Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Google Stadia, PC
Tested on: PC
DIRT 5 – Review
Codemasters their rally franchise has been going strong for decades. Ever since the first Colin McRae Rally games hit the shelves, these games have been really popular with the masses due to their great contact, nice gameplay and realistic feel. Later on, these games became what we now know as the DiRT series. Due to certain influences, it seems that the main series now split into two different titles, with DiRT 2.0 focusing solely on the rally aspect and DIRT 5 catering more to gymkhana fans.
Story
The story of DIRT 5 begins with a bunch of newbie drivers showing off their skills in a sponsored event; only the best will be chosen to enter the competition so you must win this race. This opens the doors to the racing events where you will engage in different classes and styles of races. By competing in a race, you have the chance to complete special objectives, which will grant you kudos points. With these points, you can unlock different races in the event tree and when you have amassed enough of them, you can take on the championship boss. When you have been crowned king/queen of the championship, you will be able to move on to the next one. There are a lot of championships in the game and thanks to a fully narrated storyline this stays really interesting in the long run.
Graphics
One thing unique about DIRT 5 on the PC is its adaptive graphical settings. This will allow the game to switch between graphical qualities to ensure the nicest graphics while keeping a smooth frame rate. If you wish to lock it in place, you will notice that if your system allows it, locking the quality is actually better for stability reasons (and you won’t have your visuals switching over every few seconds). The game really looks great, there is depth to the details of the vehicles getting dirty, layering filth on the car with mud, snow, damages, etc. Your playing field looks real, tracks change due to weather effects such as mud starting to form after it starts to rain, and so on.
Sound
Just as high quality as the graphics, the sounds are equally impressive. It all starts with fully voiced interactions from Donut Media, who talk you through all the different events and explain what everything means. They are well known for their YouTube videos about cars and the culture surrounding it. When you finally get to races (because the narrators do talk a lot), you will notice that the car sounds exactly like their real-life counterparts. This can be because Codemasters also released Project Cars 3 that we were really positive about. Your car will make different sounds when it gets damaged and just like with the graphics, influences from the weather are really noticeable.
There is music playing through the races, but with rally vehicles not having a radio installed, you will rather hear this music playing from speakers placed on the track. The loudness of this audio depends on your position on the track, making this really immersing with the audio constantly fading in and out.
Gameplay
DIRT 5 is a racing game where you get to drive a large collection of different vehicles in a handful of different events. It all starts with entering a promotion event where you show that you are the new driver that they are looking for. Once you complete this, you get access to the elaborate career mode of DIRT 5. You will be participating in a large number of different races that each use different kinds of vehicles and have different rules. If you like classic rally racing, then you will notice that this game has absolutely nothing of this. We suggest moving over to DiRT 2.0 for this experience. The career mode has this tree-like event section where you can choose to either progress or backtrack to gain more kudos points to unlock more races later on. In each race you will have three challenges you can complete; these are pretty decent to do and do look a lot like the challenges in Project Cars 3.
The game comes with thirteen different vehicle classes, from ultra-light buggies, the 80s and 90s classics to beefy 900 BHP trucks. Every vehicle handles differently, so you will have to adjust your driving to commemorate the various vehicle sizes and power charts. Luckily, you will get a vehicle in each class right off the bat, and with the money you earn during races, you may grab yourself a new set of wheels in the car shop.
Once you are all set, then you can take on your opponents on more than 70 tracks. The tracks will change depending on the weather. This means one can be really grippy at first but after serious rain or snowfall, you will have a completely new experience, influencing how handling feels of the car you’re driving. Naturally, it also depends on what type of race you are doing. Each vehicle class has its own race-style, so you can anticipate what class to invest money in for new vehicles because they are pretty expensive.
Every car handles differently, yet it all feels really snug and responsive. It feels great sending your vehicles at full force and not having to worry about the whole plan ending dead in the water. If you want even more control, then you can always adjust the various driving assists. Even with them all turned off, the game won’t feel too simulation-heavy, yet you will need to tread carefully not to be overly confident and spin-out as this can end your race rather soon.
Conclusion
DIRT 5 is an amazing game with a lot of content to keep you going for days on end. The sound design has been done really well thanks to Donut Media for fully narrating the career mode and the realistic sounds from the vehicles and cars. The adjustable graphics could be great for people who want the best of both worlds, yet if you have a good PC then you just better lock them in place. The gameplay is really smooth and with the large library of cars and tracks, it will feel like a new experience every time you play the title.
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