Now that the dust is beginning to settle from a fairly hectic May — Prey , Injustice 2 and Gun Media’s long-in-development horror Friday the 13th: The Game , to name but three — the industry is quietly beginning to wind down in anticipation of the annual summer lull.
E3 2017 is right around the corner, too, and now that Shadow of War has officially been bumped back to October , the next two-to-three months will lend players the chance to wrestle with that ever-mounting backlog. But there’s one more AAA title about to speed onto PS4. Its name? DiRT 4 , Codemasters off-road racer that takes the foundations of DiRT Rally and projects them onto a much bigger canvas. The result is a white-knuckle ride that will seemingly appeal to veterans and newbies alike, and the Your Stage feature is arguably one of the more intriguing additions to the experience. It’s just one of the many new features that make up the full package, and below, we’ve compiled everything you need to know.
So, you’re ready to get behind the wheel? Not so fast! In anticipation of its launch on June 6, we’ve scoured the four corners of the internet — and the PSLS archives — to compile all the necessary information you could ever need pertaining to Codemaster’s off-road racer.
DiRT 4 will make a beeline for PS4, Xbox One and PC on June 6. Stay tuned to PSLS over the coming days for our official review of Codemasters’ latest dalliance in the racing genre.
Essential Reading:
DiRT 4 info dump
DiRT 4 - EYNTK
Mirror, signal, and maneuvre directly into our DiRT 4 info guide...
What is DiRT 4?
It's the latest racer to screech out of Codemasters and onto PlayStation 4 and the sixth title to bear the DiRT brand.
The studio has seemingly made a concerted effort to engineer a racer that boasts a sense of legacy, too, with the official description reading as so:
"With DiRT 4, Codemasters have sought to combine the levels of thrill and realism from last year’s DiRT Rally with the fearless excitement, accessibility and adrenalin-fuelled races previously seen in its critically acclaimed prequels DiRT 2 and DiRT 3.
"Featuring classic rally racing that continues to build on the foundations set by the Colin McRae Rally games, the bruising contests from the official FIA World Rallycross Championship, the crazy battles of racing trucks and buggies, and the outrageous fun of open events in Joyride, players will face challenges from locations that span three continents."
What's the Story?
DiRT 4 doesn't have a story, per se; rather, it'll draw your attention toward the fully-fledged Career Mode.
Career Mode
Not unlike those Career Modes that have cropped up in previous DiRT games, the Career Mode of DiRT 4 will place you in the hot seat, allowing you to "create your driver, compete across the disciplines, gain sponsors and build your team with clear goals and rewards."
A Garage Chock-Full of Cars
More than 50 cars are set to feature in DiRT 4 , including such superpowered automobiles as the Ford Fiesta R5, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Subaru WRX STI NR4 and Audi Sport quattro S1 E2.
Your Stage
It's been championed as a game-changer, and here, Codemasters provides an overview of the Your Stage feature and how it allows players to manufacture their own tracks which the game will churn out as a procedurally generated arena.
"DiRT 4 features a game-changing system called Your Stage; 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."
Key Features
DiRT 4 comes packing a wealth of content that is sure to please petrolheads the world over, and you can find a brief tease of what's to come down below.
The Official Game of the FIA World Rallycross Championship – Race at Montalegre, Lohéac Bretagne, Hell, Holjes & Lydden Hill in a multitude of different series
Landrush – Short-course dirt track racing in Pro Buggies, Pro-2 Trucks, Pro-4 Trucks and Crosskart vehicles in California, Nevada and Mexico
Joyride – Laptime challenges, smash challenges, free-play area and send challenges to friends
DiRT Academy – Taking place at the DirtFish Rally School in Washington, USA, learn the skills, techniques and practice to become the best!
Five Famous Rally Locations Available
Boasting millions of meandering routes, DiRT 4 features rally locations from five primary locations: Australia, Spain, Michigan, Sweden and Wales.
Racenet Gets an Overhaul
Granted, it's not so much an overhaul as it is an evolution, but the Racenet of DiRT 4 will come packing a "live ladder, leagues and tournaments, cross-platform leaderboards, enhanced CREST telemetry system."
A Different Beast
Though there are elements of DiRT Rally scattered throughout DiRT 4 , Codemasters' latest isn't so much a sequel as it is something else entirely. The fact that much of the game hinges of procedural generation — a move born out of necessity as much as anything else, given the Gran Turismo series now holds official rights to Pike's Peak — is a big departure from the DiRT games of old.
The big question now is, will it still resonant with the franchise's impassioned user base?
A Competitive Edge
Curious to know more about the competitive side to DiRT 4 ? According to Codemasters, the racer will tout "daily, weekly and month-long challenges against fellow players from around the world."
Cross-Platform Leaderboards
Yes, that's right; DiRT 4 will feature cross-platform leaderboards from the get-go, which ought to please the more competitive racers among us.
Ex-Evolution Staffers Not Involved
Though Codemasters swooped in to acquired Evolution, it seems the former DriveClub studio is working on a new IP .
Paul Rustchynsky said: "#DiRT4 is being made by the awesome team in Southam who did all the previous DiRT games. Our team in Cheshire are working on a new IP."
Touched By Greatness
Codemasters worked closely with the likes of Kris Meeke and Petter Soldberg during development on DiRT 4 . Check out the official featurette for more.
PSVR Support Not Off the Table
Buoyed by the relative success of DiRT Rally , Codemasters has stressed that adding VR support to DiRT 4 isn't necessarily off the table — not yet, at least.
Licensed Soundtrack Detailed
Because what's a good drive without the right soundtrack to go along with it? Featuring over 40 licensed tracks throughout the game, DiRT 4 owners will find themselves nodding their heads to the likes of The Amazons, Sigma, Freak and Pretty Vicious alongside tracks from The Chemical Brothers, Disclosure, Queens Of The Stone Age and Bastille.
Feast Your Eyes on Some Gameplay
Curious to take a peek at DiRT 4 in action? We've got you covered .
Day One Edition
By picking up the Day One Edition of DiRT 4 at launch, you’ll receive an exclusive Hyundai R5 rally car, access to a unique Hyundai event, and a Founder Icon, Codemasters and Koch Media announced today. Select retailers (TBA) will add a steelbook to the Day One Edition.
Trophy List
Comprised of 49 digital accolades in total, the DiRT 4 Trophy list can be found right here .
ESRB Rating
The ESRB is yet to detail its official rating for DiRT 4 . We'll update this slide once we hear more.
Our Final Verdict
DiRT 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One and PC on June 6. Keep your peepers peeled on PSLS as our official review will be hitting the site very soon indeed.