Whether managing to pull off that perfect handbrake turn around a tight corner or nimbly squeeze past a formidable first-place opponent seconds before crossing the finish line, Dirt 5 is a game that revels in making players feel like a master behind the wheel. Races are fun-focused, action-packed affairs where players are encouraged to put their foot to the floor and drift spectacularly around the track, while driving controls are just tight enough to allow for the thrill of narrowly pulling off a skillful maneuver when it’s needed most.
To some Dirt veterans, this fun-first focus will make this the best entry in the series to date; to fans of the franchise’s more serious outings, its sense of simplicity could turn them away. But, to the thousands of new fans flocking to the arcade racer in the coming weeks to witness its promise of a truly next-generation showcase, the most crucial part of Dirt 5’s approach is that it’s wonderfully accessible. From the game’s smooth, gratifying control scheme to its series of gorgeous globe-trotting tracks, Codemasters has built a wholly fun racing game here. One that’s infinitely enjoyable no matter whether you’re a genre aficionado or just somebody popping in to see what all the fuss is about.
To fans of the series, the moment to moment gameplay of Dirt 5 is instantly recognizable. Loosely guided by two podcast hosts (endearingly voiced by Troy Baker and Nolan North), the game doesn’t waste much time launching players into the action, hitting them with an impromptu warm-up race before offering three modes: Campaign, Arcade, and the brand new Playgrounds mode.
For most players, the game’s Campaign will be their first stop, and luckily it’s pretty good at knowing what takes precedent. Following some short tutorials, it thrusts some stunning maps players’ way and lets them get stuck into Dirt 5′s action without any needless fanfare. Players select a map, pick a car, and get started. Early on, the majority of these races will stick to the basics, offering courses that can be conquered by quick rally cars able to effortlessly drift around corners and large trucks able to cut through tough terrain.
While that might sound like a simple start, it works wonders at introducing new players to what makes Dirt’s driving so thoroughly enjoyable. Cars fight back against the player as they drive at hurtling speeds down long straights, and while the vehicles definitely don’t handle as realistically as those from the Dirty Rally series, there’s very little as satisfying as perfecting the exact angle and speed needed to cruise through a corner. The sound design is phenomenal too, as the authentic sounds of revving engines give every car some much-needed audible grunt. It’s through these first sets of races that Codemasters shows off exactly what it’s learned over the years, offering confident and slick controls alongside an engaging and reactive driving experience.
As players learn more about how to handle the game’s courses, more of its content opens up, with new cars unlocking, fresh tracks becoming available, and exhilarating showdowns entering the mix. This also facilitates moving to new regions and battling other racers on a variety of different terrains.
Featuring snow-covered mountain tops, dusty canyons, and even vivid jungles, the variety of locations present in Dirt 5 is like no other racing game on the market. But these aren’t just for show; driving on each surface comes with its own challenges, as icy paths send cars sliding around corners, tarmacked roads allow for faster speeds, and mud can easily lead to spinning out if approached at the wrong angle. Through the early hours of Dirt 5, learning how to overcome these challenges makes besting every course an exciting feat, especially as it regularly throws new curveballs.
It helps that these tracks are utterly stunning as well, with Dirt 5 likely standing as one of the most beautiful racing games ever committed to console. From the way the breathtaking lighting effects bounce off of cars and particles of dirt realistically splatter over surfaces, to how weather effects illuminate or obscure the tracks in real-time, Dirt 5’s detail-rich environments are breathtaking even on current generation hardware. Players can also adjust graphical preferences in the menu, opting to focus on frame rate or resolution, which is a nice touch.
Unfortunately, once the shine of the visuals and the excitement of tackling new terrain subsides, Dirt 5 does begin to show its cracks. The game simply doesn’t have much to keep things fresh after bashing through a decent amount of the campaign. Cars don’t offer much depth outside of whether they handle better or boast higher speeds and, once the knack behind navigating a certain terrain has been nailed down, there’s not much left to master. Naturally, that’s the cost of an arcade-style racer that wants to bring aboard as many new players as possible, but it does mean that Dirt 5’s initially exciting gameplay can get old in the later hours.
To add to that, gaining currency is far too easy for its own good, meaning players never have to struggle to buy themselves a competition-crushing car that outpaces the competition. Granted, the variety of vehicles on offer is astounding and the rate at which Dirt 5 allows players to unlock them allows for a lot of experimentation without the need to grind. However, it often feels like there’s little incentive to persevere through a tough race when a faster, slicker car is easily purchasable with little effort needed.
Away from the Campaign Mode, Arcade Mode acts as expected, offering a fairly standard exhibition-type alternative. The section diverges into two options: standard races and frantic time trials. Both offer players a pretty wide suite of options they can use to tailor the experience to their liking. The weather can be changed, the time of day can be altered, and the type of cars occupying the track can be modified. Although it does little more to really stand out, it’s a decent mode that does a good job of allowing players to create whatever race they’re feeling in the moment.
The final option is Playground Mode, one of Dirt 5’s new features and a brilliantly fun one at that. As billed in the lead up to release, it acts as a pretty expansive tool kit that lets players create the wildest tracks possible, whether that’s jammed full of ramps, death-defying leaps of faith, or looping pipes. It’s sure to attract the Dirt fanbase’s most creative community members in the coming months, with its suite of options opening up the flood gates for wild and wacky ideas. To make things even better, players are also not limited to only making race tracks, with Playgrounds allowing for other game types to be allocated to creations.
It’s a solid mode that adds to what is, undeniably, already a very polished racing game that focuses primarily on enjoyment and never compromises in achieving that goal. Ultimately, that’s the big takeaway from Dirt 5. While most consoles launch with a glamorous yet straight-faced racing game that mostly acts as a glitzy tech demo, it strays away from that sense of formality from the offset.
Instead, it seems the idea here was to make an accessible, stunning, and fun-focused racing game that opens the door to new players as the next generation begins, and in that regard, Dirt 5 knocks it out of the park. Its driving is exceptionally precise, making players feel like a master behind the wheel, while the sheer variety of gorgeous, globe-hopping tracks with treacherous terrain create a wonderfully diverse gameplay experience. It runs out of steam towards the end of its campaign and lacks much meaningful vehicle progression, but on the whole, this is one of Codemasters’ most confident racing packages to date.
Dirt 5 is out now on PS4 & Xbox One, and will be available on November 10 for Xbox Series X|S, November 12 for PS5, and 2021 for Google Stadia. Game Rant was provided a PS4 code for this review.
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