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Dirt Showdown: A New Breed of Carnage

Come with us as we hurl our car into oncoming traffic in this exclusive gameplay from Codemasters' forthcoming Dirt Showdown. You might want to bring a helmet.

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Codemasters' Dirt series has consistently delivered a fantastic racing experience, and with Dirt 3, the developer/publisher managed to win our Best Driving Game of 2011 award. Diehard fans could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow when it was announced that Dirt Showdown would be going in a different direction--namely crashing, bashing, and general no-holds-barred destruction.

The game is set for release in May, but we recently got the opportunity to get behind the wheel and cause some in-game carnage. Five different event types were on offer--take a look at the exclusive trailer, roundup feature, and our exclusive gameplay movies below to see some action from each discipline.

Knock Out, Yokohama

Knock Out events are best described as sumo wrestling with cars. To score big points, you've got to bash as many opponents out of the ring as you can within the allotted time. If you happen to get bashed out yourself (or accidentally drive off--it happens to us all), then don't worry; you don't get docked any points, and you quickly respawn, allowing you to get right back into the action.

Hard Target, San Francisco

Hard Target events see an increasing number of enemy vehicles launched into the arena, all of whom are hell-bent on transforming your car into a steaming pile of twisted metal. Survival is the name of the game here, and the longer you survive, the more points you bank.

Race Off, Miami

Destruction isn't always the best tactic in Dirt Showdown. Take Race Off events, for example, where your best tactic is to drive stupidly fast. Observe.

8 Ball, San Francisco

8 Ball events have you race at breakneck speed around a figure-of-8 track. It's an unavoidable recipe for carnage, and in Dirt Showdown, this is a very good thing.

Rampage, Yokohama

Rampage is Dirt Showdown's answer to deathmatch. Cause as much damage to your opponents as possible, while trying to avoid the carnage yourself. Simple. And fun!

Let us know what you think of these gameplay movies in the comments box below!

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Avatar image for Mawy_Golomb
Mawy_Golomb

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Edited By Mawy_Golomb

Seems like it will be fun only for a rather short period of time. Nothing like the previous Dirt games.

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warhawk-geeby

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Edited By warhawk-geeby

@Kid_Black_Star You bein serious..? It's hard to tell if someone is being sarcastic on here :P Burnout Paradise was EA's reinvention of burnout, they essentially just made it NFS. No longer was it races set at various points across the country but just one big free roam world. It was good, I won't deny it that. But it WASN'T burnout. Burnout was all about going ludicrously fast speeds in to oncoming traffic and taking people out on the way. The new one does that but throws in jumps, short-cuts and collectables and a vast free-roam world. I know it sounds good, and that's because it was. But I'm a hardened Burnout fan, and they've changed the formula completely :( It went from being a pick up and play game, to a pick up, log in, drive to the nearest start point and plan your quickest route kinda game.

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Kid_Black_Star

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Edited By Kid_Black_Star

@warhawk-geeby: Yes Burnout 2 & 3 And REVENGE as well! What is this Burnout paradise never heard of it.

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Leonagard

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Edited By Leonagard

Keep in mind that DIRT Showdown has only the hook name "DIRT" on top of it to make it a completely new game sell a lot ... its just another game with DIRT engine and cars on it!...

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turok0

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Edited By turok0

hope they build a really good physics engine, or else this game won't work

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warhawk-geeby

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Edited By warhawk-geeby

@Kid_Black_Star By Burnout I hope you means the days of Burnout 2 & 3.. Burnout paradise wasn't Burnout, EA got hold of Criteron and made the thing into another NFS :? Yeah it was alright.. but it wasn't Burnout!

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warhawk-geeby

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Edited By warhawk-geeby

@muddyg3cko @miguel_paz Oh yeah an ditto to you guys too :P And everyone else who shares our opinions for that matter!

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warhawk-geeby

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Edited By warhawk-geeby

@sekia37 @Tzunoy @oonge Ditto, to all of you guys. I though Dirt2 was a fab game, 3 lost my interest though with all the 'Ken Block' car-trick madfest. The dirt games were brilliant rally games, it seems once they dropped Colin's name from the title the series went downhill, they're killing what was a good franchise :( I'm all for a car destruction game, but it shouldn't be a spin-off, should be a completely new title altogether.

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MrOnage

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Edited By MrOnage

Finally, a new car destruction game! i have good faith that codemasters will make this a lot of fun. I just hope that Codemasters will make this like an exception and make the next Dirt game more like Dirt 2.

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fatmanhippo

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Edited By fatmanhippo

'An error has occured' ,uh, piss off

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SadPSPAddict

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Edited By SadPSPAddict

Fast paced arcade racing with lots of destruction :D can't wait!

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Olizart

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Edited By Olizart

YES, finally.... I've been waiting for a derby game on ps3 for sooo long, keep your Twisted Metal game and the weapons cos nothing beats a good old destruction derby. Just hope the online doesn't lag ay. ;)

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antonisbob

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Edited By antonisbob

Looks AAAWWESOME.

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sekia37

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Edited By sekia37

this games looks bad :( thought it would have been better

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Tzunoy

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Edited By Tzunoy

Another franchise that is going down and they started from dirt 3. I'll pass.

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ramyland

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Edited By ramyland

...does not look much better than Flattout Ultimate Carnage!!!...

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oonge

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Edited By oonge

at this rate, the next dirt game will be showcasing NASCAR!!!! then they shall proceed to call it "world championship/ event".......... Does codemasters need to be reminded that they started this series on the name of the legendary rally ace Colin McRae?!!! Not mentioning other rally greats like Travis Pastrana and Ken Block. At the least rename it and stop trying to milk out on what DIRT has/ had been...A GREAT RALLY GAME!!!

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muddyg3cko

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Edited By muddyg3cko

i really dont like where this series is going. dirt 1 & 2 awesome, take out that gymkhana garbage in dirt 3 and it would have been great as well. this looks soooooo boring and repetitive.

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miguel_paz

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Edited By miguel_paz

Derby demolition...... I don't wanna upset anybody, but this game is only thought for the north american market.... rally lover's, we have been forgotten... once again, really sad

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LEGOslayer

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Edited By LEGOslayer

Please have split screen. I didn't buy SSX because of no splitscreen and I won't buy this if it doesn't.

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homestar2142

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Edited By homestar2142

@ZedX-14Pilot This is a spin-off, there will still be a proper Dirt 4 sometime in the future. And accessibility? Dirt was never very realistic or complicated in the first place.

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sneric

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Edited By sneric

screw this, give us Grid 2

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ninetyvoltjones

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Edited By ninetyvoltjones

After having replayed 'Test Drive: Eve of Destruction' many, many times over the years, I hope this is not a full price game. I might pay $30 for this on PSN, but not $60 at a retailer. Eve of Destruction is much more varied in game play and the selection of vehicles. Not to mention the graphics are nearly as good. This could have been done so incredibly well. There has to be more depth to this than what is presented in these videos. :(

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K4ss3r

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Edited By K4ss3r

I just wish they'd tune Dirt towards a more simulation-y racer. They've gone in the completely opposite direction with this, sadly.

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JuStAnoThERGMer

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Edited By JuStAnoThERGMer

this game is already bad enough but then u add bad gameplay.....please codemasters the last game i bought rom u was GRID and im noy buying another until GRID 2 unless they can pull something off

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Kid_Black_Star

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Edited By Kid_Black_Star

Screw this and all of this lame stuff such as Need For Speed Or GRiD 2. I want a new burnout game. A REAL BURNOUT GAME!!!

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Codester_41

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Edited By Codester_41

@ NiteX - Hey, burnout Paradise was actually REALLY good, don't dis it!

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Codester_41

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Edited By Codester_41

Looks fun, all we need now is for the drivers to fly out of the cars... Oh wait, they already made a game like that.

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GlaciusXL

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Edited By GlaciusXL

CodeMaster's latest game... "BuMP"

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Peter_Eater

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Edited By Peter_Eater

No. Just, NO.

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Masenkoe

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Edited By Masenkoe

Seriously where is GRiD 2?

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fatee

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Edited By fatee

I'm okay with this game, but please don't tarnish the name DiRT by having this title named as such. Colin McRae would not approve!

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jairowolf

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Edited By jairowolf

Looking at some excitement in this game begining with how good the effects come into play as the scenery comes foward at you, makes for a suprisingly open aread approch to racing. All styles of vehicle crash up makes me say as close to the real thing as you can get. Stronge damaging specitals are awsome to try to slow and make a universe with crash up cars.

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NiteX

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Edited By NiteX

Looks amazing, but I was expecting way better crashes. Even the old crap Burnout Paradise had better crashes.

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GHO5T-

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Edited By GHO5T-

@Szeiden Yeah, I read that it's in development. 2013 sounds about right.

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super_rider

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Edited By super_rider

think this may be a copy of flatout ultimate carnage..for destruction i would prefer split/second..

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Rayrota

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Edited By Rayrota

This is nice and all...but WHERE'S GRID 2?!

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squall_83

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Edited By squall_83

Dear Codemasters, please put this on Vita. Oh and now I have this sudden urge to go play Destruction Derby.

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Szeiden

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Edited By Szeiden

@GHO5T- I can't find the link anymore but I read somewhere that their plan was to release RD GRID 2 in 2013 I believe. Actually I did a quick google search "racedriver grid 2 2013" and you can see some things about GRID 2 in 2013. Hope it's true.

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ElFlechero

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Edited By ElFlechero

These modes look like some great DLC for Dirt 3--wait, this is a whole new game?

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guertt

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Edited By guertt

this will ba crap for those who play with real wheel. like me :(

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GHO5T-

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Edited By GHO5T-

Do they plan on releasing a new Dirt every year now? Release GRID 2 already.

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Metallic_Blade

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Edited By Metallic_Blade

Huh, when has Dirt turned into FlatOut?

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ZedX-14Pilot

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Edited By ZedX-14Pilot

@Virtual_Erkan And that is why the game sucks now.

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ZedX-14Pilot

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Edited By ZedX-14Pilot

They are ruining this franchise. First I have to put up with that gymkhana crap in dirt 3, now this crap? Not enough rally, too many made up events. I'll be skipping this one. Accessibility kills yet another great series. MotoGP-SBK-F1 FTWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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BiThBhE0

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Edited By BiThBhE0

Just give us GRID 2 already.

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samcrow77

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Edited By samcrow77

FAIL .....Codemasters used to make great racing sims. not anymore " If you happen to get bashed out yourself, (or accidentally drive off--it happens to us all) then don't worry; you don't get docked any points and quickly re-spawn, allowing you to get right back into the action." So you cant loose

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Virtual_Erkan

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Edited By Virtual_Erkan

@sambucca666 it is called DiRT not Colin McRea anymore

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Quebeckjenda

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Edited By Quebeckjenda

boring... :(

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xsonicchaos

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Edited By xsonicchaos

*sigh* i don't even...

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