The sun was blazing down, beads of sweat slowly dripping down foreheads thanks to the heat; the revs of the engine deafening even from this distance with the hard-hitting melodies of American rock-group Alter Bridge filling the occasion silence from the surrounding stereo system. Engine pumping, the car speeds off, before the wheels lock as it continues sideways before maintaining a vicious pace as it battles with the tarmac, squeezing underneath a parked lorry. The gravel at Battersea Power Station is kicked up as the car skids around a loose corner, firing dust over two dozen feet skyward. The motorsport of Gymkhana is a fast and brutal one that leaves no prisoners and allows few mistakes. Luckily, with Ken Block at the wheel, he performs with a fluidity and ease that no other can match. Until now.

With the release of DiRT 3 rapidly approaching, the new Gymkhana game mode was one attracting great interest, and with good reason. Having racked up over ninety million views on YouTube, Block’s Gymkhana videos have become an Internet hit, although replicating them has remained out of the reach of most. Codemasters are looking to change that however with a quite superb mode in the threequel. As the Californian showed off his skills outside, we were invited to have some hands-on time with the upcoming racer, and boy did it impress.

From the get go it’s apparent that DiRT 3 looks vastly superior to the already comely prequel. The quality of the dirt being kicked up from the tyres is perhaps the best in racing to date, whilst the crispness of the entire package was one to marvel. Add in a glistening flare from a setting sun and you have a beautiful vista as you rip around the tracks, racking up your best times. Controlling as responsively as those in DiRT 2, the vehicles remain rebellious but controlled. After a few standard rally events, it was time for some Gymkhana.

At first, it was impossible to even handle such an aggressive vehicle. With a tuned set up that differs from your typical rally car, the Gymkhana cars are in a league of their own. A fast clutch change, more forgiving suspension and a vast array of spare tyres, ensure that they are truly the beasts of the car world. It wasn’t until my second go around the parking lot – the setting for that particular session, that the reasons became apparent. Set on a custom setup, no assists were activated and it was like a rag doll sitting on a raging bull, with no hope at controlling it. Set the driving mode to ‘Intermediate’ though and things took off.

Zipping around the course, over jumps, around concrete pillars and between doorways instantly became possible and when pulled off, immensely satisfying. Partaking in a ‘joyride’ session, players can ride around the different arenas, finding hidden packages and pulling off moves in order to complete a variety of missions, adding another dimension to an already enjoyable mode. Throw in damage modelling, the use of the F1 franchises rain technology, snow and ice refinements, five decades worth of cars and some quite superb lighting and DiRT 3 offers not only the modes or enjoyment, but the tech and style to back it up. It was also revealed that, for the first time in a next-generation HD game, Codemasters are implementing split-screen – as they feel they “can do so effectively”. This opens a whole new world to racers, allowing players to compete in either a rally environment of, perhaps the more enjoyable side in Gymkhana.

The Gymkhana multiplayer was easily the highlight of the session. With three modes, this could finally be the missing piece from what has established itself as a major player in the racing genre. Focusing on utilising the skills required for Gymkhana, each mode is fast, furious, and, mostly importantly, fun. First up, Invasion. Having been ‘invaded’ by robots racers must attempt to fight off this terrible foe, or at least they would be if they was any real danger. The robots are actually just cardboard cutouts, acting as targets for you to destroy; the aim is simple, hit as many robots as you can within the time limit to win. Mixing it up slightly are skyscraper boards that will knock your score down by one if hit, so you can’t just fling your car about and hope for the best. Competing against up to seven other racers, either in teams or solo, it is a battle of speed, skill and precision to try to ensure a top place finish. Slowing down to hit robots will only hinder your progress at achieving a good score, equally, belting it round will see you miss too many targets; it’s about finding a balance. Essentially a Capture the Flag mode, Transporter sees you race towards the randomly placed flag before reaching the target zone as quickly as possible. Hit the flag carrier to obtain the flag to then avoid all other racers. It was easily the most frantic of the three modes but at times a wonderful blend of excitement, fear and mild frustration. The third mode Outbreak was possibly the cream of the multiplayer modes. Dubbed as Dirt 3′s “zombie mode”, an infected racer must takedown another racer who then becomes infected and in turn must attempt to hit a non-infected racer; leading to situations where just one racers left – which was me personally in one particularly fantastic round – creating an experience not matched since Burnout Paradise’s online portion.

More akin to Destruction Derby than a traditional rally game, DiRT 3′s multiplayer modes have an increased focus on fun and really do succeed in that regard. Sporting the trademark slick menu, this Codemasters racer must be one to watch as one of the best driving titles this year. If it’s pedigree is anything to go by, the new additions to the DiRT franchise will propel it to new heights. Just like the weather that day, DiRT 3 was as expected but still managed to impress.