Dakar 18 (PS4)

If you're already a fan of rally raids then you should like this game. It's not a sim style racing game like dirt rally, it's really not. I can't stress this enough if you think this is just another dirt rally clone you couldn't more wrong.I took a chance on this game as I was torn between spending £50 on dirt rally 2.0 which I like the look of and the reviews seem to suggest it's good. This game was a bit cheaper at £27 and the reviews I had read and the videos I'd watched made it seem like this game would be very different to dirt rally 2.0. I took a chance and I'm so glad I did, I love this game!The basic premise of the game is there are 14 stages across different terrain and three countries, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. You get to choose which category you want to compete (or just try and finish!) these are car, bike, lorry, quad and SXS (dune buggy?). Dakar in real life is the toughest motorsport race in the world and this game will show you exactly why!The stages are incredibly long and I really meant llllooooonnnnnggg. I think on at least one stage I was over 1 and a half hours driving time without receiving any time penalties. You do get various waypoints at which the game will save your progress. In the early stages of the game the terrain is relatively easy as you mainly go up and down sand dunes. This terrain does drag on a bit but by the time you get to later stages you'll be wishing the entire game was nothing but sand dunes. It does get more and more difficult as you progress.So the cons, and there are a few as the game is not without it's flaws. Firstly, there is a steep learning curve with the navigation and roadbook which the game doesn't really explain well how to use. I had to search youtube for videos on how to read them and even after that it wasn't so simple. The roadbook is based on real rally roadbooks, so pay close attention to these before diving into the rally otherwise you will get lost.and lost you will get! The game just isn't like a follow the racetrack and you'll get to the finish. It's an open world, that means if you miss a turn you will get lost and will have to make your way back to the last point at which you recognise in your roadbook. The game will only help you out if you are at rookie competition level, if you decide to compete higher than that you're out of luck. Competitor level and higher the game will not guide you back to the rally. The only advice I can give is pay attention to your roadbook, read it, examine it and understand it.The driving of the cars feel more like arcade racing than sim racing, but the stages are well designed that it definitely still feels challenging to drive. I did notice on the later stages that the game engine was struggling to keep up with the pace of the car and generate the scenery. In some cases there was quite a bit of stuttering on screen. Noticeable but not game breaking in my opinion.The pro's... The open world stages are amazing well designed and challenging to drive, especially the later stages. There are many different types of surfaces and obstacles to overcome that it will keep your focused especially when you tackle the long stages. One of the things I always wished about the dirt rally stages is that they were always a bit too short so I really wanted to do a longer drive, which what attracted me to this game.I didn't know an awful lot about the real Dakar rally and this has actually sparked my interest in it. The game has made me understand and appreciate the level of difficulty of competing in the Dakar where even just finishing the race is an achievement in and of itself. I found myself googling and watching some of the real racing I found I really like it.The game developers have really captured that Dakar rally feeling very well and have translated it into a fascinating game to play. If they make another version of the game I'll definitely be straight in there to buy it! There's lot of room for improvement in the game itself, better explanation and more help with the navigation would be much better. I hope another one gets made as there is a lot of potential in this game and they might just be able to attract the sim racers if they change the driving to a more realistic version. I can see this possibly even turn into a future esport event with the right development and investment too.Bought it. Played it. Loved it.

Prompt delivery, as described by seller. 3 stars as game not as good as I hoped

I was dubious about this game after reading other reviews - some good, some bad.I should have taken notice of the bad ones!Good points...Graphically stunning.Bad points...GlitchyImpossible to control the car.Car dynamics are well off.Easy to get stuck in a piece of landscape.Did I say it is impossible to control the car? I did, oh ok...A shame, this could be a great game if the physics were nailed better.Or is it just me....?

This game is excellent. I believe it is a 1 to 1 scale of the 2018 Dakar rally. You can tell the game was made to a budget, but they spent the money in the right places and after an hour of gameplay they aren’t noticeable. The co- driver does get a little annoying and sometimes he gives directions too late but overall he is well done. The dune driving is also very good, although the track driving is a little weak (although the game is more dune focused than track). Overall it is definitely worth purchasing, although I wouldn’t pay more than £40 for it.

Its a bit tricky to get a hang of the navigation, but what a great game. Graphics are amazing and the open world to navigate across is a breath of fresh air.

Superb but hard, great graphics, great gameplay.Imagine a cross between Dirt Rally and Mud Runner in a massive open world and you are somewhere there.You will get lost so I suggest you starting off with a vehicle that has a co-driver until you get used to travelling from way point to way point. Save the bikes and quads until you have mastered the navigation system.All in all brilliant so far and a real game changer to the racing/driving genre. This one's a game changer, there is nothing else like this out there. Highly reccomended

Could have done a bit more but not to take away from the effort it’s a fair play.

Good game