Joshua Winkler

Bitterly disappointing. I cannot recommend this game if you are expecting something akin to Forza Horizon or Dirt 2. You will not get that experience here. Do not be fooled by the pretty visuals; this is an empty shell of a game that will neither deliver an immersive nor a rewarding racing experience. Excellent weather effects is the only redeeming quality of a game that is simply flashy packaging with almost no substance in terms of visuals, immersion, and depth of driving mechanics. The Forza Horizon series perfectly balanced a lively festival environment with multiple layers of immersion that made you feel as though you were in a living, breathing world of racing with semi arcade but deep physics that required true driving skill to master, and rewarded you for developing your skills. Dirt 5 seeks to invoke this feel, but utterly fails both in driving mechanics and environmental presentation. Dirt 5 is wrapped in a flashy veneer that quickly reveals a hollow world once you scratch the surface. It lacks the layers of immersion that define Dirt 2 and Horizon, and the driving physics are oversimplified to the point that minimal skill is required to negotiate the track. Surfaces do not have significant impact on the feel of the race so gravel feels much like mud and snow. There is no track erosion seen in games like Dirt Rally 2.0 so subsequent laps don’t really change the nature of the race except for a few prescripted events where snow build up or rain or time of day change occurs the exact same way during a three lap race. The festival thematics (which ostensibly is the center of gravity of the title’s disposition) are seen in the forms of colorful still menus, lively music, and the occasional colored smoke or firework on the track, but that is about the extent of it. The story rivalry story isn’t very engaging and there are no cutscenes or story pieces that make you feel like part of something bigger. The races themselves are so arcade-driven, that skilled driving is not rewarded. The game uses a very cheap slingshot trick to give off the illusion of a close race. Essentially, when you exit a corner several car lengths ahead of the pack, the trailing vehicles suddenly are accelerated to unrealistic levels and blast by you, even if you perfectly execute a corner, so what you end up with is a very cool looking game of Mario Kart. Additionally, vehicle damage is mild, both visually and otherwise, and the tracks are not well constructed; you are often punished for tiny obstacles which will completely stop your travel or cause your vehicle to react unrealistically, thus resulting in you being impossibly behind the pack with not way to catch up, which seems to defeat the balance of an arcade style racer. This game fails to hit the mark because it tries to fit into the fun festival racing arcade experience that made Dirt 2 and the Horizon series famous, but it doesn’t nail the festival component and it whiffs on the racing mechanics; it just feels like a very pretty looking but ultimately, and sadly, an empty experience. It pains me to write this review, as I have been a Dirt fan for years and I love the festival style games, but I would recommend you spend your money elsewhere. Hopefully next time around, Codemasters will not outsource their brand. In the meantime, buy an Xbox and get Forza Horizon 4 if you want a festival racer, or buy Dirt 4 or Dirt Rally 2.0 if you are hungry for a rally simulation.