Dirt 5
The latest entry in the off-road racing series kicks up a storm
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
They do say we Brits are obsessed with the weather, but it’s more than small talk when it comes to Dirt 5. Haring around a Norwegian fishing village in a VW Touareg, muscling our way through the pack, the sky suddenly darkens and the weather takes a turn for the apocalyptic. Snow lashes the windscreen while our traction gets decidedly hairy – we lose sight of the track completely until a god-level burst of forked lightning illuminates the scene so shockingly, it makes us drop our controller. Most motorsport sims attempt to replicate varied driving conditions, but if this weather is anything to go by, Codemasters’ claim that the latest Dirt game will be “bigger, better and more amplified” is already making our ears ring.
“Amplified and playful,” echoes lead designer Mike Moreton. “The weather plays a massive part, from changing track surfaces and grip to a change in visibility. You won’t just get a smattering of rain or a sprinkling of snow, we’re aiming for big, heavy and amazing-looking. The weather is a lot more bombastic than in real life.”
Dirt 5’ s playfulness and sense of spectacle is evident in its tracks, as you race through favelas beneath the statue of Christ The Redeemer in Brazil or through Morocco’s Dades Gorge, trails dynamically churned up and a joy to drift round. The roster of cars runs from rally staples like Imprezas and Cosworths to GTs like Mustangs and Porsches to more specialist performance vehicles like the Aerial Nomad and Sprint racing cars – unevenly-weighted buggies that tear up the dust around short tracks. With a broad spectrum of race types and events, it’s clear that a deep love of classic arcade racers is at work under the bonnet. Developer Codemasters Cheshire evolved from Motorstorm creator Evolution, so it’s no surprise Dirt 5 has a lot in common with the arcadey off-road racer.
The real touchstones, however, were the series’ own high watermarks. “Dirt 2 and Dirt 3 really resonated with us,” says development director Rob Karp. “Given the studio’s history we felt that was a good path for us to track, where we have knowledge and experience, and could really build on that heritage, but also do something new and exciting.”
While the return to a friendlier, arcade racing experience is pronounced, there is still plenty of driving realism – each vehicle feels appropriately grounded, the handling accurate while being intuitive enough for the casual player. We can feel Codemasters’ experience with driving sims behind every ounce of torque. “Some of the other Codemasters studios have loads of experience with simulation,” says Karp. “We got quite a few of their guys to review our handling and gameplay and give us feedback and pointers from their many years of experience, which I think means you end up with a handling model that is semi-realistic but really easy to pick up and play.”
No matter the level of realism in the cars’ performance, racing games are as much about the performance of the game itself. As any Forza fan knows, the best racing experience is currently to be found at 60fps, and on the next generation of consoles Dirt 5 will be able to push an almighty 120fps. It’s not so much the future-facing features we’re excited for as a retro one, though. Dirt 5 supports oldfashioned split-screen couch co-op, further underlining the developer’s desire to make this the most broadly accessible racer in years.
“The best racing games I played growing up were the ones hardcore racing fans liked and told their friends about,” says Karp. “The ones who weren’t as into racing were like, ‘Okay, this will be my one racing game this generation.’” When Dirt 5 crosses the line later this year, it may be a contender for the one next-gen racer everyone needs – whatever the weather.
There is still plenty of driving realism – each vehicle feels appropriately grounded