The new installment of the Codemasters driving saga manages to consolidate a style and gives off good ideas, a great start for the new generation.
We thought that we were going to run out of new driving games this Christmas, without an engine to release the new Sony and Microsoft consoles, but Codemasters has managed to arrive on time with DiRT 5, which in addition to being intergenerational raises a mix between what we have been seeing with the numbered series and its other more delicate to the rally. Here’s a bit of everything, an arcade flavor brilliantly calibrated to achieve a remarkable result. And it is at the same time a real shame, because with wickers to become a benchmark it has ended up sinning from problems that we are going to know below. A great flavor, but one that fails to achieve excellence.
The best of two worlds: what is DiRT 5
This intellectual property has been deliberately experimental from its inception. The British study knows the engine like few others; They understand the four-wheel universe and have a love for the wheel. There is no doubt about that. In fact, they are on an extraordinary streak with an excellent F1 2020, but they had an outstanding debt with DiRT. If the second and third iterations of the series were more arcade-driven, both DiRT 4 and DiRT Rally 2.0 preferred to focus more on the challenge. This attempt to get to know your audience better has led to the smartest decision: not too much, not too little, but to find a balance. DiRT 5 is balanced, accessible, as we will see later; but above all, it is extremely fun.
Nothing happens to say that Forza Horizon 4 is the mirror in which the rest of the studies look when they get down to work with a driving title closer to the arcade, anything goes. At the end of the day, Playground Games has not settled for bordering on excellence, but has made it its own, raising the bar so high that it makes comparison inevitable. DiRT 5 does not reach that level, but neither does it claim to. This is not an open world (and it does not need it either), but it respects a traditional phase and level structure, with short tests, races, unique downhill tracks where everything is calculated by percentages, time trials, head to head … If you like the genre or the saga, DiRT 5 is going to like you because it feels very DiRT. And this was very important, not to lose the essence. Is it a familiar formula, even outdated? Sure, but he remains as young as the first day.
Addictive, fun and quiz-packed campaign mode
When it comes to content, DiRT 5 is overflowing. We really liked the (Trajectory) campaign. What begins with a single test begins to spread into branches; that is, routes that are separated over and over again to set out different paths and that, in essence, there are a total of three main paths. Completing everything can go perfectly at 25 hours, although if you only follow one of the routes in about 15 hours you can see the credits. The progress system is based on the accumulation of coins in each test. If we win, we get three coins; if we are in the first positions, a couple; and if we only meet one of the objectives we will only get one.
Now, what are those coins for? As a key to continue at certain checkpoints. When we advance enough we will find areas separated by a visual border that will only allow us to continue if we have the minimum number of golden coins, so the most normal thing is that from time to time we have to turn back to accumulate this particular currency. The incentive to play each event is also in the —generally— three event objectives and the professional objectives. The latter give way to the concept of Sponsors. The Career mode allows us to close agreements with different brands (AMD, Beats by Dr. Dre, Fatlace, Donut, Michelin, Monster …), which pose more or less complex challenges with a specific payment and bonuses depending on the reputation we have and let’s get. To raise that reputation you need to win and, as you can imagine, a directly proportional mathematical structure is followed: better results, access to better sponsorships and, with them, better remuneration.
That money is what we will later use to buy and edit vehicles, which are of all types and tastes. In total, a dozen types of cars, ranging from the Rallies of the 80s and 90s to the GTs, more powerful and prepared for any surface. To that we add the Cross Raid, Super Lite, Pre Runners, Sprint, Off Road and Unlimited, huge off-road trucks capable of overcoming any obstacle. They differ greatly from each other. Career mode is completed with Throwdowns, a dozen additional individual challenges with a specific objective. The first of them, for example, invites us to complete in Roosevelt Island Reverse a face to face with another racer using a Fiat 131 Abarath Rally. We would have liked to see more courageous tests, since they are still conventional challenges under another name. We can think of more types of descents in mountains, chases or aspects that, for whatever reason, have been left out despite the fact that they fit perfectly with the aesthetics and so hooligan setting of DiRT 5.
The number of sponsors grows as we advance and improve our reputation.
One of the new modes incorporated is Playground, which, as we saw months ago with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, allows us to create our own driving arenas with endless options; but what is truly interesting will arrive in a few weeks, when talented users share their tracks and start those healthy bites so recurrent in this type of game mode, where imagination is the limit and the margin to surprise is unlimited. Especially if we see arenas as crazy and seemingly implausible as the ones we have tested in this period of Reviews.
Dynamic weather, speedy feel and classic arcade flavor
That it gives off personality cannot be doubted by anyone. Codemasters has achieved a solid product mechanically, outstanding in the artistic, accessible and with a refined gameplay – which can be complex if we activate the most advanced level of difficulty -, but which it fails to exploit excessively. The best thing about this title is, almost without a doubt, the design of its stages, very well drawn, with forks and curves designed to get the best out of the rider. All this added to changes in altitude or very narrow straights on circuits that, at times, are reminiscent of the traditional rally. They know him perfectly. In addition, the setting of each country is consistent, with a good use of sand, snow, asphalt or ice, which go beyond aesthetics to have a direct implication in the playable plane. All in all, it is a title that succeeds, but is hampered by major technical problems. If there is something that we can highlight and applaud, it is that there is a dynamic climate. We can start a test during the day and without rain and end on a dark night, raining and thundering. Very spectacular and precious thanks to the particles, northern lights and other eminently aesthetic effects very well added.
The staging is not far behind.
DiRT 5 does not forget about the photo mode, something already recurrent in practically any driving video game worth its salt; and the truth is that it is quite good. The number of options is generous, from the focal length (manual or automatic) to the zoom aperture, the reel tilt or the field of view of the focus. We can also alter the shutter speed or the tracks of the vehicle on the asphalt. For the most expert, there are grid or photo line activation options, details that should not have been included and that show affection for the photographic world, for finding the perfect snapshot at a specific moment. We are talking about a title with really beautiful settings, a very colorful color palette and lighting effects that, although they are not the best we have seen this generation, do their job correctly to make up some of their technical flaws.
We thus link up with the technical level, which is where DiRT 5 lacks the most. On Xbox One X and Xbox Series S, the platforms where we have completed the game, we have experienced the same issues. In fact, we have repeated phases after applying an important patch introduced in the Reviews period that, to be fair, has improved many of the problems that we had and that, therefore, will not transcend in this text; but there are still errors that we hope will be solved soon, they are very uncomfortable. The first and foremost is tearing, a visual decompensation that “tears” the image by cutting it in half. The synchronization between the game console GPU is not well optimized, so we see half a frame more to the left and the other half more to the right. A ripple, wow, that in the driving genre can take you out of the experience. As we indicated, the product arrives in stores this November 10 without major problems, but this aspect can weigh down the launch of the game or its recommendation to exit, so we hope – and we wish – that staunch fans of the series and future DiRT 5 players can enjoy an experience according to expectations, as the gameplay is its strength.
The art direction is great, with upmarket environmental details.
Lack of optimization and improved AI
On the other hand, there are problems with the physics of the vehicles, which have a very strange behavior: the cars are too light, they hardly weigh and, consequently, at the minimum impact, they can fly off. The feeling of controlling paper vehicles is unpleasant, especially when Codemasters has done such a good job of skid control and refinement that it’s a delight when learning to control. However, the optimized version of the game on Xbox Series S is quite noticeable compared to that of Xbox One X (even though the latter is a more powerful console). In any case, we can choose a higher visual fidelity at 60 FPS (up to 1440p on Xbox Series S; 4K on Xbox Series X or PS5) or better graphics, where the rate of images per second drops to 30. This case is the one with the least we recommend, it feels that there is a lack of fluency and, in a speed title, it is uncomfortable. There is also a 120 FPS mode on Xbox Series X and PS5 that we are talking about here.
The main campaign, completely dubbed into Spanish, with announcers who narrate the expertise as if it were a radio station, they accompany with lights and shadows, and we explain ourselves. It is not that they bother, it is that they do not stop talking. English may have a better reception as well-known voices such as Troy Baker and Nolan North narrate this DiRT Podcast by Donut Media, but that effort could have been more focused on accompanying the menus with themes from the extensive soundtrack. , which keeps perfectly selected songs and with this modern touch, with pop, rock and alternative rock themes so fashionable today.
At the multiplayer level we cannot contribute much, since the online multiplayer mode has been limited, so we have taken advantage of the local multiplayer options – which has the possibility of starting the game with up to four people at the same time – and the truth is is that it works very well because, being so highly arcade in its control, the inevitable crashes are a constant of guaranteed laughs. Of course, in split screen mode we have only been able to play at 30 FPS. In terms of modes, the multiplayer comes accompanied by well-known names, such as Vampire or Carrier in group games.
We have analyzed DiRT 5 through a download code supplied by the publisher. The consoles used have been Xbox One X and Xbox Series S.
CONCLUSION
DiRT 5 does not bring anything revolutionary to the arcade driving genre, but it does manage to settle the saga in a territory where no one can doubt its existence. DiRT is still DiRT, an episode that takes the best of the first three numbered installments and that does not forget to provide the excellent set design of the Rally side. However, its design is very classic, with a structure designed for short games where anything goes. That anarchic philosophy is enjoyed at the controls, but it suffers from a series of technical problems and graphic finishes below what is desired. A remarkable title specially designed for lovers of the saga and four wheels, but which fails to position itself as a benchmark in its genre.
THE BEST
- Flawless playability, control is really good
- Personality. Mix between classic arcade and rally
- The Trajectory mode, packed with phases and types of events
- Artistically it is very successful: color, lighting …
WORST
- … but graphically leaves something to be desired at this point
- Vehicle physics sometimes unrealistic
- Some technical problems with room for improvement
Very good
A game with a remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good buy, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.
