Codemasters are one of the most prolific developers of racing games out there, and more often than not, the games they make tend to hit their mark. Their upcoming DiRT 5, too, looks like a solid new racer from the studio, perhaps even the most exciting a DiRT game has looked in recent years. Ahead of its upcoming launch, here we’ll be highlighting fifteen key details that you should know about the game. Without further ado, let’s get started.
ARCADE-FOCUSED
While DiRT is a series that one usually associates with rally racing and rally simulation, with DiRT 5, Codemasters are shaking things up a little bit. One look at the game in action shows a bright, colourful visual palette, extreme weather conditions, arcade-style driving, and more. DiRT 5 is geared much more towards an arcade racing experience than the series has ever been, and it’s frankly quite exciting.
STORY-DRIVEN CAREER MODE
One of DiRT 5’s most interest elements is its career mode, which, surprisingly enough, seems to have quite an narrative focus, especially for a racing game. It will see players going up against rival racer Bruno Durand across a series of championships, while being mentored by Alex “AJ” Janiček. Interestingly enough, Durand and AJ are going to be voiced by none other than Nolan North and Troy Baker respectively.
CAREER MODE DETAILS
Career Mode is promising to be quite full-featured even beyond the narrative-focus. Across several chapters, there will be a total of over 130 events and nine race types. Winning events will open up new events, and players will be able to take multiple paths forward through the campaign. As you win more events, you’ll earn more currency, more XP, and Stamps- earn enough Stamps and you will unlock that chapter’s Main Event. Finish 3rd or above in the Main Event, and you’ll progress to the next chapter.
CAR CLASSES
DiRT 5 will have thirteen unique car classes for players to choose between. The Cross Raid class will be good for tough terrains, while the Rock Bouncer will live up to its name with huge wheels and suspensions to match. Formula Off-Road will offer speed and better off-road driving ability, as it’s name suggests. The Rally Cross class will have speedy all-terrain vehicles. Classic Rally, 80s Rally, 90s Rally, and Modern Rally will have iconic rally cars from across different eras.
MORE CAR CLASSES
There’s still more car classes to go. Rally GT will featured speedy cars modified for off-road driving, including the likes of Porsche 911 R-GT and ston Martin V8 Vantage GT-4. Sprint, as its name suggests, will have sprint cars. The best SUVs will be in the Pre Runners class, Ulimited will feature big trucks for off-road events, while Super Lites be compact and lighter vehicles.
LOCATIONS
You’ll be driving all over the globe in DiRT 5. The game features several unique locations. These include South Africa, Arizona, Italy, Norway, New York, China, Nepal and Morocco. Across these locations, there will be a total of over 70 race routes that you’ll be driving through throughout the course of the game.
EVENTS
There’s going to be no shortage of events either. DiRT favourites such as Time Trial, Sprint, Rally Raid, and Gymkhana will, of course, be returning. Ultra Cross will be a more extreme and condensed take on Rally Cross. Landrush and Stampede also return. The new Path Finder events will present you with hardcore off-road and elevation challenges. Finally, the Ice Breaker events – another new addition – will put the focus on navigating through treacherous icy tracks.
WEATHER AND SEASONS SYSTEM
DiRT 5’s flashiest new feature is its new dynamic weather and seasons system, which also features extreme weather such as sandstorms, blizzards, and thunderstorms. Weather systems will also be dynamic, which means you might begin a race with relatively clear weather, only to find a sandstorm coming in in the middle of the race. Meanwhile, certain events will only be playable during specific seasons- such as the Ice Breaker events, which can only be played during winter months.
PLAYGROUNDS
DiRT 5 will also feature a course creator mode, known as Playgrounds. You’ll be able to create Gymkhana, Gate Crasher, and Smash Attack courses, while setting your own challenges, crafting the course’s layout, adding obstacles, and more. Playground Mode will also feature cross-gen support, which means arenas courses created on a PS4 or Xbox One will still be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X / S respectively (and vice versa).
MULTIPLAYER
DiRT 5 will, of course, have an online multiplayer component, but you will now also be able to play the game in split-scree co-op. The game will support upto four players in split-screen, and allow multiple racers to take on various events and challenges together. Essentially, any event in the Career Mode that features multiple cars on a track will allow split-screen. It will be a drop-in-drop-out affair, and whichever player finishes in the highest position will be counted towards progress in the campaign.
PHOTO MODE
Photo Modes aren’t exactly a necessity in games, but more and more releases have Photo Modes these days, because players love a good Photo Mode. DiRT 5 will have one too, right at launch. Specific details on what features it will have haven’t been revealed by Codemasters yet, but we’re hoping it will give players plenty of tools to craft the perfect snapshots.
NEXT-GEN
DiRT 5 is out on November 6 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but next-gen releases for the racer have also been confirmed. On November 10, DiRT 5 will release as a launch title for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Meanwhile, the game is also coming to the PS5, but an exact release date for that hasn’t yet been confirmed. In 2021, DiRT 5 will also come to Stadia.
NEXT-GEN ENHANCEMENTS
Codemasters seem to be leveraging next-gen hardware quite well for DiRT 5’s PS5 and Xbox Series X / S versions. It will run in 4K on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, while on those two and on the Series S, it will also offer a 120 FPS options. On all next-gen consoles, it will have faster loading and more visual enhancements to boot. Meanwhile, on the PS5, the game will also make use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. DiRT 5 also supports free next-gen upgrades on both Xbox and PlayStation. That said, while the Xbox version will support cross-gen saves, that won’t be the case on PlayStation, and PS4 players won’t be able to take their save data and Trophies with them when upgrading to the PS5.
PC REQUIREMENTS
If you’re planning on playing DiRT 5 on a PC, exactly what kind of a rig will you need? The requirements aren’t too demanding. On minimum requirements you’ll need an 8 GB RAM, 60 GB of free storage, either an RX 480 or a GTX 970, and either an AMD FX 4300 or an Intel Core i3 2130. Meanwhile, on recommended settings, you’ll a 16 GB RAM, either a Radeon 5700XT or a GTX 1070 Ti, and either an AMD Ryzen 3600 or an Intel Core i5 9600K. Storage space requirements here will still be 60 GB though.
AMPLIFIED EDITION
You also have the option of purchasing DiRT 5’s Amplified Edition. For $80, on top of the base game, Amplified Edition will give players instant access to three-player sponsors with fresh objectives, rewards and liveries, XP and currency boosts, and three cars in the garage- the Ariel Nomad Tactical, the Audi TT Safari, and the Volkswagen Beetle Rallycross. More importantly, those who purchase the Amplified Edition will also get access to the game three days before launch, on November 3.
