It's a strange time to be a motor racing fan. Real-world seasons have been disrupted, leaving a huge gap where video games have managed to fill the void, whether through gamers getting their kicks through revisiting their favorite franchises or through e-races with real world drivers. Thankfully, further games are on the way, including the upcoming DIRT 5.
By the time DIRT 5 releases in October, ideally things will have returned to some sense of normality. Either way, Codemasters Cheshire (previously Evolution Studios, who developed PS4 exclusive Driveclub) are making a bold and vibrant entry in the beloved off-road series, and based on this recent preview it is shaping up to be a strong release.
DIRT 5 definitely leaves an impression. Visually, its turn towards neon-drenched color leaves its various vehicles eye-popping against the dust and mud of its tracks. It's a contrast that works well, peeling away from the realism that often comes with off-road racing games and veering more into the vibe of Need For Speed Heat, while remaining grounded enough to keep long-term DIRT fans happy.
This more charismatic approach to design feeds through to its locations too. DIRT 5 hops from country to country, with the preview showcasing tracks from China, Brazil, Norway, and Arizona. These locations all have their own style, although the iconography for each may feel a little like a pastiche at times. Hopefully this will be leveled out more in the full release when there is more variety to be found.
DIRT 5 also ramps up the action with its driving, too, with the game feeling more accessible than what has come before - particularly in comparison to sister franchise DiRT Rally, which puts an emphasis on authenticity. According to Lead Designer Mike Moreton, this was a deliberate decision. "For us as a development team, it was essential to separate the DiRT Rally series from the numbered DIRT series," explained Moreton. "The Rally team does a fantastic job of providing the industry’s best rally sim experience. We wanted to do something different, something more accessible, that allows us to tread new ground and create a unique experience while still focusing on the off-road action that DIRT is famous for."
The perfect example of making DIRT 5 different comes with its Sprint racing. Sprint car racing truly tests the driver in ways that the other game modes don't, with short oval circuits and a requirement to get to grips with drifting to stay ahead of the competition. It's something that the handling designers spent a lot of time tuning, making it one of the most challenging - and interesting - aspects of this preview.
Aside from Sprint racing DIRT 5 also has plenty of other race modes, with the preview build also containing the Rallycross-esque Ultracross, the off-road Land Rush, and the jump-centric Stampede mode. The final game will also include a decent variety of race vehicles, with long-term fans of DIRT no doubt happy to see the return of 1990s rally cars alongside modern rally variants.
In short, DIRT 5 seems to be coming along well, in spite of the challenges. Like most companies regardless of industry COVID-19 has had an impact, but reportedly the team were quickly "able to implement a safe working from home policy" that dampened any potential problems. The transition to temporary home working could have long-term changes in the industry, and although it's too early to truly tell what this impact will be there are signs that remote working could become a more viable option than seen before such structures needed to be tested.
Moreton was able to explain that Codemasters stablemate Slightly Mad Studios has a remote working structure which other areas of the wider company have been able to learn from. "For our team, we have become accustomed to working together in an office, and we are aware of people being lonely and the effect this can have on mental health," said Moreton. "As long as we can still find ways to come together as a group, I think we will see more remote working in the future." Given how callous other studios in the industry have been about the mental health of their team, it's refreshing to see a concern for wellbeing elsewhere.
This quick reaction and adaptation comes through in how DIRT 5 is shaping up so far. From what's visible in this preview build, it's an undaunted take on the series. The proof will come with its release in October, but there are plenty of positive signs at the moment.
DIRT 5 releases October 9 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with future releases planned for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this preview.
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