REVIEW: Dirt 5

Codemasters has been synonymous with racing games since 1998's game-changing Colin McRae rally. Their sequel, in 2000, was their second. They have been at forefront of the rally sub-genre ever since. Codemasaters, who had been following the formula for nearly a decade made the decision that they would change their established franchise and expand beyond the OG rally experience.

Colin McRae: dirt was created in 2007. It brought an adrenaline rush to an otherwise stagnant series. There were many other racing modes available, such as Gymkhana and off-road circuit racing. Rally cross was also offered. The game has a modern aesthetic with stars of rock and indie music, to appeal to new generations of racing game fans. The fifth installment of the Dirt series has been released as we transition to the next generation of consoles, the PlayStation 5/X/S. How does this latest effort compare to the previous batch of hardware?

Dirt5 brings many of the off-road rally experiences from the previous games, but also has many new features. This entry includes Ice Racing, Stadium Super, as well as an uphill rock bouncer mode, which allows the player to speed up vertical jumps and cliffs. There are 12 different types of racing, each with a variety of classic and modern vehicles. Each vehicle class handles the same way. For example, smaller rally cars feel faster and more precise than larger trucks. Each class is enjoyable to play with. The only exception is the small oval drift cars which can be almost impossible to control and frustrate the controllers to the point that they are almost impossible to handle.

The player is greeted by a racing podcast when they start the game. This buffers loading and pre/post gameplay sections. Two racing commentators provide a quasi-narrative account about the career and offer advice for starting new modes. Although this can be enjoyable as background noise at first, it becomes tiresome over time. It is also a good idea to skim these sections. There is an uneasy feeling when you get into career mode. This is not helped by the overenthusiastic fake podcast that blasts out from the speakers.

Dirt5 has five game modes. These are Career, Arcade Time Trial, Playgrounds, Playgrounds, Multiplayer and Career. They all do exactly what they promise. Tutorials are not wasted time, which is great for pacing but does not allow you to adjust to the game or to understand what the goals for game progression. Although the desire to win every race is strong, the progression system doesn't make it clear how to earn new ranks or rewards. This leaves you feeling confused when moving on to next races.

Career mode is your most popular mode. It offers a linear path with different locations and racing styles. You can earn in-game currency as you progress and level up. This mode can feel a little too simple. It is so obvious that the menus and colours are too overwhelming. This is a shame because the game is great fun. It's a matter of style over substance.

Multiplayer needs some work. It will hopefully be fixed in the future to allow for more customization and options. This mode involves being thrown into random lobby on random tracks. I found it difficult to find a game many times. It was similar to a single-player race except that there was more shouting and people driving the wrong direction up the track.

The graphics are a huge plus when it comes to Dirt5 and are undoubtedly the best aspect of the game. It ran flawlessly on Xbox One. It has the most amazing lighting and weather effects I have ever seen in a game like this on an older generation console. This is jaw-dropping. It is all breath-taking to see the water ripples in the puddles and the sun kissing the horizon while you climb another hillside deathly hairpin. This game is sure to burn your retinas if it's released on newer consoles. If this is possible on older hardware, I expect great things.

There are some issues with the graphics performance. All those beautiful pixels and polygons can be costly. It is very noticeable that there is a lot of lag when racing around open circuits, especially when more than three vehicles are displayed at once. Although it's not game-breaking, it can be distracting and more frequent than one would prefer. You can have a smoother experience with less flashy graphics but I prefer to see everything in their full glory. The slowdown is my penance to such aesthetic pleasure.

In-game bugs are often frustrating and can cause game crashes. Random track resetting, clipping and end-of-level freezes were all common throughout the hours I spent playing the game. These issues occurred almost every session. It is possible that there is a sound bug. When driving on muddy roads, the engine makes a terrible flapping sound. This can cause severe pain in your teeth. Although the effect is less pronounced when you don't use headphones, it's still quite horrible.

Dirt5 is a mixed bag. It's an exquisite game with a flawed progression system, and lacks in-game rewards. It excels in core gameplay, and it is incredibly fun with a gentle learning curve. There are also many race modes. Dirt5 is a great looking rally racing game.