COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2
PUBLISHER CODEMASTERS | DEVELOPER CODEMASTERS | FORMAT XBOX 360 |
RELEASE 2009
The series may have returned to its super serious rallying routes in
more recent times, but for a brief period back on the Xbox 360, it went
absolutely nuts. And that’s in no way a criticism. Dirt 2 was a fresh-
faced rockstar; a racer that preferred to throw you into crushing Raid
races with trucks rutting like seven-tonne mountain goats than force
you into po-faced time trials. Its headline Dirt Tour campaign let you
rub shoulders with legends like Ken Block, while a series of rallycross
and last-man-standing races gave the action a massive kick up the
tailpipe. This may seem like a mad thing to fixate on all these years
later, but hot damn do Dirt 2’s adorable dashboard bobbleheads have a
special place in our hearts. Racers rarely come so wicked or wild.
PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 2
PUBLISHER MICROSOFT | DEVELOPER BIZARRE CREATIONS |
FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2003Long before Forza Horizon 4 made Edinburgh the star of its
sandbox speed-fest, Bizarre Creations cooked up an amazing
rendition of ‘Auld Reekie’ way back in 2003. Whether racing
around the Scottish capital’s winding Grassmarket or taking on
Chicago’s Miracle Mile, every track in Project Gotham Racing 2
has clearly been crafted with an immense level of care. Like its
predecessor, this sequel distanced itself from the chasing pack
with its innovative Kudos system, asking players to drive with style
rather than joylessly motoring along to their destinations. It was
also a speedster pioneer – this was one of the first driving games
on Xbox to offer online races. Thankfully, some of the game’s
freewheeling spirit lives on in Forza Horizon.F1 2019
PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER CODEMASTERS |
FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2019Codies’ most recent F1 game is also the best
and most ambitious in the studio’s history. Even
if you’d rather have your eyes stapled shut than
watch Lewis Hamilton whizz around Silverstone
for 52 laps in his McLaren MP4-25, there’s no
denying this is a snappy approximation of the
motorsport. Codemasters also deserves credit
for revitalising career mode, with non-scripted
AI driver swaps and the addition of Formula 2
races helping the campaign to rattle along at a
rollicking rate. One of the best uses of a licensed
property in the history of Xbox racers.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 059