A new year, a new DirtCodemasters is starting to emulate the Need for Speed series. No sooner have they crossed the finish line than the next installment is already waiting. This proves how unnecessarily series become stale. DiRT 5, which we were able to test beforehand, became increasingly clear.
Best of DiRT
So many as previously mentioned DiRT 5 berichtet Given the flurry of press releases and videos, I was expecting a comprehensive game that would keep me occupied for years to come. Instead, the final product feels like everything has been reduced to the lowest common denominator, with hardly a trace of innovation; it's more of a "best of" compilation. DiRT.
Besides a rather repetitive campaign, the selection of modes—Playground, Online, Split-Screen, and Arcade—is quite limited. And even these are essentially just repetitions of what you already do in the campaign. This brings us back to the question of how to further develop the racing genre.
THQ Wreckfest (our reviewLast year, [the game] had some fun approaches with innovative track designs and game modes that didn't take themselves too seriously. That's something we miss in [the current version]. DiRT 5 almost entirely, but only almost, because the community itself can provide variety with the Playground game mode.
But first, let's look at the classic races, which range from Ice Breaker and Rally Raid to Stampede and Landrush. Completely new is Path Finder, which describes a hardcore off-road terrain and is somewhat similar to... Overpass It can be compared to other racing series, only much easier. There are a total of seven disciplines, differing in terms of conditions, terrain, weather, time of day or night, and technical difficulty. While this may all sound impressive and comprehensive, ultimately they are still just races, either on a circuit or from point to point. Certainly, each race has its own unique challenges, but personally, I felt the differentiation in detail was lacking, as they are all still rooted in rally racing. The fact that only the surface changes from ice to gravel might be a nice touch, but this is reflected almost exclusively in the handling of the vehicles. You really look forward to the gymkhana races, which, with their donuts, jumps, and obstacles, offer the only real variety, but unfortunately, they are either too infrequent or too short.
There are variations in the objectives you can complete during races, often depending on the prominent sponsor behind your driver. Whether it's scratching the paintwork while drifting, staying airborne for 15 seconds, or leading the field for a minute – those who master these spontaneous challenges can look forward to XP, reputation, and credits. And if things go really well, you might even be invited to the "unique" throwbacks – because fame seems to be a part of it too. DiRT 5 Being pretty much the only thing that matters. However, this concept has become quite hackneyed in racing games, where it's no longer about fighting hard for first place and earning a satisfying feeling, but rather about who can gather the most fans to add another unicorn sticker to their driver card. The constant warnings that aggressive driving will ruin your reputation further undermine the original idea behind the game. DiRT the rest.
Your Playground
Therefore, it is the playgrounds that hold the greatest appeal for me. DiRT 5 You can find a place where you can really let loose. Either on pre-made courses or by creating your own obstacle course. You can easily spend hours and hours doing this, incorporating a lot from the community, getting ideas, or simply having fun trying to break their records. I'd even argue that the Playgrounds are what ultimately save the game.
The playgrounds also fit very well with the rather arcade-like gameplay, which DiRT 5 The game is all about speed. Here, it's all about getting in and flooring the gas pedal, drifting stylishly through corners, pushing and shoving like there's no tomorrow. The only thing that can really hurt you here is your own driving error, which can easily relegate you to last place. Since you can't even go off the track and the overall difficulty level is anything but challenging, the game quickly loses its appeal, especially in the campaign mode.
Extensive tuning options are also lacking, as your vehicles start in predefined classes based on performance and handling. You'll quickly discover that the race is won by the player with the most powerful car, unfortunately. This creates a vicious cycle, because quickly acquiring new credits to buy the next vehicle is anything but difficult. The focus here is more on visual customization, which is limited to paint jobs and decals.
Overall, it's far too easy and simplistic, and not very challenging. It's unlikely to entice any serious racing enthusiasts to the starting line. Sure, it's fun to just do a few relaxed laps, and the feeling of speed is enjoyable. DiRT 5 It came across very well – but at some point, and far too quickly here, you want more.
Party at the racetrack
What one can DiRT 5 What deserves praise is the atmosphere on the racetrack and in everything surrounding it. As soon as you open the menu, you're caught up in the racing fever. This ranges from the elaborately mixed soundtrack and the background commentators to the visual presentation during the races. Overall, it's excellent. DiRT 5 The game boasts the excellent technical capabilities of today's racing games, and you can choose to optimize your experience at either 30fps or 60fps. While the level of detail is slightly reduced at 60fps, this is hardly noticeable in the otherwise immersive atmosphere. More distracting are the occasional pop-ups, minor imperfections in the overall visual presentation. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference which performance option you choose. Of course, things will get even more interesting with the PS5, which will undoubtedly offer even more.
But even along the entire route, you're enveloped in a fantastic atmosphere – vibrant colors, accompanied by fireworks, fanfares, and confetti at the finish line. I found the integration of the soundtrack particularly well done; it's not simply played in a monotonous sequence. Instead, speakers are positioned along the track, and the music gets louder or softer depending on whether you're approaching or moving away from them. This creates a wonderful dynamic, complemented by a first-class selection of tracks, including exclusive artists like Koko, High Contrast, and Sea Girls, representing a wide range of musical genres.
The overall elaborate atmosphere, including dynamic weather and day/night cycles, keeps you entertained and at least somewhat distracts from the often repetitive routes. With just over 10 locations and roughly 130 events in the campaign, there aren't as many as it might initially seem, whether playing forwards or backwards, by day or by night.
Important notes: With the current patch 1.03, the difficulty level in career mode can now be increased. However, this also completely resets all progress to zero. 🤬
A true spectacle on PS5
We've now also been able to test the PS5 version, which improves upon several aspects. Besides the fact that the day one patch already addresses some of the aforementioned criticisms, it's primarily the technical refinements that finally set us apart. DiRT 5 convince.
Players can finally look forward to a stunning 4K resolution at 60fps with HDR, while 1080p at 120fps is also available as an option. However, the difference between 60fps and 120fps is barely noticeable, making the former the more sensible choice. This also significantly improves the gameplay experience, making racing games truly enjoyable.
Moreover, this mode brings out many more details, such as the leaves swept across the tracks by the wind, the smallest depictions of water splashes or dirt on the paintwork, and the already fantastic lighting, whether by day or night. Even more of this graphical spectacle can be experienced by switching to the ' mode.Image Quality'sets, in which additional features are activated that further enhance the overall atmosphere. We also recommend you the video from Digital Foundry, which present all available performance modes in detail.
A particular highlight is the DualSense controller on PS5, which utilizes adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. You can truly feel when the clutch is engaged, when you shift gears, or when the brakes engage. You can also sense when the vehicle loses traction, with this directly reflected in the triggers. It's all a bit new and takes some getting used to, but it's more realistic than ever. The haptic feedback, however, doesn't quite convince us yet. While it's used effectively and frequently, fulfilling previous promises, such as simulating different road surfaces, still requires a bit of imagination. However, Codemasters already announced, that they themselves are not entirely satisfied with it yet and are working on a corresponding update.
Overall, however, there is still room for improvement, even on the PS5, especially if racing games benefit from ray tracing and similar features in the future.
