Dakar Desert Rally: Everything you need to know

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Dakar Desert Rally is no longer a mirage as SnowRunner maker Saber Interactive has unveiled the release date and a whole lot more info about this open-world rally racer.

If you want to know about Dakar Desert Rally, this is the place. If you want actual gameplay though, unfortunately at this point in time the wait continues – more on that later.

Dakar Desert Rally is what its maker calls the “biggest open world rally racing game ever” and is based on the gruelling real-life Dakar Rally. Where heavy-duty trucks, bikes, quad bikes and cars routinely fall apart, get lost or both.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or go here.

Read: Dakar Desert Rally review

Dakar Desert Rally: What to expect?

Though the mechanics of Dakar Desert Rally are still unknown, the developer says players will get to “experience intense off-road action from the official 2022, 2021 and 2020 Dakar raids, with a wide range of authentic vehicles, realistic physics and visuals, and dynamic seasons and weather”.

Developer Saber Porto added: “Dakar Desert Rally captures the genuine speed and excitement of the Amaury Sport Organisation’s (ASO) largest rally race on the planet. This includes a wide variety of licensed vehicles from the world’s top makers, including motorcycles, cars, trucks, quads and SSVs.”

As for what you get to do, Saber Porto says you can expect to “take on unique challenges for off-road simulation die-hards and casual racing fans alike” and to “compete online in fierce four-player multiplayer races or navigate the vast wilds in single-player offline”.

Yes, the word “vast” is used. That and the mention of it being the “biggest open-world rally racer ever” suggest we can expect a similar vibe to Dakar 18 – a game that was not brilliantly executed, but it did let you get lost in seemingly endless expanses of sandy nothingness.

Adding to the authenticity is the fact Dakar Desert Rally uses road books inspired by the actual ones used in the 2022, 2021 and 2020 races. Put the game in ‘Sport’ mode and said routes become more arcadey.

Dakar 18 heritage

Interestingly, for me anyway, Saber Porto was born out of Saber Interactive’s acquisition of Bigmoon Entertainment – another Portuguese studio. Who developed Dakar 18? Bigmoon Entertainment. Dramatic prairie dog time.

What does that mean, Ben? Well, potentially we will see a combination of Dakar 18’s game mechanics combined with Saber Interactive’s truck physics and other know-how seen in SnowRunner. Hopefully with improved handling at speed, mind you.

The current trailer is aimed at getting people to pre-order the game. Do so and you get the Audi RS Q e-tron on screen – the first electric vehicle to win a desert rally. Not any other much nicer sounding Dakar machines, as pointed out in the pre-order video comments.

How many vehicles and stages?

So what else do we know about Dakar Desert Rally? Well, there are more than 30 stages of full rally racing to compete in from the last three years using officially licensed vehicles, teams and pilots. Action takes place in Saudi Arabia.

Something absent from SnowRunner that you get in the latest Dakar game is dynamic weather. The developer says to expect all four seasons and a full day-to-night cycle. That includes, and I quote, “billowing sandstorms, blazing desert sunlight, gruelling rain and snow and deep mud”.

How much does Dakar Desert Rally cost? US$40 or equivalent in your currency for the standard version. Or US$59.99 or equivalent for the Deluxe Edition, which features the DAF Truck Turbo-Twin and Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 as day-one vehicles.

You also get five upcoming DLC packs with a new map, new vehicles and two new rally events. Basically, more things to do when using the game’s motorcycles, cars, trucks, quads and SSVs – more than 150 of them in total, according to the official website.

Steering wheel support

What about Dakar Desert Rally steering wheel support? Well, 18 models are listed so far, boring list incoming: Thrustmaster T248, T-GT II, TMX, TS-XW, T-GT, T150, T300, T80, T500, TX-Racing, Ferrari 458, Logitech G27, G920, G29, Fanatec Clubsport, Clubsport BMW, CSL Elite Racing and CSL Elite.

Saber Porto, part of the same group as Saber Interactive, says the Dakar Desert Rally release date will be the 4^th of October 2022 on PC (Epic and Steam stores), PlayStation and Xbox.

So why the criticism?

How has the reception been so far, you might ask. Well, game trailers with zero gameplay go down as well as cattlegrids at a hedgehog convention. “If you want me to pre-order show actual gameplay,” said one commenter.

Another added: “Still no gameplay footage yet you want money?” “No gameplay, no money.” “A trailer without gameplay.” I think you get the idea.

So when will we see actual Dakar Desert Rally gameplay? Well, those attending Gamescom have been invited to play a 30-minute demo somewhere between the 24^th and 26^th of August. Those not attending such as me will be getting a press release with who knows what. Probably gameplay.

And that is it for my second Dakar Desert Rally video. The lack of gameplay could be seen as concerning, but it could also be because of scheduling and trying not to spoil the surprise of the Gamescom demo. Be sure to like, subscribe and touch that bell for more content.