Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Jan 11, 2023
    70
    Dakar Desert Rally can feel great, until you start trying to drive anywhere, and then it is quite a let down. There is the opportunity to learn to drive around these issues (and just accept that AI drivers will hit you, avoiding them as best you can), but Dakar Desert Rally fails to ever really flow.
  2. Oct 12, 2022
    70
    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.
  3. Oct 7, 2022
    70
    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.
  4. Oct 4, 2022
    70
    Sport mode is a mess and doesn't do justice to the incredible qualities of Dakar Desert Rally. The game is way better on Pro and Sim modes. Following to roadbook to find your path in this absolutely huge Saudi Arabia feels really great.
  5. Oct 10, 2022
    50
    To its credit, Dakar Desert Rally has a fabulous sense of scale and is capable of some great, unique racing – especially when bombing over barren, building-sized sand dunes in a big rig while kicking up huge rooster tails of sand in search of a mysterious navigation marker. It is, however, dramatically undercut by unstable and annoying handling for several of its vehicle classes, its uneven performance mode frame rate, and some significant bugs that can cost you hours of progress. This game needed more time in the service area before being cleared to compete.
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  1. Oct 13, 2022
    With an official Dakar licence, a bewitching and gigantic playing field, arcade and simulation modes, vast improvements as regards the driving of the various vehicles compared to Dakar 18 and a navigation feature via road-book as exhilarating and immersive as ever, Dakar Desert Rally has enough solid foundations to become a prime showcase for rally-raid and its flagship event as long they keep on working hard on it. The new Career mode even welcomes neophytes with open arms to gradually introduce them to the discipline. Unfortunately, the title suffers from a premature release that spoils the game experience due to a feeble framerate, chaotic AI and a frustrating lack of content for fans of the simulation mode. In the coming weeks, the ambitious roadmap should meet the latter’s expectations. Let us hope the studio manages to solve the technical issues as well. If this happens, Dakar Desert Rally will surely become a must-have game for all motorsports fans.