The much-anticipated Pikes Peak Hillclimb has been added to Dirt Rally as part of a substantial free update bringing the game up to version V.0.4.
The famous circuit has been recreated in DiRT Rally in two variants: the traditional mixed surface course last seen in Colin McRae DiRT and, for the first time in a racing game, its modern-day tarmac version.
You'll also be able to put three purpose-built Pikes Peak rally cars through their paces on the challenging circuit, as the update adds the iconic Audi Sport Quattro S1 Pikes Peak, Peugeot 405 T16 Pikes Peak and Peugeot 205 T16 to the Hillclimb class - all of which have also been reprised from DiRT 3.
As part of Codemasters' new-found focus on realistic physics, tackling the Pikes Peak hillclimb will be no easy task, as DiRT Rally will simulate the adverse effects driving at such high altitude will have on your engine, causing you to adjust your driving style accordingly.
Elsewhere, the update brings a host of improvements, including updates to the AI drivers to make them more competitive, as well as changes to the UI and some new official team liveries for existing car models. Furthermore, engineer slots are now unlocked based on the distance you've driven, rather than in-game cash.
Here's the official changelog:
New – Added over 4,300 metres of rock otherwise known as Pikes Peak
New – Or old depending how you look at it, yes that’s right we’ve also added the mixed surface version of Pikes Peak too
New – Each route on Pikes Peak is available with a variety of weather conditions (Sunny\Rain\Overcast\Clear)
New – Hillclimb car class featuring the Peugeot 405 T16 Pikes Peak, the Peugeot 205 T16 Pikes Peak and the Audi Sport Quattro S1 Pikes Peak.
New – Hillclimb career mode and full support for Online Events and Leagues
New – Added a few tutorial messages and hints and tips to some menus and loading screens
New – Sent all our AI drivers back to rally school, turns out they were struggling to keep up with you guys so expect a bit more of a challenge from now on
New – Your changes in position are now shown on the event and championship standings
New – Added a message to let you know when you’ve been promoted or relegated in Championship mode
New – 13 new achievements for all you unlock and rub in your friends faces.
New – Added the ability to map clutch and gears for the following steering wheels: Logitech Driving Force EX, Logitech Driving Force GT, Logitech Driving Force Pro, Logitech MOMO Racing Wheel, Thrustmaster F430 Force Feedback Racing Wheel, Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience Racing Wheel, Thrustmaster RGT FF Pro, Microsoft Wireless Xbox 360 Racing Wheel
New – Added analogue handbrake support
Change – Engineer slots now unlock based on distance driven rather than spending your hard earned credits
Change – When using a wheel the ragdoll shake effect is now turned off
Change – Custom Events now use the full fat versions of the cars rather than the poor mans versions
Change – Improved our Steam error reporting, this won’t really change anything for you right now but it will help us in the future in particular with getting to the bottom of error 41 issues
Change – Made it clearer when you can’t afford a car
Change – Improved the messages which tell you what the different game modes are
Change – Custom events now tell you if a stage is a “Long” or “Sprint” (short) version
Change – Changed certain title headers in the leagues reward screens to make it clearer where you finished
Change – The weekly event is now six stages instead of four
Fix – If you’re using a H-Pattern with clutch setup, the game no longer shifts to neutral when contact with your kit is lost.
Fix – Turns out that sometimes the AI would overshoot the start line, we’ve had a word with them about it
Fix – Hand braking when using manual clutch now no longer locks all four wheels on the Ford Fiesta
Fix – Position indicators will now stop showing the incorrect information
Fix – Fixed a weird thing that would sometimes let you have more than one go at an online event (bet you’re gutted you didn’t notice that one)
Fix – Ever been caught in an infinite loop of disconnects and reconnects at the end of an online event? Yeah, we fixed that.
Audio – Increased overall volume of game audio
Audio – Co-driver should now be clearer
Audio – Fixed volume issues of cockpit cameras not lowering in volume when changed in options.
Audio – Clearer audio feedback on skidding and locking
Audio – Fixed gear grind for stuck gears
Audio – Collisions should be more obvious
Audio – Landings should now sound better
Audio – New aero sound effects
Car update – The Fiat 131 Abarth now has historically accurate rear lights
Car update – The Fiat 131 Abarth now features the Rallysport Development livery
Car update – The Ford Escort Mk II now features the Phil Collins’ livery
Car update – The Lancia Fulvia HF now features the Lancia livery.
Car update – The Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2 now features the Peugeot Sport livery
Expect to see Alan take on Pikes Peak in DiRT Rally in a forthcoming triple screen PC gameplay video.
Are you looking forward to trying Pikes Peak in DiRT Rally?
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