Colin McRae Rally and Dirt

Last updated

Colin McRae Rally, Dirt, Dirt Rally and EA Sports WRC
Colin McRae Rally logo.svg
Genre(s) Racing
Developer(s) Codemasters
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)
First release Colin McRae Rally
July 1998
Latest release EA Sports WRC
30 October 2023

Dirt and Dirt Rally (stylized as DiRT and DiRT Rally, formerly known as Colin McRae Rally), is a rally racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters. Codemasters had acquired the exclusive license to the World Rally Championship series in June 2020, which will begin as a five-year deal in 2023.

Contents

Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games. The series is named after the World Rally Championship driver Colin McRae, who provided extensive technical advice during development.

After McRae's death in September 2007, Codemasters used his name one more time in Colin McRae: Dirt 2 , dropping the moniker in Dirt 3 . The McRae name was then used once again in 2013 in the mobile release of Colin McRae Rally .

In 2021, Codemasters has announced entry into the 2021 Junior WRC season as "Codemasters Dirt Rally Team", which was later rebranded in the 2022 Junior WRC season as "EA Sports Rally Team" on behalf of EA Sports, as a result to Electronic Arts' acquisition of Codemasters.

Games

Aggregate review scores
Game Metacritic
Colin McRae Rally (PC) 77% [1] [lower-alpha 1]
(PS1) 82% [2] [lower-alpha 1]
Colin McRae Rally 2.0 (GBA) 80/100 [3]
(PC) 83/100 [4]
(PS1) 90/100 [5]
Colin McRae Rally 3 (PC) 82% [6] [lower-alpha 1]
(PS2) 86/100 [7]
(Xbox) 86/100 [8]
Colin McRae Rally 04 (PC) 87/100 [9]
(PS2) 85% [10] [lower-alpha 1]
(Xbox) 84/100 [11]
Colin McRae Rally 2005 (PC) 83/100 [12]
(PS2) 84% [13] [lower-alpha 1]
(PSP) 72% [14] [lower-alpha 1]
(Xbox) 83/100 [15]
Colin McRae: Dirt (PC) 84/100 [16]
(PS3) 83/100 [17]
(X360) 83/100 [18]
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 (DS) 73/100 [19]
(PC) 89/100 [20]
(PS3) 87/100 [21]
(PSP) 55/100 [22]
(Wii) 51/100 [23]
(X360) 87/100 [24]
Dirt 3 (PC) 86/100 [25]
(PS3) 87/100 [26]
(X360) 87/100 [27]
Dirt: Showdown (PC) 72/100 [28]
(PS3) 75/100 [29]
(X360) 75/100 [30]
Colin McRae Rally (2013)'(iOS) 69/100 [31]
Dirt Rally (PC) 86/100 [32]
(PS4) 85/100 [33]
(XONE) 86/100 [34]
Dirt 4 (PC) 78/100 [35]
(PS4) 85/100 [36]
(XONE) 86/100 [37]
Dirt Rally 2.0 (PC) 86/100 [38]
(PS4) 84/100 [39]
(XONE) 82/100 [40]
Dirt 5 (PC) 72/100 [41]
(PS4) 79/100 [42]
(PS5) 80/100 [43]
(XONE) 83/100 [44]
(XSX) 81/100 [45]

Colin McRae Rally (1998)

Colin McRae Rally, the first title in the series, was released for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows platforms in January 1998 in the United Kingdom and in September 1999 in the United States. The game featured real cars and drivers from the 1998 World Rally Championship season. Colin McRae's Subaru Impreza was featured on the game's cover.

In Novice mode there are 3 stages per rally, each followed by a Service Area, making it easier to adjust the vehicle to the different conditions of each stage and repair the damage.

Colin McRae Rally 2.0 (2000)

The second game in the series, and it features the works-entered cars and the rallies of the 2000 World Rally Championship. There are 3 difficulty levels, namely Novice, Intermediate and Expert. New features include Arcade mode, with direct head-to-head competition against AI drivers or another player, and a cleaner and more minimalistic menu system, which would be retained for the rest of the series until the release of Dirt 2 in 2009. The game was a bestseller in the UK, [46] and again later in the year. [47] A version for the iOS was released in June 2013. [48] [49] IGN gave it a score of very high 9.4/10.

Colin McRae Rally (2001)

The first handheld entry in the series was released for the Game Boy Color in Europe in 2001. It was developed by Spellbound Entertainment and published by THQ. It features 2D graphics.

Colin McRae Rally 3 (2002)

The first Colin McRae game released for the Xbox, as well as the PlayStation 2. It features rally cars from the 2002 World Rally Championship. A GameCube version was announced but it was cancelled. It uses an autosave feature. IGN ranked it as the 91st best PlayStation 2 game. The staff praised its improvement and technology. [50]

Colin McRae Rally 04 (2003)

This fourth incarnation of the Colin McRae Rally series, unlike in the previous three games, has no official WRC team license. All of the cars' liveries are either fictitious or taken from championships other than the WRC.

Colin McRae Rally 2005 (2004)

The 2005 incarnation of the McRae franchise was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Portable and has over 70 stages spread over nine countries. There are over 30 cars available. There is also a revised graphics and damage engine that enables paint scratches on the car, and a new 'career' mode where the player starts out in the lower club leagues and works their way up to compete with Colin McRae in his 2004 Dakar Rally Nissan Pick-Up. In 'Championship' mode the player takes the role of Colin himself competing in six rallies using any 4WD car.

The game's graphic engine allows for more realistic damage effects and a blurred vision effect if the player comes into contact with a hard object.

An OS X version of this game, renamed as Colin McRae Rally Mac, has been published by Feral Interactive and developed by Robosoft Technologies and represents the first Macintosh release of a CMR series game. It was released on 26 October 2007, six weeks after McRae's death in a helicopter crash. The development of the game was fraught with problems. Apple's switch to Intel Macs, some behind-the-scenes changes at Feral and other issues conspired to keep Colin McRae Rally Mac from being released until fairly late into 2007, despite it being based on PC-game underpinnings that Windows gamers had been enjoying since late 2004. Feral chose to make this release as independent of the PC franchise as possible to avoid any issues that might date it, calling it Colin McRae Rally Mac rather than attaching a year to it. Two mobile game versions of this game were created, a N-Gage title developed by Ideaworks3D and a J2ME title developed by IOMO and published by Digital Bridges. The N-Gage version reused stages from Colin McRae Rally 2.0. Both were nominated for BAFTAs in the Mobile and Handheld categories respectively.

Colin McRae: Dirt (2007)

At E3 2006, Codemasters revealed that a new McRae game was in development for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, titled Colin McRae: Dirt in Europe, and Dirt: Colin McRae Off-Road in the United States.

The title was released on 15 June 2007 in Europe and on 19 June in North America for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 version was released on 14 September.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 (2009)

In November 2008, Codemasters unveiled a sequel to the successful Colin McRae: Dirt; it was released in September 2009. The game is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360 Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows. The game is built upon an improved version of the Ego game engine that powered the previous game, as well as a comprehensive online mode. The game was a dedication to Colin McRae featuring videos and a special tournament in his honor. [51]

Dirt 3 (2011)

Dirt 3 was released in May 2011, but the Colin McRae name was not used in the title.

Dirt: Showdown (2012)

Dirt: Showdown, an "arcade-style spin-off", was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2012.

Colin McRae Rally (2013)

The 2013 game Colin McRae Rally shares the same name of the 1998 release but the game's content and driving model are taken directly from the 2000 title Colin McRae Rally 2.0 . This version was released on iOS in 2013 and ported to Windows, OS X and Android in 2014.

Dirt Rally (2015)

Dirt Rally is a racing video game focused on rallying. It was announced on 27 April 2015, and was released into Steam's early access that day [52] and seeing its full release on 7 December 2015. [53] Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in April 2016.

Dirt 4 (2017)

In January 2017, Codemasters announced Dirt 4. The game launched on 9 June 2017 on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. [54]

Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019)

Codemasters announced Dirt Rally 2.0 in September 2018 and released it on 26 February 2019. [55] The game is a continuation of the dedicated simulation of Dirt Rally as opposed to the emphasis on accessibility of Dirt 4 . Dirt Rally 2.0 is the first game in the Colin McRae Rally and Dirt franchises that was not directed by Paul Coleman.

Dirt 5 (2020)

In May 2020, Codemasters announced Dirt 5. The game was launched in November 2020 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and in March 2021 for Google Stadia. [56]

Future

It was suspected in 2022 that work on Dirt games has been suspended in order to develop the upcoming WRC-licensed game. [57] On 1 September 2023, EA Sports confirmed that the next game will titled EA Sports WRC , with a full reveal taking place on 5 September. [58] The game will release on 3 November 2023. [59]

Related Research Articles

<i>Colin McRae Rally 2.0</i> 2000 video game

Colin McRae Rally 2.0 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance.

<i>Colin McRae Rally 3</i> 2002 video game

Colin McRae Rally 3 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows. It features rally cars from the 2002 World Rally Championship.

<i>Colin McRae Rally 04</i> 2003 video game

Colin McRae Rally 04 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Colin McRae Rally 2005</i> 2004 video game

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters.

<i>Colin McRae: Dirt</i> 2007 racing video game by Codemasters

Colin McRae: Dirt is a simcade racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the last of the series to be published before Colin McRae's death. It features new graphics, audio, physics engine, new vehicles and a new game engine called Neon which was co-developed between Codemasters and Sony Computer Entertainment. The game features a variety of off-road racing categories as well as World Rally Championship style events. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 in Europe on 14 September 2007, a day prior to Colin McRae's death. The sequel, Colin McRae: Dirt 2, was released in September 2009. A simplified version of the game was developed by Glu Mobile and released for Java ME devices in 2008.

<i>Colin McRae: Dirt 2</i> 2009 video game

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters in 2009, first for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Xbox 360, and then later for PC platforms. It is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. Dirt 2 is the first game in the series since McRae's death in 2007 and the last to feature his name in the title. It is also the first and only game in the series to be available on a Nintendo home console and the last game in the series to be released on handhelds.

World Rally Championship is a rally racing video game series. The series is currently developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. To date, a total of seventeen main games have been released, with the latest game released on 3 November 2023.

<i>Dirt 3</i> 2011 video game

Dirt 3 is a simcade racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on 24 May 2011 and is the first game in the series without carrying the Colin McRae name. A sequel, Dirt 4, was released in June 2017.

<i>Dirt Rally</i> Racing video game

Dirt Rally is a racing simulation video game developed and published by Codemasters for Windows. A Steam Early Access version of the game was released on 27 April 2015, and the full version was released on 7 December. PlayStation 4, Xbox One and physical PC DVD versions were released on 5 April 2016. The Linux and macOS versions, developed by Feral Interactive, were released in 2017. A sequel, Dirt Rally 2.0, was released in February 2019.

<i>Colin McRae Rally</i> (2013 video game) A rally racing video game developed by Codemasters 2013

Colin McRae Rally is a rally racing video game developed and published by Codemasters. It was originally released for iOS mobile devices in June 2013, and then ported to Android devices and OS X and Windows personal computers (PCs) in 2014. Gameplay is similar to early iterations of the series with content predominantly taken from the 2000 title Colin McRae Rally 2.0. Players can drive cars and participate in point-to-point rally events, competing against times recorded by computer drivers. Stages take place in several different locations with varied terrain like tarmac and gravel. The game features damage modelling and chassis deformation effects that can be sustained from collisions.

<i>Dirt 4</i> 2017 racing video game made by Codemasters

Dirt 4 is a simcade racing video game developed by Codemasters for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in June 2017, and for Linux and macOS in March 2019 by Feral Interactive.

<i>Dirt Rally 2.0</i> 2019 video game

Dirt Rally 2.0 is a racing simulation video game developed and published by Codemasters for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It was released on 26 February 2019. A version for Amazon Luna followed on 3 June 2021. It is a successor to the 2015 video game Dirt Rally and emphasises realistic driving physics.

<i>WRC 8</i> Official game of the 2019 World Rally Championship

WRC 8, also known as WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship, is the official game of the 2019 World Rally Championship. The game was developed by French developer Kylotonn and published on 10 September 2019 by Bigben Interactive for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The game carries an official World Rally Championship esports licence.

<i>Dirt 5</i> 2020 racing video game made by Codemasters

Dirt 5 is a simcade racing video game developed and published by Codemasters. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 6 November 2020, for Xbox Series X/S on 10 November, and for PlayStation 5 on 12 November and 19 November, for Stadia on 24 March 2021, and for Luna on 15 July 2021. It was the last video game released by Codemasters as a publisher before acquired by Electronic Arts (EA) on 18 February 2021.

<i>Project CARS</i> Racing video game series by Slightly Mad Studios

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<i>Grid</i> (series) Racing video game series by Electronic Arts

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<i>EA Sports WRC</i> 2023 racing video game

EA Sports WRC, also known as WRC, is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It holds the official licence of the World Rally Championship and powered by Unreal Engine 4. It is the first Codemasters rally game to have the official WRC license since Colin McRae Rally 3 in 2002. The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 3 November 2023.

References

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  2. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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  4. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally 2.0 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally 2.0 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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  8. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally 04 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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  12. ↑ "Colin McRae Rally 2005 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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  58. ↑ Harrison-Lord, Thomas (1 September 2023). "EA SPORTS WRC will be unveiled on 5th September" . Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  59. ↑ Ismail, Adam (5 September 2023). "EA Sports WRC From Dirt Rally Creators Drops Nov. 3 With 70-Plus Race Cars". The Drive. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
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