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Dakar Desert Rally played: 10 things learned

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Dakar Desert Rally played: Here is what you need to know about the official game of the mighty Dakar rally ahead of my detailed review.

Truth be told, I was not expecting much from Dakar Desert Rally – a game made by Saber Porto, sister studio to SnowRunner’s Saber Interactive and formerly Bigmoon Entertainment. The same developer behind the unsightly and physics-bodging Dakar 18.

And yet here I am really rather impressed to the point my full review, coming soon, is a bit of an epic. I did actually want to publish it first, having put in tens of hours of playtime over the weekend, but unfortunately there are two things I wanted to test but were unable to.

So until then, let me give you 10 things you really should know instead. Because perhaps you are itching to pull the trigger on the latest Dakar game, which is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S.

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

Buy Dakar Desert Rally

Everyone can play

Because Dakar Desert Rally is split into three game modes – Sport, Professional and Simulation – you do not necessarily need to be a compass wizard to enjoy. Sport has everyone racing off the start line at the same time and directions are done for you.

That is not to say you cannot take a wrong turn, far from it, but satisfaction mainly comes from bettering some of the magnificent scenery around you.

Head into Professional and you have to learn what cap bearing and “stay on track” mean. Because otherwise you will never reach the assigned checkpoints – let alone make it to the finish line. The tutorial is good at getting you up to speed, but the best thing to do is have a few goes.

Simulation, meanwhile, unlocks at rank 25. This took me about 13 hours to get to and it opens the door to the biggest stages in the game – hundreds of kilometres. Plus you get all the hardcore rules such as a 140kmh top speed limit, tougher AI, little navigation help and tougher penalties.

Dynamic weather is a thing

Yes, Dakar Desert Rally takes a page out of the Forza Horizon playbook. The rally racer boasts dynamic weather that can mean lightning storms one second and heavy snow or blistering sun the next. Not only does this look cool, it adds to the immersion and realism of its Saudi Arabia map.

On a similar note, Dakar Desert Rally features a day-to-night cycle. This means your headlights are more than just decorative, they can be essential when navigating between sand dunes and rocks with only the stars above you to light the way.

The graphics are impressive

Not that graphics make a game good, but it does help when the aim of Dakar Desert Rally is to convey some of its sheer scale, brutal nature and isolation. And all of those tick boxes are checked here.

Not only is the terrain detailed and devoid of pop-in and other graphical foibles, the scenery is more varied than its desert-based location suggests. Rivers, lakes, tunnels, rocky canyons, gigantic sand dunes, buildings and more all bring Saudi Arabia alive.

As for size, the map looks absolutely huge although currently all 38 stages take place in the more northern areas and there is sadly no free roam option. At least, not yet.

The handling is fun

Bit of a pre-review spoiler alert, but anyway I am happy to announce that Dakar Desert Rally has enjoyable handling. A far cry from Dakar 18. The bikes, trucks and cars err on the arcadey side, but you can definitely feel each vehicle’s weight and grip levels.

Honestly, blitzing along at high speeds in such unforgiving terrain is hugely satisfying. Especially the nimble motorbikes, which spend a lot of the time flying through the air, and the tail-happy, thunderous trucks.

The cars can be great fun, too, especially with the inner cock-pit view where you can see the gearshifts taking place. A neat touch.

However, the quad bikes can be annoyingly twitchy and prone to facing backwards when going downhill or if you steer too much. Smaller SXS lightweight vehicles can be a little problematic too – but certainly nothing as bad as in Dakar 18.

The roadbooks are authentic

Said to be inspired by actual Dakar races, those essential navigation roadbooks provide all the instructions you need to be successful. Once, of course, you know how to use them and can cope with driving and reading them at the same time. Easier said than done, I will put it that way.

While there are a fair few slow, technical moments, quite a lot of the Dakar Desert Rally experience is spent on high-speed, gentle meandering trails that have you grinning like an idiot. The fact some of these may seem familiar is a bonus.

You can tune your vehicle…

Yes, vehicle tuning is a thing. And look away now if you play SnowRunner because Dakar Desert Rally has adjustable tyre pressure. Apart from the fact you can see it in action, it actually has a bearing on handling. Pumping it up, for instance, helps with oversteer.

You can also mess around with camber, differential settings, ride height and a whole lot more. Unless on a bike, in which case you have a mere two settings. This gives the game added depth – although the version I played is lacking the ability to customise parts or change the paintjob.

…And there are many of them

Factor in the Legends Pack truck and motorbike, plus the three electric pre-order Audis, and you have 37 starter vehicles within your budget. A mixture of trucks, SXS lightweight vehicles, quad bikes, motorbikes and cars as previously mentioned.

This include official teams, drivers and vehicles from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events plus some cool classic vehicles given as ‘ultimate rewards’. These are rather distinctive, I will say that much.

Once you save up enough money earned through racing, you can choose from a much larger catalogue of wheeled-steeds, many of which boast unique engine sounds, cockpits and handling.

Test drives are a thing

Speaking of which, Dakar Desert Rally lets you rev the engine of every vehicle before purchase and you can even go for a test drive at a circuit, where it is possible to switch between weather types at the press of a button.

While the vehicles are not particularly expensive and money seems to come in at an enviable rate, it is at least cool to pick your vehicle based on how it sounds and handles – not just whether you like the colour.

Steering wheel support is decent

Now for steering wheels. I know many of you enjoy using them for racing games and Dakar Desert Rally is particularly enticing in this area. The good news is that a variety of steering wheels are said to be supported at launch, the full list of which is:

    • Thrustmaster T248
    • Thrustmaster T-GT
    • Thrustmaster T-GT II
    • Thrustmaster TMX
    • Thrustmaster TS-XW
    • Thrustmaster T80 (PC & PS4)
    • Thrustmaster T80 Ferrari 458 Edition
    • Thrustmaster T150
    • Thrustmaster T300
    • Thrustmaster T300RS
    • Thrustmaster T500RS
    • Thrustmaster TX Racing Leather Edition
    • Logitech G77
    • Logitech G29
    • Logitech G920
    • Logitech G923 TrueForce
    • Logitech Pro Racing Wheel
    • Fanatec CSL Elite
    • Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro Premium
    • Fanatec ClubSport
    • Hori Racing Wheel Overdrive (RWO)
    • Hori Racing Wheel Apex (RWA)
    • Hori FFb Racing Wheel DLX (RWD) PS & Xbox
    • Simucube 2 Sport Wheelbase
    • Simucube & Heusinkveld Pedals

The bad news is that gearing can only be automatic or semi-automatic although during a race it seems fine to shift up and down using paddles if you want more control.

As for controller, the game plays well. Admittedly joysticks can emphasise the snappy nature of the quad bikes and SXS vehicles, but overall I had a blast.

Online multiplayer is a thing

And finally, for those who want to take on the world Dakar Desert Rally has you covered. Its Online Free Mode, weird name if you ask me, lets you jump into a race and test your skills via quick play or you can setup specific scenarios as part of the custom game mode.

Either way, I found Dakar Desert Rally performed well despite my typically slow internet speeds. Unfortunately it was not enough to save me from crashing into multiple trees.

When is the Dakar Desert Rally release date?

The Dakar Desert Rally release date of the 4th of October has been and possibly gone, depending on when you watch this. So head on over to the relevant gaming platform store to give it a go. Feel free to use the link in the pinned comment.

And on that note, thank you for watching. Subscribe, like and maybe even donate for more gaming videos, including my aforementioned Dakar Desert Rally review and some tips and tricks.