Colin McRae Rally
| Colin McRae Rally | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| developer | Codemasters |
| Publisher | Codemasters |
| First title | Colin McRae Rally (1998) |
| Last title | DiRT Rally 2.0 (2019) |
| Platform (s) | Windows , Mac OS , Linux , PlayStation , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation Portable , Game Boy Advance , N-Gage , Xbox , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Android , iOS |
| Genre (s) | Racing game |
Colin McRae Rally , CMR for short , is a racing game series developed by Codemasters for various video game systems and simulates the World Rally Championship . The game was named after the successful Scottish rally driver Colin McRae (1968–2007), the 1995 world rally champion. The first part of the series appeared in 1998.
Parts of the series
A total of ten parts of the series were published:
Colin McRae Rally (1998)
for Windows , PlayStation and GameBoy Color
The first part of the series was released in the spring of 1998 for Sony PlayStation and was able to score points against V-Rally mainly because of the more realistic implementation of rally sport and received good reviews. The game features eight rally vehicles that were current at the time (including the world champion vehicle by Colin McRae, a Subaru Impreza , Renault Mégane , Mitsubishi Lancer , Ford Escort RS Cosworth ). as well as four unlockable rally classics (including Lancia Delta , Audi quattro and Ford Escort Mk II ). Eight international rallies (New Zealand, Greece, Monaco, Australia, Sweden, Corsica, Indonesia and Great Britain) were implemented, which were varied and can only be unlocked gradually. In addition to normal individual special stages, the game also offered a super extra stage, a race similar to the Race of Champions against an opponent traveling on a separate track. Unlike many rally games of its time, such as V-Rally, CMR did not offer an arcade mode that would have offered a racing competition against other cars.
CMR was very successful at the time, especially because it offered a good mix of realism and playability. Realistic simulations such as Grand Prix Legends or the rally championship series from Magnetic Fields were too complex for the target group targeted at the console audience , which is why CMR was a game with a realistic presentation but easy to control. Among other things, the game introduced the virtual rally school , which presented the player with basic and advanced rally driving maneuvers on a practice course and checked and assessed his performance. This element also introduced the inexperienced player to the game and not immediately subjected them to a complex simulation.
Colin McRae Rally 2.0 (2000)
for Windows , PlayStation and GameBoy Advance
CMR 2 appeared again in 2000 for PC and PSX, and in 2002 a version for the Game Boy Advance was also released . There were only minor changes such as an update to the graphics, additional vehicles and new routes. In addition, a rallycross- like racing mode against computer opponents has now been introduced. A port was also planned for the Dreamcast .
Colin McRae Rally 3 (2002)
for Windows , PlayStation 2 and Xbox
CMR 3 was released for PC and PlayStation 2 towards the end of 2002. This time, too, the game has only been improved slightly, which has now caused criticism. Many players only saw a CMR 2.5 in CMR 3 , since no new graphics engine was used here either, but only a further update of the graphics of the predecessor.
Codemasters originally planned to let the player only drive Colin McRae's car, a Ford Focus . However, this plan was abandoned.
Colin McRae Rally 04 (2003)
For Windows , PlayStation 2 and Xbox
CMR 4 was released in 2003 and, in addition to PC and PS2, was also ported to Microsoft's Xbox . Once again the tried and tested gameplay was renewed, this time with a new graphics engine. Other innovations included historical rally series ( group B ) and a route editor. In addition, the name reflected a product strategy similar to the EA Sports game series of an annual update of a licensed game.
Colin McRae Rally 2005 (2004)
For Windows , PlayStation 2 and Xbox , PlayStation Portable and N-Gage
Colin McRae Rally 2005 ( CMR 5 ), was implemented for numerous systems. In addition to PC, PS2 and Xbox, conversions for the handhelds PlayStation Portable and Nokia N-Gage were programmed. For the first time, CMR 5 contains a so-called career mode , in which the player does not immediately drive the latest high-class rally cars, but works slowly upwards from slower cars such as the rally version of the VW Polo . Through success in a series, the player unlocks new vehicles and collects experience points that enable him to participate in other classes. Later on, rally legends such as the Lancia Stratos HF are also available to him.
Colin McRae: DiRT (2007)
For Windows , PS3 , Xbox 360 and as a mobile phone version
The sixth part of the rally simulation should steer the series in a new direction. As the English word dirt suggests, the developers now attached more importance to the off-road character of the racing competitions. Among other things, various rallycross tracks are integrated, and there are also a number of new racing modes, such as B. Trucks . There are also several online leagues.
The game was released on June 15, 2007 (for the Playstation 3 on September 14, 2007, the day before namesake Colin McRae was killed in a helicopter accident); the demo version has been available since May 24, 2007.
In 2008 the game was awarded the prize for the best sports and racing game of the year by the specialist magazine GameStar .
Colin McRae: DiRT 2 (2009)
Released for Windows , Mac OS , PlayStation 3 , Wii , Nintendo DS , PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360
After the death of the namesake Colin McRae, Codemasters did not comment on the continuation or completion of the series. In an interview by IGN UK with Gavin Raeburg (Executive Producer for DiRT 2) in November 2008 it was officially confirmed that another sequel is being developed. The game is supposed to represent a tribute to the deceased racing driver, and Raeburg's statements about the expected quality and the planned key and secondary elements are accordingly optimistic. For this, according to Raeburg, inspiration was sought from the Paris-Dakar rally , the X Games and the Race of Champions . For the first time since CMR2 there are also night trips again.
A racing driver was also found for technical advice on development: Ken Block . He takes on a central role in the marketing and advertising of the game series, not least with car videos on YouTube and clothing that shows the game's logo.
The game was released on September 11th, 2009 for consoles and on December 3rd for PC. Physics and graphics in the game are calculated and displayed using an extended version of the ego engine developed for Race Driver: GRID . It is the first DirectX 11 racing game.
Ratings
- 88%; "... accessible, visually impressive and extremely fun off-road racer." , Game tips September 11, 2009
DiRT 3 (2011)
In March 2010, Codemasters Vice President Gavin Cheshire announced that the successful Colin McRae: DiRT series would be continued with a third installment. The game was released on May 24, 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows . Feral Interactive released a version for MacOS on January 29, 2015 .
Compared to the predecessor DiRT 2, new weather conditions and new game modes have been added: There are now races in snow, precipitation and darkness again. A new Gymkhana mode lets the player drive through an obstacle course in which as many points as possible have to be achieved through tricks such as drifting , donuts or jumps. There are also some party games, such as running over wooden displays or a capture-the-flag variant. The game now allows videos to be uploaded directly to YouTube .
Ken Block takes on an advisory and promotional position again, especially at the Gymkhana events.
Ratings
- 90%: "Great rally frenzy, pretty good to eat." , GameStar May 20, 2011
- 88%: "Significantly better than its predecessor, more rally, more variety" , PC Games May 20, 2011
- 8.5 / 10 points: "Impressive, what Codemasters optically got on its feet - sorry - on the wheels." , Gbase May 30, 2011
DIRT Showdown (2012)
On December 12, 2011, the ninth part of the series was announced with a trailer. It was released on May 24, 2012 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Unlike its predecessors, the game is designed to be more arcade-oriented. There are the well-known lap races but also demolition and stunt events . The game includes an online multiplayer mode for up to eight players.
Colin McRae Rally Remastered (2013)
The game Colin McRae Rally Remastered shares its name with the first part of the series from 1998, but the content comes from the second part Colin McRae Rally 2.0 . This version was released for iOS in 2013 and for Windows, OS X and Android in 2014.
DiRT Rally (2015)
On April 26, 2015, Codemasters announced a new offshoot of the DiRT game series with the name Dirt Rally (spelling DiRT Rally), which was added to the Early Access program of the Steam game platform on the same day . The release has been available as a download for PC on Steam since December 7, 2015. A release for the PlayStation 4 , Xbox One and as PC DVD was planned for April 5, 2016. The porting for Linux implemented by Feral Interactive followed on March 2, 2017 . DiRT Rally is the first available commercial rally simulation on the free operating system.
With Dirt Rally, Codemasters put the focus more on simulation than its predecessors and thus resembles the older Colin McRae Rally parts. There are three different racing modes available: classic rally stages, hill climb and rally cross. There are also changing online events and a rallycross multiplayer mode. In December 2015 the game contained 39 vehicles from different eras, including a. Mini Cooper S , Ford Escort Mk II , BMW M3 , Subaru Impreza , Audi Sport quattro , Lancia Delta , Ford RS200 , Citroën C4 WRC , Ford Fiesta RS WRC and VW Polo R WRC . Rally stages can be played in six countries: Germany , Greece , Finland , Monte Carlo , Sweden and Wales . Furthermore, rallycross tracks are available in England , Norway and Sweden and as a hillclimb track Pikes Peak . Some of the routes are known from Dirt 3 .
A DLC that guarantees virtual reality support has been available for purchase since mid-February 2017 . In addition to a completely new feeling, the additional content brings a new game mode into play in which you take on the role of the co-pilot while someone else controls the vehicle.
Ratings
- 90%; “Dirt Rally is currently the best rally simulation and one of the best racing games of all time. But beginners have a hard time. " , GameStar December 7, 2015
DiRT 4 (2017)
In early 2017, Codemasters and Koch Media officially announced DiRT 4 , which finally went on sale on June 9, 2017. Depending on the success of the VR DLC for DiRT Rally , the part of the series should have virtual reality support, but that did not happen.
DiRT Rally 2.0 (2019)
On February 26, 2019, DiRT Rally 2.0, a direct successor to DiRT Rally, was released. The online obligation , which is necessary even for the single player mode, has been criticized by many players . On August 8th, virtual reality support was added with Patch 1.7.
DiRT 5 (2020)
In May 2020, Codemasters announced DiRT 5 . The game is slated to be released for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in October 2020.
criticism
With regard to the first five parts of the series, the points of criticism raised by specialist journals were repeated: The series' graphics were rated as ambiguous; The cars have always been considered to be the most beautiful in the genre, thanks in part to very detailed damage models , but the environment graphics are outdated. In particular, the viewers, who only consist of raster graphics instead of 3D models , are no longer common in the genre.
With regard to Dirt , the trade press, for example PC PowerPlay , was critical of the fact that, in the opinion of some editors, the driving behavior is practically identical to its predecessor. On the other hand, the enormous hardware requirements and the soft focus effects, which were perceived as exaggerated, were also commented negatively.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Colin McRae Rally 2.0's Dreamcast Port revealed! - neXGam forum. In: neXGam - Forum. Retrieved October 18, 2015 .
- ↑ http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/931/931791p1.html
- ↑ Test of DiRT 2 on spieletipps.de
- ↑ Dirt 3 racing simulation: Mac version is here | MacGadget. Retrieved February 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Test of DiRT 3 on GameStar.de
- ↑ Test of DiRT 3 on PCGames.de
- ↑ Test of DiRT 3 on Gbase.ch
- ↑ https://www.dirtgame.com/uk/home
- ↑ http://www.feralinteractive.com/de/news/731/
- ↑ DiRT Rally - PlayStation VR support now available. Retrieved February 18, 2017 .
- ↑ Johannes Rohe: Dirt Rally Test. In: GameStar . Webedia , December 11, 2015, accessed December 15, 2015 .
- ↑ DiRT 4 (PC) - test, download, system requirements, release date, demo. In: GameStar . Retrieved May 28, 2017 .
- ↑ DiRT 4 - Virtual Reality Support would be conceivable. Retrieved January 28, 2017 .
- ↑ Elena Schulz: Bumpy start for Dirt Rally 2.0 - Always-On also in single player, players report lost memory statuses. In: GameStar . February 24, 2019, accessed August 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Michael Miskulin: Dirt Rally 2.0 - In the user test on Steam: Online obligation causes upsets. In: PC Games Hardware . February 27, 2019, accessed August 18, 2019 .
- ↑ PJ Tierney: VR, DirtFish & Patch Notes: Version 1.7 of DiRT Rally 2.0. In: Steam . August 8, 2019, accessed August 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Claus Ludewig: Dirt Rally 2.0: Codemasters delivers update with VR support and more for rally simulation. In: PC Games Hardware . August 9, 2019, accessed August 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Christian Just: DiRT 5 announced - The rally game is surprising ... colorful! In: GameStar . May 7, 2020, accessed May 22, 2020 .