Dakar Desert Rally update 1.6 adds Free Roam mode

Published: 20 Jan 2023 10:32 AM +00:00 Updated: 20 Jan 2023 10:32 AM +00:00

While the likes of Gran Turismo 7, Need for Speed Unbound, and GRID Legends made our best racing games of 2022 list, Dakar Desert Rally was a close contender.

Saber Proto's rally racer captured the brutality of the gruelling desert race superbly. It’s probably the closest we’re going to get to a new MotorStorm game.

Our main criticism was that Dakar Desert Rally felt incomplete. Several core features were absent at launch, including a Road Book editor allowing you to create your own stages and Free Roam.

Originally set to arrive before the end of 2022, Free Roam has finally arrived in Dakar Desert Rally nearly four months after launch in the latest patch update.

Free Roam now available in Dakar Desert Rally

The latest Dakar Desert Rally update is live, with update 1.6 adding the Free Roam mode. This means players can freely explore the vast 20,000 km2 environment set in Saudi Arabia outside of career events. As you explore, there are also hidden Treasure Hunts to find.

Dakar Desert Rally

To apologise for the update’s delay, Saber Porto is also giving all players 100,000 Experience Points and 10,000 Dakar Points.

There’s no word yet on when the course editor will arrive. But once these missing features are added, Dakar Desert Rally could become a hidden racing game gem.

Dakar Desert Rally

As well as the free roam mode, Dakar Desert Rally update 1.6 also removes waypoint auto-saves and improves support for Thrustmaster and Logitech wheels. Full details can be found in the Dakar Desert Rally update 1.6 patch notes below.

Dakar Desert Rally update 1.6 Patch Notes

New Features

Free Roam allows players to experience the full off-road experience across Saudi Arabia.
Treasure Hunting is now available in Free Roam Mode. You can find hidden treasures throughout the desert as you explore Saudi Arabia.
Reposition has been added to Simulation Mode.

General

Fixed Save Game Management issues.
Removed waypoint auto-saves.
Fixed when some events on the Saudi Arabia Extended Map are not appearing in Professional and Simulation Modes for Epic Games Store.
Fixed Warehouse Management issues.

Steering Wheels

Fixed Logitech steering wheel crash on Xbox consoles.
Fixed Thrustmaster wheels having no Force Feedback on the PC.
Fixed title crashing when connecting Steering Wheels.
Fixed G29 key bindings (reverse) Bug fixing Crashes.

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Martin is the Editor in Chief who plays any racing game he can get his hands on, from Gran Turismo 7 to indie titles. He can usually be found causing carnage in Wreckfest and is still pining for new Driver and Burnout games.

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