First Impressions: Colin McRae: DiRT 2

I purchased the brand new rally title in the Colin McRae Series, DiRT 2, when it came out on Friday and have been playing it for most of the weekend. So, here is a first impressions of this game.

First off, it looks simply amazing. The graphics are unbelievably realistic. Looking at some of the environments in bright daylight fools you into thinking it’s a live action video you’re watching. Running through one wide open stage in Morocco, I literally thought what I was controlling was real. I cannot stress enough how, visually, utterly brilliant it is. Simply mind-blowing.

Car selection is pretty decent for what there is. Favourite car at the moment is the Colin McRae R4. The X Game Europe version you win when completing said tournament in Dirt Tour mode is excellent in Rally Cross events. It’s not as powerful as the normal version but it is more driveable and that is something which I like very much. Mind you, nothing prepares you for what this car is like in Trailblazer form. The first time I had a go in it, I was stunned by t he acceleration this thing had. You really do need razor-sharp reactions when travelling at speed when driving this. Another favourite is the Nissan 350Z. As a rally car, it’s pretty decent. Has a nice sounding V6 and it’s pretty driveable. Impressed so far, but yet to unlock some of the bigger and better bonus cars.

The way the menus are presented are pretty slick as it simulates a trailer at whichever event you did last. Dirt Tour seems to be massive with a whole host of events spread across 9 locations. I’ve done 2 of the 3 X Games tournaments, with the American one still to go. I’ve also got to the World Tours but yet to complete any of the qualifying events.

Physics are something which I’ve been surprised by. The cars seem to be a little more weighted than they were in the first incarnation and to me they seem more like a proper rally car. Trouble I have with them though is that there’s no real way to do huge powerslides if you wanted to. When you go to drift around a corner, you either get understeer, oversteer, a massive drop in revs and therefore speed or a combination of the whole lot. It’s one extreme or the other, there’s no in-between and that’s a shame.

Online play is quite fun. I’ve only done several races and there is one little touch to the game I do like. When competing in a Rally event, your car sits in a queue with the other cars and as each one in front moves off, you move forwards as you wait your turn. Rally and Trailblazer events are my favourite events online so far but I’m looking at doing a few Rallycross races as well later.

So overall, it’s a brilliant game! Anyone who just wants a sheer fun racing game packed with action and spectacular visuals should definately check it out. Despite the whole Americanisation of the whole thing, what with X Games and Ken Block and Travis Pastrana and all that, it’s still a massive improvement in my opinion over the first game. Do check it out, I recommend it. Full review will come later on.

 

Preview: Need For Speed: Shift

I said that everything racing related, including virtual, would be left to my other blog Zero Downforce, but I’ve decided that just real-life motorsport stuff is going to be on there and everything else is here. So, to kick off, it’s time for a game preview.

Those who are familiar with the Need For Speed series by Electronic Arts will know that in the past few years they have been going back and forth between street racing and circuit racing. When NFS Underground was released, they ventured into the world of Fast and Furious with a first for the series – upgrades. Engines, bodykits, vinyls, wheels, nitrous, etc. It was a hit and so was the sequel, adequately named Underground 2. This did include midnight circuit racing on both a race track and an airport runway circuit. Then they went from night to day once again with Most Wanted. Some say this is the best game of the series altogether, and in some ways I’d be inclined to agree. Next came Carbon and back into the night time and into the canyons. Seemingly going back to its roots, Pro Street was next and to some it was a disappointment. The last incarnation of the game, Undercover, also seemed to prove just as poor. I played it a few times in HMV and I just saw it as a glammed up version of Most Wanted.

With Shift, it seems they may have just hit a sweet spot. It’s centred around circuit racing, with real world circuits and some of the hottest, fastest cars in the world. This time, EA are focusing on the racing experience rather that the content. Their aim is to try and immerse the player and make them feel like a racing driver. Like they’re really sat in the driver’s seat of a Lamborghini Murcielago or BMW M3. From what I’ve seen in the countless videos and trailers, they seem to have pulled it off pretty damn well. The in car view obviously gives you a real sense of immersion. The camera moves to give the best view of the apexes and the cars around you.

Speaking of cars, there are a great deal. Machines range from basic starter models like the Toyota Corolla AE86 and Mazda MX-5, to supercar powerhouses such as the Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg CCX, McLaren F1 and the almighty Bugatti Veyron. Pro Street actually seemed to be the first racing game ever to officially include it. Circuit-wise? Well how does the Nurburgring Nordschleife sound for a start? Good? OK, how about Spa, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Road America and street circuits in London and Tokyo, to name a handful? It’s mainly real-world circuits but all locations are real.

One thing which has come under criticism has been the physics model. Some have said that the game doesn’t feel very realistic, other says it’s brilliant. There are two physics modes – Casual and Professional. Casual has all aids turned on and allows someone who likes to play for fun to do so without risking spinning out and finding the experience too difficult. Pro physics on the other hand are a different story. All aids are off and from what I’ve read, the feeling is pretty damn impressive. But there’s been no demo released, so the mainstream sim racing community as an entity hasn’t had the chance to try it out for themselves.

That is another point which I want to raise. EA apparently promised a demo for this summer, and seeing as it’s been and gone and with the game now less than 2 weeks away from release in Europe, it’s looking ever increasingly likely that that promise is going to be broken. A recent comment from EA themselves reveals that everyone who is involved with the game is working on it, which does suggest that their efforts are focused on making the full game perfect before unleashing it. But to be fair, without a demo this could hurt sales. With so much promised and no end of preview content, it’s a case of having to take people’s word for it. Not being able to “try before you buy” has sim racers in two minds about whether to relinquish their hard-earned cash for the game. Some say they won’t buy it, some say they will regardless. The rest are just undecided.

The ones who seem to be suffering the most are the PC gamers. No demo means they don’t have the ability to test if the game will run on their system. So they face the dilemma of buying the game and then finding out it doesn’t work on their system, meaning they could be some £30-£40 out of pocket. But thankfully I only have eyes for the console version, more specifically the XBOX 360 version, so personally it’s not something I have to worry about.

At the end of the day, from what I’ve seen and heard, Shift looks pretty sweet. Great cars and tracks, a seemingly brilliant physics model, sounds that are true to real life, graphics that blur the ling between real and virtual and a level of immersion not matched by any other racer mean that come September 18th, when I hand over my cash and have it in my hands, I won’t be disappointed. At least I hope not! Plus, I have the following week off from work, so it gives me plenty of time to get acquainted. Expect first impressions, game updates and a full review in the next few weeks!

 

Have I got a chance?

OK, so this motivation I mentioned in the Need To Get Fit post? Well, I’ll tell all.

Yes it’s a girl. Surprise surprise.

She’s a work colleague of mine, and after being in the job for 3 months or so, I’ve started to develop a liking for her. Personally, I think she’s gorgeous, funny, witty and brilliant. But here’s the thing – they said you need to read body language in order to tell if someone likes you. Now, instead of trying to explain each point in detail, I’ll list how she reacts towards me and let you judge:

• When I talk to her, she does maintain eye contact, but not all the time. Sometimes she can be looking elsewhere.
• I’ve tried texting her a couple of times, but so far gotten no responses.
• When she notices me looking at her, or I catch her doing the same, she does smile and/or interact with me from across the office most of the time.
• She does acknowledge and appreciate pretty much all of the good gestures I’ve done for her.
• I can have a half-decent conversation with her.

So here’s what I’m a little concerned about. I don’t yet have any ID, but I have recently sent off for my provisional driving licence. Now, hoping that it comes in sometime this week, bearing in mind I sent it off this time last week, I was hoping to catch her working the same shift as her and ask if she wanted to go for a drink afterwards. Better to do it face to face as that shows confidence, rather than hide behind virtual letters from a text message or a poke on Facebook.

This is probably a touchy subject to bring up on a blog, but I wanted you guys to give your opinion. So, as the blog title says…

 

The need to get fit

I know for a fact that I’m not the fittest person on the planet but what I do know is that over the past few years, I have slimmed quite a bit. Granted, I do still have a bit of a stomach on me, which is only because I’ve lost the weight but not toned my body at the same time, but I’m now determined more than ever to get it shifted. Mind you, I always say I’ll commit to something and then in the end I’ve gone off it half way through. But, I do have a motivation…

One thing I think I need to start taking up is running. After seeing my good friend Gavin Brown’s running diary post on his blog as he trains for the DHL Relay race, it just got me thinking that I should really start to take it up. We have a treadmill in the “spare room”, a Reebok iRun (no relation to Apple as far as I’m aware) and I’ve also used the treadmills at the gym in the local leisure centre, but going for a run outside has something which strangely I’ve never really done. OK, I’ve had a bit of a jog when walking to the shops or back home, but in terms of doing a lap around the block, it’s something I’m yet to accomplish.

Also, one form of exercise I’ve just rediscovered is swimming. I went at the weekend with a few friends of mine and doing width and lengths of the pool reminded me not just of how good it is in terms of toning your body, but also how much fun it can be. I think I’ll have to start going regularly when I can find the time.

Lifting weights is also something I need to start doing as well. My mum has told me that my uncle Clive started weight training when he was younger by lifting two heavy schoolbags full of books. From there, he moved on to weightlifting sets and the like. I haven’t seen him in ages, but he was quite toned.

What other forms of exercise can you guys recommend? All suggestions and feedback is welcome as always.

 

Review: “Mutemath” by MuteMath

Currently, my favourite band is an American rock-pop group called MuteMath. With their new album Armistice releasing on the 18th of August, I decided to go ahead and review their debut, self titled release from 2006. Coming from New Orleans, Paul Meany (vocals), Darren King (drums), Greg Hill (guitar) and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass guitar) are a 4-piece that gel incredibly well and have produced something that is truly immense. So without further ado, let’s get cracking:

Track 1 – Collapse (1’13)
Here we see the album kick off with a slow but pounding drum beat, as  King asserts his authority right from the first hit. He is joined by subtle, calming keyboard chords that offset the drumming rather nicely. It’s a bit of a contrast and yet it seems to fit so well. About a 1/3 of the way through we get a very short break which then resumes with accompaniment from Meany letting out faint cries echoing in the background. Throughout there are a couple more breaks in the drumming which help to segment the track. It ends with the drumming ceased and Meany providing one last echoing cry that helps make the transition to Typical a bit smoother. Effectively this track calms you and gets you fired up at the same time, with the keyboard giving a relaxing effect and the drum beat providing a stimulus. Both these moods are essentially categories in which the songs on this album fall into – both or one or the other. A decent start to what is generally a superb album.

Track 2 – Typical (4’12)
We’re then thrust into the first proper track and immediately we get hit by this funky, happy-sounding guitar riff that makes you want to jump around, followed by King’s excellent drumming once again making it’s presence felt on this album so far. Moving through the song, the echoing guitar is packed with emotion and the lyrics are catchy and seemingly full of meaning. I think that there might be a hidden message in them too. The song itself is called “Typical”, which may suggest that they want us to think that it sounds just like any other mainstream pop-rock song around. But then at the end of the chorus, Meany comes out with  “Can I break the spell of the typical?” which could stand for him effectively saying “Can we break free from this stereotype that all pop-rock groups seem to have and show them we’re something unique?” The interlude section is particularly calming as the soothing sounds against the drums bring in a relation to Collapse. Also, at the end of this track, Meany shouts “I’m the typicaall!” multiple times as the whole song builds up into one massive crescendo before stopping abruptly as the unusual sounds of After We Have Left Our Homes the end of the track. It’s one of my favourites on this album and the first track I heard from these guys. Absolutely love it!

To be continued…

 

My problem with: ignorance

I like to consider myself a people person. I do like to have a good conversation with someone, as I’m sure a lot of people do. But if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s people who are just plain ignorant or seem to act like it, either in person or on the net.

I’ve got a classic example here which has happened to me in the past. I once had a crush on a girl (won’t say her name for obvious reasons) a couple of years back while I was still in school. It all started one when me and another guy were chatting with her in Maths. I went home as usual and thought nothing of it. But after I’d been home for a while, I was sat on the sofa and then – click. For some reason, I just couldn’t get her out of my head. What ensued was probably just like any typical crush. Every time I saw her, I could feel my heart skip a beat. Anyway, enough of that. It got to the point where after a while I just couldn’t hold in my feelings and, being the stupid idiot that I am, decided to write a long e-mail basically telling her I loved her. Yes yes, I know, I know…

Her response was simply “Thanks, but I’m not interested in you in that way at all”. At the time, I was heartbroken. Looking back, I realise how ridiculous it was. She offered to still be friends and of course I agreed. But since then it’s never been the same. With me moving from the suburbs of Norwich to out in the Norfolk countryside of Wymondham, I haven’t actually seen her in person since. I have tried to contact her via MSN and Facebook, though. And that’s really the main root of my problem with ignorance.

I know that what comes next will make me sound like I’m an obsessive and if it does, that’s not the case. I tried sending this girl just general friendly messages saying hi and did I get a response? No. This is what annoys me. Someone says they’ll be friends be friends with you, and then when you try to talk to them, you get blanked. I’ve had it on Facebook where people add you, you send a message to say hi and you get no response back at all. It makes me think “Well, if you’re not gonna talk to me, why the hell did you add me in the first place?” Increase the number on your friends list by 1 just for the hell of it?

I try not to be overbearing when trying to establish contact with someone. But I feel that if you’re the one trying to begin the conversation, they should at least try and make the effort to respond and help it begin to flow. Once you get into a good conversation, it can go on for hours if you let it. But ignorance gets you nowhere. Sure, I’ll admit, I’ve been ignorant a few times in my life, but I don’t think of myself as a hypocrit, as arrogant as that might sound.

That said, my confidence when talking to people, especially of the female variety, and attractive ones at that, wavers from time to time. Sometimes I’ll be fine and happily try and spark something up, but other times I just can’t think of anything to say at all. My mind goes blank. And you’re afraid to say just anything in case  it either comes out wrong or is the wrong thing and makes you look like an idiot. First impression is everything when meeting someone new and it has to be a good one. Making yourself seem a complete clot doesn’t help at all.

I dunno, maybe it’s just me who gets into these situations!

 

My thoughts on: Top Gear

What can you say about this legendary show? Since it’s rebirth in 2002, it has gone from strength to strength and has now put away 13 series in its new format into its history books. The combination of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May sees 3 very different men in their own right come together and create an on-screen chemistry like never before. A “doctor of engineering” who likes nothing better than shouting “POWERRRRRR” and using a hammer, a boy from Birmingham with a daredevil attitude and feisty nature, and a long-haired intellectual who seems to have no sense of direction or speed whatsoever. They are completely individual to each other, yet one thing brings them together – their love of cars.

Changing TG from an average, middle of the road car show to a worldwide phenomenon with global audiences reaching half a billion has made it one of the most popular shows on TV in the world today. Essentially, it’s, as Jezza puts it himself – “just 3 middle-age men falling over, catching fire, drowning. We try to get the car out of it, but it just keeps popping back in again”. They claim to hate and loathe each other but I think in all honesty they are genuine mates. If they weren’t, they’d probably have stopped doing the show by now. In fact, there was for a brief moment that all fans thought that it was.

On the last show of Season 13 just a couple of weeks ago, the final feature consisted of a rolling scenery, the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage and Clarkson, all to the sombre soundtrack of Brian Eno’s An Ending. It could stand to reason as being on of the most powerful and thought-provoking features not just of Top Gear, but of television itself, ever. But it was when Jeremy himself said “I have this horrible, dreadful feeling that what I’m driving here…is an ending” followed shortly by a rather downcast sounding “Goodnight” got all fans, including me, thinking that maybe this was a sign that the show was ending suddenly and that we’d never see it on TV again. But thankfully it’s been confirmed that Season 14 will take place in November this year, confirmed by both the Top Gear website and Jeremy himself in the Sun newspaper.

They’re always a show that tries to push the boundaries, in more ways than one. Not only have they managed to accomplish some pretty amazing feats, they’ve also been at the centre of controversy quite a few times. Getting in trouble with the coastguard with their amphibious car Channel crossing, smoking Porsche pipes on TV despite a smoking ban and Clarkson’s loose mouth taking a swipe at truck drivers murdering hookers are to name but a few things they’ve received a slap on the wrist for. But at the same time, they have been pioneers of many things. Jeremy and James became the first people to drive to the North Pole in a modified Toyota Hilux (gin and tonic, dixie horn, Bumper Dumper and all). They created the first convertible people carrier, setting fire to a brand new car wash in the process. They also had a world first with the inaugural TV showing of the face-off between the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti Veyron. These are just a few of the things they’ve achieved.

Of course, there’s also the mysterious 4th member of the team, The Stig. An unknown “tame racing driver” that started off in all black and then in all white after the first one was seemingl killed in an attempt to run a nitrous-tuned Jaguar XJS up an aircraft carrier at 100mph and then stop before going over the edge. Still, there has been much speculation as to who he actually is. It’s pretty much been unofficially confirmed that it’s racing driver Ben Collins as many internet pages have done comparisons in his voice and facial features. At the beginning of S13, they jokingly “revealed” identity to be 7-times F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, although of course this was a fake! Yet there are still people, I’m sure, that still believe he really is the Stig!

They’re also known for the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car feature, with a special guest coming onto the show and attempting to set a lap time around TG’s test track in Dunsfold. Notable guests include Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Jay Leno, Jay Kay, Simon Cowell, Stephen Fry and Michael Gambon. Personally, I tend to find this section of the show a little less entertaining than the others, but the lap is always fun to watch.

Since beginning the show again, they have taken it onto the stage with a global live show predictably called Top Gear Live. It has taken place in Ireland, Australia and South Africa to name a few locations, as well as being a massive hit at home in the UK. It really is a phenomenon and is BBC2’s most watched show. In fact it’s probably one of the BBC’s most popular shows across it’s entire range of channels.

It’s a simple format – 3 men falling over, messing around and driving fast cars. Yet somehow it’s a global success. It’s any guy’s dream job and they’re living it for us. Thankfully they’re letting all of us come along for the ride to share their adventures and Clarkson has said “We’ll continue to make it as long as people continue to watch it”. Looks like you’ll still be in business for quite a few years to come then, lads. It’s as much about comedy value as it is about cars. This is probably why it’s so big. Because it puts a smile on your face whenever you see James go the wrong way or Richard shouting “Sorry!” or Jeremy decide to do something his way and then mess it up big time. Even when the 3 of them do the News, it’s a comedy sketch in it’s own right.

Keep up the great work, guys. Sunday nights just ain’t true Sunday nights without a bit of Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow. And on that bombshell…

 

So, what’s my opinion?

Well, that’s what you’ll find out as this is the start of a brand new blog for me. I’m never actually that good at posting regularly even though every time I promise to try to. So much for that! But anyways, I’ll do what I can to give my own views on the world according to me. This is something I’ve been considering for a bit but only now decided to go ahead with. What will be posted here? Anything really. General thoughts, amusing stories, reviews, whatever. Just how I see things through my eyes. Now, where to start?…