Dirt 2 Due Out this Week, DirectX 11 Goodies Included

Where PC graphics are concerned, this week is a big one, because the first game on these shores capable of taking advantage of DirectX 11 technologies will be here, Dirt 2. The game was initially set for launch last month, but has since been delayed multiple times. Today was supposed to be the official launch, and even though AMD issued a press release stating that as being the case, it’s still not available anywhere. Steam’s website shows the date as being the 4th, and Amazon.com shows the 8th, so there’s confusion somewhere. I’m willing to believe Steam’s date, though, as it wouldn’t surprise me to see a pre-release there, followed by a store release elsewhere.

The game, which bears the full name of “Colin McRae: Dirt 2”, is the follow-up to the original that enjoyed great success. Though there are numerous racing titles out there, few take the racers off-road, and that’s what Dirt is all about. This title is the first since McRae’s passing in 2007, but he’s more than just a name on the box, as he’s featured in the gameplay, along with fellow off-road legends Travis Pastrana and Ken Block.

What makes this game special for PC gamers, though, is that it supports all the DirectX 11 goodies we had hoped would be included, and more. The game makes use of tessellation (the most commonly touted feature of DX11), and also introduces Shader 5.0 into the mix, for much more realistic lighting and shadows, without the supposed performance hit. Other graphical features include improved water effects, detailed and animated crowds (I am fussy when it comes to this, so I can’t wait to see it) and more realistic physics, such as with flowing flags and cloth.

HDR (high-dynamic range) is a feature that first became popular a few years ago, but has since been used in numerous PC and console titles, in order to give a more “realistic” (that can be debated) lighting result, whether outdoors, or indoors with the sunlight shining through a window. AMD notes in its press release that this improved HDR has twice the color depth of what was possible with DirectX9, and that the special effects can be rendered at up to 4x the resolution.

Of course, there’s much more to Dirt 2 than just the graphics, but given that this is the first DirectX 11 game available on these shores (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat was first, but it’s currently only available in Russia), it’s worth noting the eye candy. We’ll be giving the game a good test later this week when it becomes unlocked on Steam, and it’s my hope to get a chance to review it. I admit I’m not a major fan of off-road racing games, but given the DirectX 11 support, this one intrigues me greatly.

With a wealth of image quality and performance enhancements supported only on new Direct X 11-capable ATI Radeon graphics cards, DiRT 2, the thrilling sequel to the award-winning Codemasters off-road racer, offers players a more realistic, immersive and exhilarating experience than ever before, and is the latest example of the benefits of AMD’s close working relationship with today’s leading game developers.