I had tested Dakar Desert Rally during gamescom (find my post here). The experience had been great, but far too short. Already late for my next appointment, I had only had time for a brief test. As I didn't know the route, I just followed the instructions given by the developer from the Saber Porto studio who was at my side.
When I launched the game at home, seated in my racing seat, my TRS 300 wheel in my hands, I had to figure it out on my own. Fortunately, the game is of great help with, at first, the configuration of the hardware requiring a very brief, but effective, adjustment of the steering wheel and the pedals. Note a small problem on this side. Impossible to recognize my pedals when they are plugged directly into USB, like a second device. I had to take out the cable to connect them to the steering wheel. It's not a big concern. It's also not the first racing game where the situation has arisen.
I start my career and find myself embarked on a crowded race that takes me to discover both the controls and the vehicles. A car. A truck. A motorcycle. Terrain and weather also change. I was so engaged in the movement that I forgot to take screenshots. I only have the end, on a truck in the snow.
The main thing to understand concerns the indications displayed in the middle at the top of the screen, the roadbook, which gives the directions and the dangers to be avoided. A voice summarizes the same information for those who prefer audio. Personally, I use a bit of both. I find the indications displayed on the screen more precise and better timed but, sometimes, the road full of pitfalls does not leave too much time to lose your gaze so high!
By completing races, my driver gains experience, which gives him access to additional rallies (each rally requires a minimum level). It also accumulates money, which is used to repair vehicles and buy new ones, within the limit of unlocked slots in the garage.
To adapt to all pilots, three game modes are available:
- sport: occasional navigation, rally beacon available, repositioning available, lower repair costs, weaker opponents and auto-save at each waypoint.
- professional: realistic navigation, rally beacon not available, repositioning available, average repair costs, strong opponents and autosave at each waypoint.
- simulation: speed limit at 170 km/h (you must be level 25 to access it and see the details)
For my part, being a beginner in rallying, I opted for the sport mode whose permissiveness I appreciate. With first the possibility of repositioning my car on the trajectory in the event of leaving the track. I remember this moment when I got lost in the rocks, just next to the track. A little repositioning allowed me to cross the natural obstacle without damage! Reloading at the last waypoint, of course. What to cancel a silly mistake. There's nothing more frustrating than ruining a perfect race because of a stupid mistake at the end. Finally, I didn't use the repair of the car on the fly much during the race, mainly because of the time penalty. But it exists, despite the lack of realism.
In this mode, each stage is a race whose waypoints are indicated by large yellow beacons. Sometimes the directions are unclear, leaving room for improvisation, with only a compass giving the general destination to take. But even when the information is more precise, the way to reach the waypoints is at the discretion of each competitor. No penalty is inflicted on a car that decides to cut while climbing a dune or crossing a river. Just get to the waypoint, preferably with the least possible damage to the vehicle. Needless to say, there are quite a few hidden shortcuts that can save a lot of time. I remember the developer at gamescom making me borrow one from between some rocks.
All participants, regardless of their categories, compete. It's a bit chaotic sometimes, especially since the others are sometimes clumsy and I've more than once had an accident because of a competitor standing in the background. Impossible to brake in time in certain places where the visibility is bad (not to say nil). I love the adrenaline of directly confronting others, although of course the purists will probably prefer the professional mode because of that, to stick to the primary spirit of the rally: a driver (and sometimes his co-driver), alone to wild nature. Also note that this game mode is a bit misleading on the ranking. The position in the race is global, while the final results are adjusted by categories. Finally, it's usually a good surprise to finish a race fourth to finally finish first in my category.
The physics of the vehicles is correct even if I had some erratic behavior, with sudden loss of grip that I could not explain to myself. The rocks on the side of the road are very vicious: at worst, they should scratch my bodywork, not make me crash into the scenery... Finally, I had more than once the impression that the others were playing to bumper cars. They brake at any time and like to pull out unexpectedly. As with the rocks, it only takes a brief contact for my car to spin, forcing me to reload at the last waypoint or risk ruining my results. The steering wheel is also not always the most suitable. It is perfect for trucks and cars. This can pass for the buggy, or even the quad. But for the motorcycle, the two-wheeler is really too sensitive to be driven at the wheel! In this case, I took out a controller which does the job very well (at worst the keyboard also remains an option).
The environment is the real highlight of the game, and that doesn't matter the terrain, taking in the beautiful landscapes of Saudi Arabia. Because yes, if you didn't know, the championship has left the dunes of Africa, now far from the eponymous city which is located in Senegal, to settle in the Middle East for the next five years. I had the opportunity to race on asphalt, in sand and mud. To cross roads, rivers and wooden bridges. To pass between huge rocks or to weave between buildings. But I think the stage I preferred was this race which promised to be quiet, by the sea, but which ended in the turmoil of a dantesque storm. Between the lightning that tore the sky and the torrential rain that limited visibility, it was as stressful as it was enjoyable. The changing weather and the day/night cycle are perfect, each time with its share of surprises.
Finally, the camera is not left out, with many choices. This is essential to adapt correctly to different vehicles, even if I remain quite confined to an exterior rear view, which offers much better visibility on the ground than an interior view, which is certainly more immersive. And the immersion is ensured by the crackling noises of the engines without useless music which would come to scramble the primordial information of the co-pilot.
With a lot of content that is unlocked at each level, the levels going up rather quickly (at least at the beginning), Dakar Desert Rally does everything to keep its pilots. Like this great idea of unlocking vehicles with the sponsor wheel under the condition of using it in a race. This leads to doing more stages, therefore gaining even more levels, to unlock more and more rallies and events. In total, about thirty steps. To be discovered in all categories: cars, motorcycles, trucks, quads and buggies (SxS). With, for each of the vehicles, 2020 and 2022 editions, as well as classic (historic) vehicles.
Without forgetting the multiplayer mode which, although clearly not the focus of the game, still has the merit of existing (only playable online for four players).
Dakar Desert Rally is available now on PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox (One and Series X|S) at €39,99 in its classic version. The Deluxe Edition costs €59,99, including the Season Pass. The latter offers the DAF Truck Turbo-Twin and the Peugeot 405 Turbo 16. Five DLC packs are coming, which will add a map, vehicles and two events.
