Dakar Desert Rally

Dakar Desert Rally strives for something more but that is not enough. The lack of routes with interesting design and variety make it a boring racer, while this indecision about whether it wants to be serious or not, is an issue that in the future Saber Interactive should see through a different perspective.

At the end of the day, Dakar Desert Rally is a mix of good things and bad things, but on quite a lot of occasions, I feel like the game is still a work in progress. Sure, it’s hard to hit all the right spots from the very beginning, but aside from an enjoyable Dakar racing experience, the game needs refinements in many key areas. There still are a few performance glitches here and there, and the AI is ridiculously stupid every now and then, as it has absolutely no problem pushing you out of the track if it can’t get past you. The game system also requires more polishing. If there’s something you can truly enjoy, it’s the pure off-road experience on dunes, in water, and so on. The scenery is beautiful, so if you’re not playing the game to win races, you could have an absolute blast with this game. Otherwise, you may end up disappointed.

There’s a lot to like about this game. The sense of scale and visuals is amazing. However, the core aspects of the game, such as handling and getting access to the main rally, are frustrating. Saber Interactive has done a good job on the macro level of the game. With upcoming pledged updates, I’m hoping they enhance the micro aspects which are badly needed.