Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Codemasters have today confirmed that the much anticipated DiRT 4 will be released in June 2017, bringing about a considerably more fleshed out rally title to follow-on from the critically acclaimed DiRT Rally of 2015.
With a release expected as soon as this coming June, DiRT 4 should prove to be a considerable improvement over the already spectacular DiRT Rally that surprised us all on its release late in 2015. Already confirmed for the new release include an extension to the existing FIA World Rallycross licence alongside some new content in the form of both truck and buggy racing, plus the junior crosskarts series..
Traditional WRC style rally racing will remain the backbone of DiRT 4 however, and in direct response to often raised criticism of the current title Codemasters look set to include an impressive sounding new element to DR4 - procedural stage generation. For those of you new to procedural track creation, the technology will essentially allow players near limitless possibilities to create their own unique stages within the game. Titled 'Your Stage', the new functionality is "an innovative rally route creation tool that allows you to produce an almost-infinite number of unique stages at the press of a button. You choose your location and set the route parameters, then Your Stage does the hard work to create a unique rally stage that you can race, share with your friends, and then challenge them to beat your time. Your Stage allows experienced rally players to create longer, more technical routes, whilst newcomers can create simpler shorter routes as they hone their skills". This is outstanding news for rally fans who have quickly become all too familiar with the current offering of stages in the original DiRT Rally game. With procedural stage generation implemented in DiRT 3, one could feasibly see stage lengths more closely aligned to the real life FIA World Rally Championship events the game looks to virtually reproduce. It is expected that the new technology will accommodate up to a maximum of 18km length stages, across a mixture of different rally conditions.
DiRT 4 will also see an audible change from the current title as we see the return of championship winning co-driver Nicky Grist, famous for his time alongside Colin McRae during the Scot's heyday in the World Rally Championship and voice of many previous DiRT Rally releases. Grist takes over co-driver duties for the new release from Codemasters own Paul Coleman. The welcome return of the popular Welshman is a nice touch and should add yet further authenticity to the traditional rally portion of the game.
Despite the inclusion of a broader style of disciplines than found in the more 'back to basics' approach of DiRT Rally, Codemasters have confirmed they are looking to "combine the levels of thrill and realism from last year’s DiRT Rally with the fearless excitement, fun, and adrenaline-fuelled races previously seen in its critically acclaimed prequels DiRT 2 and DiRT 3".
What's more, Codemasters have confirmed DiRT 4 has been developed with the support of real life rally driver Kris Meeke along with former Rally champ and two-time World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, as seen recently representing Team Nordic in the 2017 Race of Champions event in Miami. Both Meeke and Solberg have been supporting Codemasters with their handling improvements for the new title, as has Solberg's young son Oliver, who provided his expert experience to develop the handling and behaviour for a new series due to be added to the DiRT franchise - Crosskarts, as can be seen in this artist rendition below:
Further enhancing the experience of DiRT 4 over its predecessor DiRT Rally, the new game looks set to feature a series of rally school style lessons for those new to offroad racing, presented by rally co-driver, commentator, and motorsport presenter Jen Horsey. Horsey will also provide co-driver calls for those not wishing to benefit from the experience of Nicky Grist, with both co-drivers selectable via the in game audio settings in DiRT 4.
New locations will make an appearance in DiRT 4 with the inclusion of many more American events due to be added. Events in Michigan, Nevada, California, and Baja in Mexico have already been confirmed for traditional rally action, alongside truck and buggy racing making a return in 'Landrush' mode.
So there you have it, exciting news for anyone with an interest in sim rally games and already one of the biggest stories of 2017. And we've only just got to the end of January....
Stay tuned to RaceDepartment for more news regarding this new title as and when it breaks.
Check out the DiRT 4 Announcement Trailer below:
DiRT 4 will be available for Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 June 2017.
Check out our DiRT Rally sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussions regarding the DiRT Rally franchise of games. We have a nice selection of mods for you to download and of course our brilliant RaceDepartment Rally Championship online league. Get yourself over to the forum today and join in the discussion!
Are you excited about the prospect of DiRT Rally 4 from Codemasters? What would you like to see included in the new game? Do you think DiRT 4 can surpass the already outstanding DiRT Rally? Let us know in the comments section below!
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