For those interested in the single, and local multiplayer, side of the new Codemasters off-road racing game, more DIRT 5 story and career mode details have been shared.
DIRT 5 is coming to the Xbox Series X and Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PS4, and the PC in October 2020, with a Google Stadia version in early 2021. And it’s a departure from the more serious approach of the DiRT Rally titles (e.g. DiRT Rally 2.0), created by a seperate team within Codemasters to “be part of a vibe that delivers big on epic action”
The story puts you into a world-renowned off-road racing series, where you catch the eye of a superstar racer named Alex Janicek, or AJ (voiced by Troy Baker), who takes you under his wing as the game heads towards an epic race with rival Bruno Durand (voiced by Nolan North). And the fallout from their clash ‘lays the foundation for you to create your own legacy in the sport’.
Which sounds a bit like countless motorsport films over the years. A nice guy helps you out, but something happens when he races a cold, calculated, ultra-competitive rival and then you claim the spotlight. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyable – we’ll have to wait and see whether Codemasters deliver something either seriously engaging or fun and cheesy enough to enjoy.
But we do know the whole single player story will be covered by the in-game DIRT podcast by Donut Media, hosted by James Pumphrey and Nolan Sykes, and featuring special guests including AJ and Bruno, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, and Canadian Youtuber SLAPtrain.
All of which is nice, but more integral is the news that Career Mode is split into five chapters, each with multiple paths allowing you to pick how you want to progress. And if you did want to compete in everything, it will total more than 130 events across 9 different race types.
Results earn Stamps to unlock the Main Event for each chapter, and you’ll need to finish third in those to move on to the next stage. And if you complete specific objectives, you’ll unlock secret one-on-one Throwdowns.
Codemasters have also revealed more details on the 20 real-world brands featured as sponsors, including themselves, Monster Energy, Sparco, Michelin and more. As with other Codemasters games in the past (for example, GRID), you’ll be able to get money, liveries and stickers by signing with them, and get rewards for meeting their short, and long term, objectives.
There’s nothing particularly radical there if you’ve played previous Codemasters games. But there was one bit of more interesting news.
Not only does DIRT 5 feature local split-screen multiplayer for up to four players. But it also works in career mode, with other racers able to drop in and out of your game without halting your progression.
If you do have one or more friends joining you, the highest finishing player will count towards your Career as the Host. Additional racers get XP and currency for their own accounts, which they’ll have the next time they jump onto DIRT 5 as the host.
So that’s a bit different. If your mate happens to be a DIRT 5 ace, he (or she) can come round and get you lots of rewards in local career multiplayer. Or they can earn their own progress by letting you always be the best finisher…
You can check out all our latest DIRT 5 news, updates and more, here. Along with the full DIRT 5 car list with details of everything we’ve seen revealed so far.
Two versions of the game will be released, with the Amplified version granting 3 days early access, all post-launch content, and 3 gift cars in your garage at the start. DIRT 5 pre-orders all get a bonus of the Ford F-150 Raptor Pre-Runner by Deberti Design, and you can find it at Game or Amazon, or on Steam for the PC.
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