about the CMR games was being able to fine tune your car for the different races, the damage to your car in a crash was good and the handling of the cars was great. You can't tune your car in Dirt 2, I find the tracks boring and too short. Overall, it's not terrible but I was bored with it pretty quickly.

After playing this game I agree from the previous reviews that some of the sound effects are not high quality and that it is true that the AI becomes very cheesy at the Pro level. However, being a gamer since the NES days, when playing this game I can't help remembering old titles such as Test Drive 4 (PSX), Need for Speed 1,2,3 Hot Pursuit (PSX) and Hot Pursuit 2 (PS2) as this game retains a rather simple playability yet can be entertaining for hours on end, just as those previously mentioned. Many games now a days are more on the graphics and flashy promotions and have a restricted playability and depth, leaving more to be desired, but this one sure goes back to arcade racing roots, like many of this type should be. All what's needed is to add a few more cars/body kits and tracks, and correct the AI for a solid game.

I picked this game up the other day because I really like "Dirt" for the PS3/360/PC. Dirt 2 for the PSP a fun game with a variety of racing types. I've enjoyed it much more than Gran Turismo. The graphics are pretty good and the handling is a good mix between sim and arcade. My only real complaint is the sound and the reason why I gave it 4 stars. The engine noise and jingle from the suspension is pretty lame. As the tile of my review states, I'm not sure why this game is only $20, its worth more!