Codemasters have announced that they're hard at work on their next racing title - Colin McRae: DiRT 2. The game will see a simultaneous release on the DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. The game will feature McRae posthumously, 'honouring the life of the rally legend', following his sudden death in a helicopter accident last year.

The decision to retain the the driver's name was made jointly by Codemasters and the McRae family. McRae had worked as an advisor and consultant on the numerous rally games produced by Codemasters for over ten years. In today's announcement of the new game, Codemasters have released a few first look images, along with a description of what gamers can expect when the title slides into stores in 2009.

In the statement which announced the existence of Colin McRae: DiRT 2, Gavin Raeburn, Senior Executive Producer at Codemasters reflected upon McRae's contributions to their chain of rally titles bearing the driver's name:

Colin McRae was all about the speed, the excitement and the entertainment of rally driving. Even when we first worked with him over ten years ago, he captured a freedom and a spirit that enthralled rally fans.

Later his showmanship shone through in events such as the X-games, the Dakar Rally and the Race of Champions. He could do things with a car that no one else would and that’s where we’re taking the series with new events at the extreme edge of rally and autosport. It will be a great tribute to an incredible champion.

Utilising the next iteration of the graphics engine used in Racedriver GRiD, the next instalment in the DiRT franchise will see tracks and vehicles receive a 'twice as' much visual fidelity as that seen in GRiD. The game will also feature a number of 'contemporary off-road events', which will expose players to 'the most diverse and challenging real-world environments'. Gamers will be able to race through canyons, jungle trails, and through cities and stadium based events. This 'World Tour' mode will reflect changes in the rally universe, as Raeburn explains:

Rally has attracted new stars and a new style that makes it more vibrant and exciting than ever before; it’s right up there as a premium extreme sport, attracting fresh crowds and a new confident attitude.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 mirrors this new, exciting direction and, in a way, we’ll be throwing off some of the shackles and constraints that real-world rallying has to abide by. We’re pitching players against the most spectacular and dangerous environments in the real world.

As was the case in the original title, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will include a number of officially licensed rally cars and other vehicles. Each will allow gamers to focus on 'aggressive and fast paced racing'. Seven different classes of vehicle will be available, with gamers able to use any cars right from the start.

Finally, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will feature expanded online functionality, which will 'be core to the overall experience', and will include head to head online racing and 'new social features'. Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is due to hit in 2009, and will be available on every current platform. If you're in the U.S., the game will be marketed as just DiRT 2, reflecting the shortened name the original title had in the region.