DIRT 5 – Played

Racing game is not the same as racing game. In no other Genre is the spread between the simulation and Action – focus is larger than in the case of Racing titles. Both extremes in one and the same game is almost impossible … at least, if the result of reaching the specialized community or simply a good game should be. Therefore, it is surprising little that Codemasters decided that the DIRT series of quasi-two allocate. Ergo follows the “Dark Souls of racing games”, a. k. a. DiRT Rally 2.0, so again, a title for Fans of straightforward racing action: DIRT 5. And I had the opportunity to shoot a few test laps.

You guys are die-hard Fans of the DiRT Rally 2.0? On Special Stages by fine-tuning eures setups-tenth of venture-tenth of your best time, your favorite activity for rainy afternoons is cut off? To you, it is equally important that driving errors actually have painful consequences (a. k. a. impaired driving behavior), such that the driving behavior is as close to reality as possible? And, most importantly, Anything other than a game the all the offers, not interested in you?! Then, I can save you a lot of life to stop. DIRT 5 is not for you. If your boxes of all kinds, on the other hand, in a spectacular race through snow, mud and dust in powerful off – road and rally, which sometimes flashes through the sky, shrug and confetti bombs and fireworks go off track is high, you should remain tuned.

Story with room for manoeuvre

With racing games office Story and Codemasters, it behaves the same way as with a well-known herbal candy brand, and Switzerland. Something like this has in the Racing experts from the UK simply Tradition. Also DIRT 5 is no exception. Ergo you in the latest installment of the Action-stressed mud battle not just racing from one Event to the next, but also gets a small story to be told. And one that is quite occupied of the highest calibre. While you deserves to be in the “DiRT off-road racing series” your first spores, are immediately a Mentor and a rival to you. The former is called Alex Janiček (called AJ), and is spoken by Troy Baker, the latter, Bruno Durand, and Nolan North voiced. Have worked together the last two in the case of Uncharted 4, where Nolan as Nathan Drake and Troy, whose brother Sam was talking about. Also, do you know Troy Baker, among others, as the voice of Joel from The Last of Us and Nolan North as Desmond Miles in the Assassin’s Creed series.

Now is the Story but probably not via Cutscenes told, such as in DTM Race Driver from yesteryear, or last F1 2019, but via Podcasts, for their production, Codemasters, in turn, the support of Donut Media has secured. Like, don’t you know? Now, if you are interested in cars, you should their YouTube-channel visit a visit. But I digress …

The Story is divided into five chapters. In each of these, you can expect a wide selection of Events, in which you can participate. What do you deny of them, is left to a large extent you will probably have on the General course of the Story no impact. Your success in the Events ahead influenced your coming only to the extent that you come in faster, if your driveway is always Top of the rankings. To win that many “stamps” from each of which a certain number is necessary to be able to the “Main Event” of the Chapter to attend. Also, the sponsors can complete with your a number of different contracts (20 real brands will be represented) will give you tasks for which there are separately points. In addition, a contract with a Sponsor provided you also own Liveries for your cars, can you make also an Editor at will. But back to the above-mentioned campaign and the Main Event: This applies to win, to come in the next Chapter. What are the Events of a Chapter on the way there, your now, as for exactly is right no matter. So it creates DIRT 5 good balancing act from “a red thread offer” and you, nevertheless, room to let, when it comes to what types of races with which car classes you want to ride.

A lot of cars, no damage

Speaking of car classes: Here the choice is as wide as ever in the series. It’s classic rally, wait for cars from the 90s and of today, as well as light and heavy off-road cars like Ariel Nomad and a variety of Dakar car or very special Companion, like Formula Offroad Hillclimb Monster and the almost 1000-horsepower Dirt Track Racer with a gigantic Spoiler as a roof. This to all of them independently, you must probably not be mentioned separately but it is so. Already in the early Demo Build, up to you I was able to Hand to the virtual Valance set, were to detect significant differences and very own the characters of the cars.

It is the driving behavior, of course, significantly arcadiger, as in the case of Dirt Rally 2.0. Means: It assigns more – will allow you more brutal Drifts, offers a predictable load-change reactions, and simulates highly significantly different Grip-to levels depending on the weather, but ever to the real test for your nerves. And even if you have miscalculated once, it’s basically half wild. The damage model in the game is purely cosmetic. Mechanical damage would not have been in the sense of game design itself. Described to me by Robert Karp (Development Director) and Michael Moreton (Lead Designer) at a very illustrative example, which also sheds light on an especially cool facet of the game: You can start with up to three other mates as a Team in the career, race online, but also in split-screen. The actions of all four players will be added to the achievement of the goal (keyword sponsors missions), the finishing position, however, only from the best. However, In such a Setting it would be, of course, really bitter, if one of the four players losing in the first round already a tire or the like, and then three rounds without a chance for the other afterwards must go. Something wanted to the developer in the DIRT 5 exclude. So: No mechanical damage. OK.

Seasons with Turbo function

The first Trailer during the Xbox Series X Event in may was shown, made it clear that it is in the DIRT 5 in various Locations and in different weather conditions on the road – and that’s enough as far as the one over the frozen Hudson River, and the thunder may. Where everywhere you can carefully drive the race, did not tell the developers in the Preview Session. Some Locations are already confirmed, such as, for example, Italy, China, Brazil, Norway and New York. The trick here is that All of them can be driven to different times of the year, which will have a fundamental impact on the routes. Something Similar like in Forza Horizon 4, where in open worlds to be different times of the year around the nozzles may, but will not play. The routes are delineated fixed and are fixed. However, in the case of the weather and the time of day. Both changes dynamically. And Yes: The behavior also has an impact on the Look of the surroundings and the driving. On the in the playable Demo was the most in the Stage in Norway. With significantly accelerated time (in mode Solo race, you will be able to speed up the time to self-set), we launched into our 90s rally cars – a Subaru Impreza – in the sunset in light rain and ended the three-lap race in the darkest of night, in heavy snow, the sky, twitching and the Scene illuminating Flash and at least 20 centimeters of snow on the track. Terrific!

The Demo-mediated, with its four Levels a good sense of how much effort the developers want to bring the tracks to life. In addition to the slopes in Norway, especially the track in Brazil, in the memory, on the from the beach, up through the Favelas on your mountain and down again, remained with it. While down in the coastal town of colorful Light Shows and Co wait, the passages on the mountain interesting exchange of shadow and light, a great view and interesting race due to the strong difference in height office Mega-jump. A completely different caliber, however, is the gravel Oval, in which you must prove with a above-mentioned Dirt Track Racer against the always to a maximum of twelve rider field. These things have mighty Power, four different wheels, and are therefore basically impossible to go straight to. To you. Yes but not On the matching lines it always goes to the left … and the in the rule, without exception, in the Drift A really interesting experience. And a honest way, Bock’s heavy – but the developers have stressed in several Places that the driving behavior is still screwed. Accordingly, I can’t say with certainty whether the will is still little to no noticeable effect of ground deformations, which are at least visible, in the finished game stronger, or in terms of the Arcade-thoughts remain so. We will see. Still, the developers have plenty of time …

Graphics without Next-Gen Flair

We come to technology. DIRT 5 is one of the first games that officially for the current, but also the next Generation of consoles alike has been announced. This is, of course, a blessing and a curse in equal measure. On the one hand, will reaches a maximum width of players, on the other hand, the developers are in order with regard to technology on a short leash. After all, you can’t Gen the game from the ground up to the Power of the Next-generation Hardware, but must ensure that the Whole looks like on the old consoles passable up and running. The result is – mind you, on the basis of the not yet optimised and not finished Demo Version for our Preview article – a really pretty-looking game is not necessarily too much of a jump. As for The Engine still seems the same to be the for all of the latest titles, such as F1 2020 or DiRT Rally 2.0 is used. Ray tracing, for example, no trace. By now but for the next console generation all of the Sliders in the old Engine to 110 per cent, were filmed, is DIRT 5 nevertheless, and without a doubt, the prettiest game from Codemasters, which we now get to see have. The car models are the inside and the outside is pleasantly rich in detail (of course, there are several in-Cockpit perspectives, but unfortunately no VR Support), the fancy light effects, the shadows sharp and the weather and day-night effects in combination with all the previously referred to simple right smart. An eye-opener for us in terms of graphics in the next Generation of racing games expected, will DIRT 5 though so probably not a really, really fancy racing game but then probably all. And also the Sound need DIRT 5 not surprisingly, not to hide. Although I could not hear, of course, still long as all of the cars, “sample”, but the few that were in the Demo playable sounded all really pithy. Mixing the for Codemasters‘ rally games used to good effects, like the Patter in the wheel wells, and the rocking-funky Soundtrack added to this, a first-class acoustics-the total package.

First impression

Although, of course, still many questions open and many of the Features covered were(the developer advised us on the August to look forward to; there is a particularly big announcement to follow), made DIRT 5 a really good impression of The driving behaviour is arcadig, but multi-faceted and “profound” enough fun and challenge in equal measure. The vehicle selection offers a really wide and interesting range of Offroad cars. The Story-driven campaign sounds interesting and seems to offer but still enough freedoms so that you can always play the, what you in the mood. And the technology is not a revelation, but at least very solid and, at least in terms of the previous Codemasters titles, certainly a Highlight … if still not “Next Gen” … which in turn will forward to all who wish to remain in any case only once in the old consoles or just on PC, wanted to see how much is out of the Engine really. Long story short: I am very positive and I expect a lot of DIRT 5. And you should also be if you on this kind of racing games. I think DIRT 5 is awesome.

What 5 is DIRT? An off-road racing spectacle with Story mode.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Google Stadia
Developer / Publisher: Codemasters
Release: 9. October 2020
Link: Official Website