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Bathing in the twenty-degree heat of an April sun, I bore witness to a rather lovely display of car ballet – or Gymkhana, as it’s better known. WRC star Ken Block’s Subaru pirouetted about Battersea Power Station with the elegance and finesse of a ballerina, with only the thunderous sounds of its engine ruining the illusion of grace. Gymkhana – technical, style-focused rally driving across urban environments – is a big focus for DiRT 3, and seeing it first-hand was quite the experience.
After inhaling mouthfuls of dirt kicked up by the wheels and becoming aware of my slightly sunburnt arms, I sought the sanctuary of a roof and air conditioning. Inside, Codemasters had both traditional rally and Gymkhana courses set up to play, as well as a D-Box to experience the game with the force of two or three Gs jostling you about its reassuringly expensive seat. This wasn’t the first time I’d got my mitts on the game, actually. I was there when the game was showcased in Wales, and had played most of what was on offer already. You can read about all that here. The Battersea event came complete with its own revelations, however, this time in the form of multiplayer.
DiRT 3’s Party Mode looks set to really take advantage of the expansive Gymkhana playgrounds, allowing Codemasters to try out modes not possible with conventional linear courses. The FPS genre has had a big influence here, with objectives that will be reassuringly familiar to anybody who enjoys a bit of shooty-mens online.
Outbreak is initially the most interesting of the three modes, randomly selecting one ‘infected’ player at the start of each round who must then spread the virus by swapping paintwork with other drivers. Players will likely fall into two camps while attempting to survive the outbreak: those who seek out a good hiding place, and those who simply try to out-drive their pursuers. Infected players have the luxury of a map to let them know where their prey can be found, with everybody else forced to rely on their senses. A decent survival strategy is just as important as skill behind the wheel if you’re to become the last man standing.
Transporter makes use of the classic Capture the Flag template, with flags that randomly spawning about the map over time. Once you’ve collected a flag, the idea is to pass through a blue gate to score a point, but with seven other people looking to steal your prize by crashing into you, this can be quite the challenge. Those who fail to make a quick getaway will soon find themselves in the middle of a rather violent vehicular orgy, with the flag changing hands with every bump and scrape.
Finally, there’s Invasion. This mode has you, a humble rally drive, defending the world from robo-alien invaders – or at least from cardboard cut-out invaders, who can be found dotted about each environment. The idea is to knock down more than your rivals, whilst avoiding cardboard cut-out skyscrapers, which will dock points from your score.
Aside from this Gymkhana Party Mode, DiRT 3 also offers traditional multiplayer derived from the rally side of the package. All things considered, the social side of the game is shaping up very nicely, catering to both traditional rally aficionados and fans of the newfangled Gymkhana. With the excellent Shift 2 hitting shop shelves mere weeks ago, Forza 4 on the horizon and DiRT 3 little over a month away, it’s shaping up to be a very good year for driving fans indeed.
DiRT 3 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on May 24
