DIRT 5: General Discussion

Playing this on gamepass and could use some tips on how to deal with the sprint car and formula off road. Those two I can not just figure out
Sprint Car is designed to turn left, and has a ton of power. If you fight the car it'll bite back but if you coast into the turns and only go full-power when you're straight you'll get the hang of it.
 


tl;dr: no name cars, feature that should have been in the game at launch, and a bunch of liveries ripped straight from Rally 2.0.

Feels like it's just waiting for the other shoe to drop when Codemasters drops all support for the game, especially when you consider that Rally 2.0 is still pulling in more concurrent player numbers on Steam then this game.
 
New Achievements alongside the update:

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Still no ffb for TM t300rs on ps4 pro..

So disappointing that CM's would rather suck money from people with dlc rather than fix the game for those that paid for it originally..
 
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Not a fan of these fictional cars but I'm surprised to see multiclass races when I played the new career events. Weirdly they didn't mention the inclusion of multiclass in its announcement article too.
 
So admittedly this is coming from someone just trying out the Free Trial version, but I found this game alot of fun. Some particular vehicles that stuck out to me out of all the available default one:

Jupiter Hawk 410: First time since an old PS3 game that I've driven a sprint car (And with a wheel this time as opposed to a controller). Same result though: Super difficult to really get right if you're attempting it for the first time but super rewarding once you do figure it out.

WS Auto Racing Titan: First time I've driven this kind of vehicle on any game and given what I've seen watching it in real life, it's way more fun to hot lap or race in this thing then it should be. Sure it's only got 3 gears but once you figure out the torque, it's a blast to throw around.

Peugeot 306 Maxi: Abit down a power but super grippy. Even on ice, it's quite phenomenal to use.
 
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I've end up enjoying it enough to stop playing so I can do it properly when I buy the game.

The track design is magnificent, pure Driveclub genius. Graphics are nice, not that good, but understandable for many reasons, like they are working with a trillion different pieces of hardware instead of just one. The story is fantastic, one of the very few times I enjoy this stuff in a racing game. Having two acting prodigies helps, even if they are not doing much.

The best part is the AI. Holy cow they can drive efficiently in packs. But they also can put up a challenge 1 on 1 while being respectful. Amazing. It's very inconsistent, but I'm happy I'm slow enough to enjoy it when they are as fast as me. :)

And contrary to Driveclub, the worst part is the driving mechanics. Totally inaccurate at slow speed or when you need to get the car straight. Cars lack weight and personality. It's a shame. It's not gamebreaking, but neither it helps the game to shine.
 
I have recently got into the playgrounds. Not the creating of them as I have precisely zero qualities and imagination for these but some of the tracks the community have created are outstanding. (Some are quite terrible too).

Both my boy and I set times for each other, which pushes us both near the top of the times.

This gives an enduring life for this title, which I have fully enjoyed since the day I popped the disc in.
 
So, I got the complete game (with DLC) on sale a few days ago and have been playing a healthy amount of it so far. I'm currently aabout halfway through the normal career and have done a few races in the 2 DLC career paths, so here are some of my thoughts.

The Good
  • Car Variety: I'm really digging the overall car variety in this game, especially when it comes to some of the more unusual vehicle choices. It's always good to have the normal offroad options like the Evo 6, Impreza S4, Touareg Raid, RS200, etc., but oddball choices like the Aston Martin DBX, Audi AI Trail and Porsche Taycan really help this game stand out in terms of car rosters. It's oddly hilarious seeing a Cadillac Escalade trade paint and do jumps alongside F-150 Raptors. I think the only category this game could use would be an "Open Class" category, as a way to introduce some of the more modern Group N cars, or even the cars currently used by Subaru WRT USA.
  • In-game visuals: Even on performance mode (X1X with a 1080P television) DiRT 5's tracks and environments are very, very good looking. I enjoy the bright colors everywhere, the way that lightning storms light up the entire track for a moment (general safety be damned), the various background details of each environment, etc. It all creates a very good looking and fun-to-revisit atmosphere.
  • Soundtrack: A major point for me in any game, racing or otherwise, is the music, and I gotta say the soundtrack in here is pretty solid. While I'm admittedly not familiar with most of the artists and songs in the game, I've yet to hear a song that I've just gotten completely sick of. Even Ace Combat, a series that I adore for both its music and gameplay, doesn't have that personal accolade. I feel like all the music so far fits the general atmosphere of the game, and I also really dig the 3D music element. The only thing I could really ask for in regards to the music is for there to be some kind of UI element in both the menu & pause menu that shows what song is being played, a la older NFS games with EA trax.
  • Physics: Even though DiRT 5 is very much an arcade racer with numbed-down physics compared to DR 2.0, I still personally find it to be an enjoyable experience for the most part.* I find it has this odd but good setup where if you drive a car poorly, instead of loosing the car, you just lose a lot of speed, but can still drive. On the flipside, I feel like you still get complete control and the game allows you to pull some pretty insane moves without completly destroying you. Drifting the BMW M1 on its skinny dirt tires through a long, shallow corner on the power is so much fun. Insanely unrealistic, but fun.
  • Voice Acting: Yes, really. While most of the lines spoken are corny as hell, and some of the "celebrity" guests on the Donut Podcast feel very phoned-in (heh), I get the impression that Codies basically gave everyone a basic idea of what they wanted to say, but otherwise let them have at it. I'm not gonna say that it's great, but it feels like all parties involved aren't taking it too seriously and are just having a good time with it all. It is a bit jarring to hear Troy Baker and Nolan North in a racing game, in both a good and bad way, but it feels like both of them are super relaxed time talking (even through Bruno Durand could probably have his own page on TV Tropes), which I do enjoy.
The Bad
  • AI Consistency: The AI's overall speed is, shall we say, inconsistent. Even on Very Hard difficulty, the AI can't seem to make up it's mind on how easy a time it wants to give me. Some races the AI puts up a fight and stays on my tail the entirety of a race, and is always looking for an opportunity to overtake. Other times I'm able to get the lead by the first lap or first few corners, and it's smooth-sailing from there. That being said as well, when the AI is on it, it's on it, which occasionally leads to some moments of frustration where the AI seems to just be robotic, and doesn't seem to have any problems driving their cars, even if their driving a vehicle that is known for being very slidey.. They also seem to get random speed boosts so that they can stay on you at all times. It's not Forza or GRID 2019 levels of bad, where the AI straight-up cheat, but I do feel like this aspect could be much better.
  • Sponsor Challenges: There are some down-right ridiculous sponsor challenges in this game. While most of the time they're pretty simple to beat and don't require much effort, some of them are just silly, if not unrealistic depending on the car/track combo. I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten things like "Get 20 seconds of Air Time" on a track that only has one big jump and maybe a few bumps, or things like "Exceed 70 MPH for 20 seconds" using a car class (typically Pre-Runners) that struggle to even hit such speeds before the next corner. Some of the Career challenges can be a pain, as some rely on either complete coincidence (finish a race in the air) or grinding a particular event (Perform 20 Donuts). While I appreciate the option to re-roll objectives, I'd prefer it if the objectives got a second look by the dev team and were adjusted.
  • Livery System: This one I went back-and-forth between putting it in "The Bad" and "The Ugly." I don't have a problem with the Livery System per se (I can make satisfactory use of my options, even if they are limited), but rather the overall economy that surrounds it. The fact that you have to spend in-game cash for almost every option gets a bit annoying, especially as money, while not necessarily hard to come by, does take a bit to save up, and some options are just not worth, especially for new vehicle patterns or some of the more stylish options. For the price of another livery pattern on the Impreza RX Supercar, I can buy at least 1-2, sometimes more, vehicles for every class outside of Rally Cross and Unlimited. Also, considering how long it takes to just unlock a new pattern for each car, I've yet to make more than one custom pattern for each vehicle, and just go between that and the pre-made paint jobs. I also feel like there should be more than 4 places to put sponsors on each car, but that's admittedly pretty minor.
  • Odd Vehicle Design: This is moreso a personal gripe, but there are some vehicles in the game that just don't look the part compared to others in their class. The Porsche Taycan and Aston DBX comes to mind. For me it's a bit odd that what appears to be a bone-stock DBX, with almost no upgrades (not even a roll cage and safety equipment) other than off-road tires, is able to keep up with and beat purpose-built F-150s and the like. This isn't anything I expect to realistically be changed, as it would require new vehicle models for a handful of cars, but it does bug me nonetheless.
The Ugly
  • *Lack of Vehicle Tuning: While I sang the praises of the physics earlier, there are, however, some vehicle/track combos that leave a good bit to be desired, or some vehicle setups that honestly don't feel great. While I know that DiRT 5 is meant to be pick-up-and-play, the lack of vehicle tuning is pretty frustrating. I'd like to at least have the option of adjusting each car so that I can make it faster, make it better suited to the track, or just make it behave in a way that fits my preferences.
  • AI Racecraft: While I mentioned the AI consistency earlier, the AI's overall racecraft is just poor. The AI has a tendency to enter every corner 2-wide and make no effort to really separate or take the racing line, or they basically pretend I don't exist. This creates a bunch of situations where either I am completely blocked going into a corner, or I get forced into the wall in a giant metal sandwich because the AI forgets that I'm also there (to be fair, they seem to do the same thing against themselves as well), or I get spun out trying to separate myself from the pack. It also gives me the impression that some of the tracks (namely the Cape Town Stadium circuit) wasn't initially designed with 12 cars in mind.
  • Ignition Career: The Ignition Career path is just a slog imo. To echo what @Famine and @Scaff said in their initial reviews, The first few races (and the first path as a whole) feel like you're doing the same races over and over, but with just different locations. After getting thorugh to the next set of races that had more vehicle variety, it became a lot more enjoyable, but I will say my fondness for the X-raid Class isn't super high after seemingly spending most of my time driving the VW Touareg and Porsche Macan.
  • Lack of Replay: I know that this drum has been beaten to death since launch, but it really irks me that there's no replay system in the game. This is the first game in a while where I really wanted a replay system just to check out some of the moves I've made on the track, but the lack of a replay system means I don't get that option. I'm really hoping this returns at some point during the game's lifecycle.
Overall, despite my issues with the game, I do generally like it and have been having a fun time so far. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it is a good time all the same. HAven't touched Playgrounds yet, I think I'll wait until I finish the main career before venturing into that territory.
 
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So, I got the complete game (with DLC) on sale a few days ago and have been playing a healthy amount of it so far. I'm currently about halfway through the normal career and have done a few races in the 2 DLC career paths, so here are some of my thoughts.

The Good
  • Car Variety: I'm really digging the overall car variety in this game, especially when it comes to some of the more unusual vehicle choices. It's always good to have the normal offroad options like the Evo 6, Impreza S4, Touareg Raid, RS200, etc., but oddball choices like the Aston Martin DBX, Audi AI Trail, and Porsche Taycan really help this game stand out in terms of car rosters. It's oddly hilarious seeing a Cadillac Escalade trade paint and do jumps alongside F-150 Raptors. I think the only category this game could use would be an "Open Class" category, as a way to introduce some of the more modern Group N cars, or even the cars currently used by Subaru WRT USA.
  • In-game visuals: Even on performance mode (X1X with a 1080P television) DiRT 5's tracks and environments are very, very good looking. I enjoy the bright colors everywhere, the way that lightning storms light up the entire track for a moment (general safety be damned), the various background details of each environment, etc. It all creates a very good-looking and fun-to-revisit atmosphere.
  • Soundtrack: A major point for me in any game, racing or otherwise, is the music, and I gotta say the soundtrack in here is pretty solid. While I'm admittedly not familiar with most of the artists and songs in the game, I've yet to hear a song that I've just gotten completely sick of. Even Ace Combat, a series that I adore for both its music and gameplay, doesn't have that personal accolade. I feel like all the music so far fits the general atmosphere of the game, and I also really dig the 3D music element. The only thing I could really ask for in regards to the music is for there to be some kind of UI element in both the menu & pause menu that shows what song is being played, a la older NFS games with EA Trax.
  • Physics: Even though DiRT 5 is very much an arcade racer with numbed-down physics compared to DR 2.0, I still personally find it to be an enjoyable experience for the most part.* I find it has this odd but good setup where if you drive a car poorly, instead of losing the car, you just lose a lot of speed, but can still drive. On the flip side, I feel like you still get complete control and the game allows you to pull some pretty insane moves without completely destroying you. Drifting the BMW M1 on its skinny dirt tires through a long, shallow corner on the power is so much fun. Insanely unrealistic, but fun.
  • Voice Acting: Yes, really. While most of the lines spoken are corny as hell, and some of the "celebrity" guests on the Donut Podcast feel very phoned-in (heh), I get the impression that Codies basically gave everyone a basic idea of what they wanted to say, but otherwise let them have at it. I'm not gonna say that it's great, but it feels like all parties involved aren't taking it too seriously and are just having a good time with it all. It is a bit jarring to hear Troy Baker and Nolan North in a racing game, in both a good and bad way, but it feels like both of them are super relaxed time talking (even through Bruno Durand could probably have his own page on TV Tropes), which I do enjoy.
The Bad
  • AI Consistency: The AI's overall speed is, shall we say, inconsistent. Even on Very Hard difficulty, the AI can't seem to make up it's mind on how easy a time it wants to give me. Some races the AI puts up a fight and stays on my tail the entirety of a race, and is always looking for an opportunity to overtake. Other times I'm able to get the lead by the first lap or first few corners, and it's smooth-sailing from there. That being said as well, when the AI is on it, it's on it, which occasionally leads to some moments of frustration where the AI seems to just be robotic, and doesn't seem to have any problems driving their cars, even if their driving a vehicle that is known for being very slidey.. They also seem to get random speed boosts so that they can stay on you at all times. It's not Forza or GRID 2019 levels of bad, where the AI straight-up cheat, but I do feel like this aspect could be much better.
  • Sponsor Challenges: There are some down-right ridiculous sponsor challenges in this game. While most of the time they're pretty simple to beat and don't require much effort, some of them are just silly, if not unrealistic depending on the car/track combo. I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten things like "Get 20 seconds of Air Time" on a track that only has one big jump and maybe a few bumps, or things like "Exceed 70 MPH for 20 seconds" using a car class (typically Pre-Runners) that struggle to even hit such speeds before the next corner. Some of the Career challenges can be a pain, as some rely on either complete coincidence (finish a race in the air) or grinding a particular event (Perform 20 Donuts). While I appreciate the option to re-roll objectives, I'd prefer it if the objectives got a second look by the dev team and were adjusted.
  • Livery System: This one I went back-and-forth between putting it in "The Bad" and "The Ugly." I don't have a problem with the Livery System per se (I can make satisfactory use of my options, even if they are limited), but rather the overall economy that surrounds it. The fact that you have to spend in-game cash for almost every option gets a bit annoying, especially as money, while not necessarily hard to come by, does take a bit to save up, and some options are just not worth it, especially for new vehicle patterns or some of the more stylish options. For the price of another livery pattern on the Impreza RX Supercar, I can buy at least 1-2, sometimes more, vehicles for every class outside of Rally Cross and Unlimited. Also, considering how long it takes to just unlock a new pattern for each car, I've yet to make more than one custom pattern for each vehicle and just go between that and the pre-made paint jobs. I also feel like there should be more than 4 places to put sponsors on each car, but that's admittedly pretty minor.
  • Odd Vehicle Design: This is more so a personal gripe, but there are some vehicles in the game that just don't look the part compared to others in their class. The Porsche Taycan and Aston DBX come to mind. For me, it's a bit odd that what appears to be a bone-stock DBX, with almost no upgrades (not even a roll cage and safety equipment) other than off-road tires, is able to keep up with and beat purpose-built F-150s and the like. This isn't anything I expect to realistically be changed, as it would require new vehicle models for a handful of cars, but it does bug me nonetheless.
The Ugly
  • *Lack of Vehicle Tuning: While I sang the praises of the AI earlier, there are, however, some vehicle/track combos that leave a good bit to be desired, or some vehicle setups that honestly don't feel great. While I know that DiRT 5 is meant to be pick-up-and-play, the lack of vehicle tuning is pretty frustrating. I'd like to at least have the option of adjusting each car so that I can make it faster, make it better suited to the track, or just make it behave in a way that fits my preferences.
  • AI Racecraft: While I mentioned the AI consistency earlier, the AI's overall racecraft is just poor. The AI has a tendency to enter every corner 2-wide and make no effort to really separate or take the racing line, or they basically pretend I don't exist. This creates a bunch of situations where either I am completely blocked going into a corner, or I get forced into the wall in a giant metal sandwich because the AI forgets that I'm also there (to be fair, they seem to do the same thing against themselves as well), or I get spun out trying to separate myself from the pack. It also gives me the impression that some of the tracks (namely the Cape Town Stadium circuit) wasn't initially designed with 12 cars in mind.
  • Ignition Career: The Ignition Career path is just a slog imo. To echo what @Famine and @Scaff said in their initial reviews, The first few races (and the first path as a whole) feel like you're doing the same races over and over, but with just different locations. After getting through to the next set of races that had more vehicle variety, it became a lot more enjoyable, but I will say my fondness for the X-raid Class isn't super high after seemingly spending most of my time driving the VW Touareg and Porsche Macan.
  • Lack of Replay: I know that this drum has been beaten to death since launch, but it really irks me that there's no replay system in the game. This is the first game in a while where I really wanted a replay system just to check out some of the moves I've made on the track, but the lack of a replay system means I don't get that option. I'm really hoping this returns at some point during the game's lifecycle.
Overall, despite my issues with the game, I do generally like it and have been having a fun time so far. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it is a good time all the same. HAven't touched Playgrounds yet, I think I'll wait until I finish the main career before venturing into that territory.

Coming from the easter's free to play on ps4 (which is still running btw!! :D)

Now, everything @NotThePrez said is correct, in the goods, I will add the Motorstorm vibes this game gives, Codies really made the evolution studios' crew work very well and boy, they really wanted to make a new Motorstorm! I say this due to the oddball but great car variety the game has, and the ability to go to every track with them!! :D(except the rock climbing ones of course)... My only wish of course would be the afro-mention car tuning and, as a bonus, car customization! (Especially for the Pre-Runners category which is the oddest and my least favorite one). But the best ones have to be the X-Crossraid (Dakar), because I got the honor to see almost all of them (the Race Touareg 3, the Laffite thing, and the game-made Macan not yet) in person when Dakar ran only in Peru in 2019 ♥, and I wanted to give them a shot in any game it had them!, and the Light runners (Baja Bug, Ariel Nomad, and the Exorcet), easily the funniest one out of all of them! ♥

Soundtrack wise... it's not my taste (although one I already added it to my Spotify :D), but I do like the variety it has, Codies always nails it when it comes to music, in the personal, at least one song from a DiRT soundtrack since DiRT 2 has been part of my playlist.

Graphics-wise, it's crazy how the ego engine can still hold up even to this day! Really crisp!! :D

Now, physics-wise, it's not the best, honestly, Codies should have just grabbed the DR2.0's physics and give them an arcade tweak, also the cameras IMO should be a bit more improved, the best ones are still DiRT 2's ones...

Gameplay-wise, yeah, it feels not only a bit repetitive, but also like something is missing... And, for the livery editor, they had the right ingredients IMO, but they missed the mark with how they mixed them...

Overall, a really good game overall, but not great, I even dare to say DiRT 4 is even better in many areas...

IMO, what this needs to give it even MORE life, is this...

X_Games_logo_logotipo.png

Yep, the very old DiRT partner itself, the X-games... An expansion that could bring Group N rally, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and the best bit, especially since its mentioned a lot in the base game...

2020-Redbud-2-National-300.jpg


Motocross... yes, it's time Codies, BRING...MOTOCROSS...TO DIRT!! Honestly, it needs it since it will be the last thing the Motorstorm puzzle needs to complete its vibe power on the game, and because remember, Bruno used to race Motocross, pretty sure he would love to kill us on two wheels!! :lol:

Gonna keep playing though! :D
 
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No Ego there. Ego is great engine and this one is still a bit poor. But we have crazy weather at least.
Ego is a very old engine and was long overdue a replacement, given this one is new it’s been implemented pretty well.

It’s allowed dynamic time of day as well as weather, both of which are long overdue, particularly given that the WRC series has had both for a while now.

Unfortunaly we will need to wait a few releases before we see it mature, but replays should be high on the list.
 
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Ego is a very old engine and was long overdue a replacement, given this one is new it’s been implemented pretty well.

It’s allowed dynamic time of day as well as weather, both of which are long overdue, particularly given that the WRC series has had both for a while now.

Unfortunaly we will need to wait a few releases before we see it mature, but replays should be high on the list.
I like Ego, it's still great to me. I think dynamic weather and time in F1 is among the best, only Madness can compete. Only downside could be physics because I don't know any sim-like physics on Ego. DR2 is the only game with relatively good dirt physics and yes, DR2 has many limits from Ego. Overall, it's the best asset in CM to me :D I mean before they bought Madness engine.

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Maybe no dynamic time in Ego? That could be the problem then.

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Hmmm, maybe they could use Ego for tarmac and Dirt 5 one for dirt stuff. It's hard to say what new one could do if we have Dirt 5 with really simple physics. But after some tuning, who knows, it could do something.
 
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I like Ego, it's still great to me. I think dynamic weather and time in F1 is among the best, only Madness can compete. Only downside could be physics because I don't know any sim-like physics on Ego. DR2 is the only game with relatively good dirt physics and yes, DR2 has many limits from Ego. Overall, it's the best asset in CM to me :D I mean before they bought Madness engine.

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Maybe no dynamic time in Ego? That could be the problem then.

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Hmmm, maybe they could use Ego for tarmac and Dirt 5 one for dirt stuff. It's hard to say what new one could do if we have Dirt 5 with really simple physics. But after some tuning, who knows, it could do something.
RainFx in Assetto Corsa is arguably the best looking rain effect around, Madness (particularly in AMS2) looks almost as good but edges it with physics right now. While rain in Rf2 doesnt look as good as either its again great in terms of physics.
 
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RainFx in Assetto Corsa is arguably the best looking rain effect around, Madness (particularly in AMS2) looks almost as good but edges it with physics right now. While rain in Rf2 doesnt look as good as either its again great in terms of physics.
Ah, AC, I still have vanilla version. Need to try it. Rain or weather physics is important too. FM7 has nice weather but I am not sure about physics, feels a bit simple.
 
Dirt 5 is free on ps4. It was meant to be a demo that ended on April5th but if you downloaded it its now fully playable. I guess Codemasters REALLY dont even care they are GIVING it away XD
 
Maybe no dynamic time in Ego? That could be the problem then.
The Ego engine did allow dynamic time (grid 1 had that on LeMans and that was the 2nd ego-based game ever)... About dynamic weather idk, but DiRT 4 had extreme weather as well and it ran on the EGO. 👍

replays should be high on the list.
Yeah, I forgot to mention it...:dunce:. Its indeed the #1 petition for me as well, especially because of these two features:

Photo mode: Come on, 1st ever DiRT and Codies game with a proper photo mode but without replays to take photos!? DiRT 5 out of nowhere demands you to focus on the course many times and all the time you get to see stuff happening during the race, but you don't want to stop because you want to continue, had the game had replays from the start, then ok, photo mode would be comfortable to work on, but we don't!... So, if we have a special moment during a race, I have to pause it to take a photo (which ruins the momentum) -.-... I EVEN REMIND YOU YOU COULD EVEN TAKE YOUR REPLAYS AND DIRECTLY UPLOAD THEM ON YOUTUBE ON DiRT 3!! :banghead:


Flashback mode: Key feature in all Codies games since Grid and present on all DiRT games since DiRT 2... But not here...:banghead::banghead:
 
This thread has been helpful skimming through it. The game is currently about $25 and for someone who just got a PS5 -- I'm thinking about it. My fear is that the tracks are super wide and it doesn't look challenging or fun.

Is there any challenges whatsoever?
 
This thread has been helpful skimming through it. The game is currently about $25 and for someone who just got a PS5 -- I'm thinking about it. My fear is that the tracks are super wide and it doesn't look challenging or fun.

Is there any challenges whatsoever?
Sure, being fast in TT is a good challenge.
 
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