DiRT Showdown announced, launching next year on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Codemasters today revealed, by way of a GameSpot exclusive, the next installment in the DiRT franchise, and it’s not at all what you might be expecting.

The DiRT series is known for offering the rally racing experience to console and PC gamers with controls that are more “sim” than they are “arcade style”. Codemasters’ next project, DiRT Showdown, ditches the rally racing that made the series famous and wholly embraces the series’ arcadey side.

Instead of sliding your way around turns at 100 miles per hour, you’ll be participating in “Hoonigan events,” such as Gymkhana, which made its debut with DiRT 3, and an all-new Destruction Derby mode. There will be some sort of a racing mode, but it’s described as “anarchic”, offering a completely new style of racing to the series.

DiRT Showdown is, according to GameSpot, Codemasters’ attempt to appease the crowd who favors more arcade-style gameplay. For those of you who prefer the traditional sim-style racing found in the main DiRT series, Codemasters hasn’t left you behind – you’ll be able to get your sim-style rally racing on again with DiRT 4.

It’s an interesting spin-off, one that I’ll definitely be keeping a close look at. Though to be honest, it just made me realize how much I want DiRT 4.

DiRT Showdown is due out on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. You can check out the debut trailer below.

Source: GameSpot