Dakar Desert Rally gameplay overview trailer revealed

A sequel to Dakar 18, Dakar Desert Rally was announced way back in December 2021. News on the official Dakar Rally game went quiet until last week when a CGI trailer revealed an October release date.

During Gamescom, Saber has released a new gameplay overview trailer showcasing the game’s intense off-road racing action and variety of game modes. 

Dakar Desert Rally gameplay overview trailer

The new gameplay trailer gives us a taste of the vehicle classes on offer in Dakar Desert Rally, from trucks to bikes from manufacturers including Ford, Nissan, and Honda.

You’ll be tackling challenging terrain in a vast open world set in the Saudi Arabia desert. With thousands of square kilometres to conquer, Dakar Desert Rally is described as the “biggest open-world rally racing game ever.”

The trailer breaks down the various game modes available. Sport mode is designed for casual players, with forgiving repairs and arcade-style beacons showing the route.

Professional and simulation modes ramp up the challenge for a more authentic desert rally experience. In these modes, you’ll be navigating alone using a roadbook to find waypoints and navigate to the finish line.

The scale of the envionment shown in the trailer is very impressive. As you navigate the sprawling environments, you’ll tackle gruelling conditions such as rain, mud, flash floods, sand storms, snow, and ice, as well as a full day and night cycle.

It’s a test of skill and survival as you carve your own path to the finish line without getting lost or breaking down. There are also over 30 stages recreated from the real-life Dakar Rally and even a road book editor allowing you to create and share your own rally stages.

With its vast open world, detailed graphics, and challenging weather conditions, Dakar Desert Rally looks like a significant improvement over Dakar 18. Let's hope it drives as good as it looks because the vehicle physics will make or break the experience.

Release date

Dakar Desert Rally will be released on 4 October on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. 

Pre-ordering Dakar Desert Rally will unlock the exclusive Audi RS Q e-tron, which became the first electric vehicle to win a desert rally when it won the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

With WRC Generations also sliding onto consoles and PC in October, it’s a great time to be a fan of off-road racers.

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