Dakar Desert Rally Reviews

Dakar Desert Rally is ranked in the 28th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
4 / 10
Apr 30, 2023

The Dakar Desert Rally has much potential and won't let you down with its graphics or progression system. However, its driving model is below average, and the title fails to handle the arcade style properly it partly attempts. With flaws in the most critical aspect of a racing game, it isn't easy to recommend.

Review in Czech | Read full review

4 / 10.0
Dec 28, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally is finally betrayed by the greatness of the project that has been attempted by the people of the game.

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No Recommendation / Blank
Oct 28, 2022

Although not perfect, Dakar Desert Rally manages to capture the essence of the races it portrays.

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JVL
Top Critic
13 / 20
Oct 27, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally, has good foundations but is unfortunately imperfect on many points.

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60 / 100
Oct 20, 2022

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.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2022

The vast open world is truly breathtaking and doubling down on the Dakar experience with great orienteering is a welcomed challenge.

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Oct 18, 2022

Despite some performance issues and minor bugs, Dakar Desert Rally delivers bags of fun. The stunning environments, wild weather and plucky opponents paired with the excellently realised sense of speed make for some truly epic racing. Danger lurks around every corner.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally is one of the most accessible rally racing titles on the market. Combine that with gorgeous locations and thrilling driving, and you have a game with something to offer all racing enthusiasts, regardless of their niche.

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XGN.nl
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Oct 15, 2022

This game is very ambitious and to some extent is able to fulfill that. The environment is gorgeous and driving through the different areas each have their own challenges. The game doesn't fully feel finished. Technical issues ranging from superficial to gamebreaking and some key functions are simply missing. The AI really isn't very good, and the game really needs the promised photo mode and free roam. The game really has potential, and if the promised additions are there, it might be able to deliver.

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4 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2022

Even with all the beauty and event variety, Dakar Desert Rally drops the ball when it comes to the driving itself. Be it in a quad, a motorcycle or a truck, you will either lose grip very easily or get hit by the extremely aggressive AI. Not all is bad though, the simulation mode shows promise, but it would only shine after a couple of much needed patching.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Unscored
Oct 12, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally impressed me at every turn, jump, and twist from a visuals perspective. The AI is fun and unpredictable and will give you a run for your money on the right difficulty. I genuinely appreciated what the AI had to offer in Dakar Desert Rally, especially with the title being slightly shallow in terms of alternate offerings.

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70 / 100
Oct 12, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally is among the main games of the genre and offers a series of great possibilities to honor the legacy of the brand, that still lacks good representatives in the world of games. With beautiful visuals, spectacular world-building and a great level of customizable challenge, the game ends up suffering from inconsistent physics, overly stiff controls and some performance issues, but the balance is still quite positive.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 12, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally shows great potential accompanied, however, by many minor shortcomings, but it succeeds in effectively transposing the spirit of desert racing, its colors, breathtaking views and sense of adventure.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 11, 2022

I commend Dakar Desert Rally for being a lot more polished and accessible than its predecessor, but it’s still a hard game to sell to a wide audience. Don’t worry, the game itself is actually pretty good, despite its technical issues, but it is a very niche rallying game that pales in comparison to its vast amount of competitors when you put them side by side. Maybe a follow-up will add a quick play mode and fix its technical issues. As it stands, it’s janky and still brutal towards newcomers, but it’s a step in the right direction for the series.

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6 / 10
Oct 10, 2022

Very ambitious, Dakar Desert Rally is a good game with a pleasant open-world. Sadly the weakness of the AI and physics of the game reduce the fun considerably.

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IGN
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally has a fabulous sense of scale and is capable of some great, unique racing, but it's undercut dramatically by frustrating handling, uneven performance, and some progression-killing bugs.

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75 / 100
Oct 7, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally brings the most dangerous competition in the world to our consoles four years later. Despite the failures that it may present, we are facing a delivery that has everything to become a very beloved and fun franchise.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally still feels like an Early Access game, and while there is huge potential and the driving will win you over, there is very little content and important options and features are missing.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Oct 7, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally is a way to experience Dakar in digestible chunks, that never overwhelms the player. Admittedly it’s in dire need of some patching, but what’s here is absolutely playable and enjoyable until then. It’s so close to greatness, but the bugs and missing features make it feel not ready and incomplete. Dakar Desert Rally is still a great introduction to the sport, and when the dust settles, what remains is a solid racing game that’s like nothing else.

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7 / 10
Oct 7, 2022

Dakar Desert Rally promises a lot, and delivers on a good portion of it, recreating the renowned rally event in spectacular fashion. While players may have to wait for all of the features on their wishlist, there's a huge amount of enjoyable rally racing to get stuck into.

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