Forza 3 v. DiRT 2

[DeuceMojo]

Last time around, back in summer of '07, Forza 2 pretty much kicked the shit out of DiRT, much as I wanted it to be the other way around.

I am anticipating both of these titles, because Forza 2 proved to be a gem of a game and I imagine its sequel will far surpass it.

But is there any chance that -- 4 years after the relase of the Xbox Three-Sixty Machine, there will be a decent multiplayer rally racing game released for it? It's been years and years since Digital Illusions dropped Rallisport Challenge in favor of the more lucrative (and awful) Battlefield 2, leaving a brown stain on the 360's game roster. I've been feeling kind of dead inside my racing soul ever since I realized there isn't going to be a Rallisport 3.

I just want Codemasters to crank out a truly fun classic of a game with Dirt 2. Is that so wrong?

[Second Century]

If this were a boxing match, we would find Turn 10 Studios sleeping on the canvas. ;)

DiRT is everything Forza aspires to be. It is polished, playable and entertaining—just the right mix for a casual game playing audience.

Forza, on the other hand, is like a second job. It doesn't take long before your only motivation for playing is a paycheck. And even THAT can lose its luster when you find yourself working more and making less.

[DSSJ]

Can't compare those two titles. It's Sim vs. Arcade, enough said.

I also will get both of them.
Forza 3 will be the right thing for the car enthusiast in me, while DiRT2 will hopefully be as fun as the first one.

I also would like some kind of Co-Op career mode in DiRT2 like some of the old Colin McRae titles tried.

[Second Century]

Can't compare those two titles. It's Sim vs. Arcade, enough said.

Turn 10 clings to the notion that simulators are, by nature, exclusionary. (This is a fallacy.) Codemasters does not.

So we see an accessible sim in DiRT where better audio, video and graphics (graphic art, animation and design) are married to a more inviting user-interface that unveils a wider array of vehicle types (from dune buggies to commercial trucks), cockpit views (note the plural) and interaction in six degrees of freedom—the very qualities Forza 3 is trying so desperately to emulate.

ActionTrip: Colin McRae franchise always showed that realism is the key to a good racing game. Is your team working towards highly realistic physics as before? Or are you toning down on that to achieve a more arcadish feel to the experience?


Gavin Raeburn [Codemasters' executive producer]: I've played many arcade racers where the car physics are either flawed or overly simplistic, and are therefore unpredictable and unintuitive. I've also played many sim racers where the physics are unnecessarily unforgiving, not allowing for the restricted senses the player has within the game environment (e.g. lack of g's, peripheral vision, body roll and weight shift etc). Our goal with DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road is to provide realistic, but highly accessible car handling through a good mix of solid physics and a transparent and intuitive controller interface. We want the player to feel at one with the car they are racing in and the track they are racing on.


Source: ActionTrip (http://www.actiontrip.com/previews/dirt_i.phtml)

[DSSJ]

Sorry for the late reply.

Well simulation means, at least to me, as close to reality as possible. and that's the problem for some people.

In your quote the producer talks about "realistic, but highly accessible car handling".
Realistic cars aren't highly accessible when you first get into them.
I don't know about you but if I got into a real WRC car today I dont think I would rank top 10.

DiRT is fun and the first game I played to 1000/1000 on XB360, but it's not even close to a simulation.

[Second Century]

Well simulation means, at least to me, as close to reality as possible. and that's the problem for some people.

The problem is that reality and difficulty have become synonymous in sim circles. So if a driving game is insanely difficult it must be an 'authentic' simulation. And this couldn't be further from the truth.

I don't know about you but if I got into a real WRC car today I dont think I would rank top 10.

Sure, you may lack experience among seasoned professionals (and who wouldn't?), but you are familiar enough with automobiles to at least finish the race. And towards the end you would probably be doing a lot better than you thought you would! :)