Back in May Codemasters lifted the lid on the next iteration of the DIRT series, as DIRT 5 was thrust before our very eyes ahead of launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and PC at the latter end of 2020, with a Stadia launch later. The trailer accompanying the announcement certainly got the juices flowing, but it is only today where further details have been delivered – namely in regards the Career mode.
So, in DIRT 5 you will be given the opportunity to own the spotlight, as you hit the off-roading career and attempt to stand out from the rest. You’ll do this by becoming immersed in a racing series that delivers constant extreme action, taking you around the globe from continent to continent, and found participating in all manner of amplified events.
These initial throws will see you catching the eye of AJ – one Alex Janièek who is voiced by Troy Baker. At the top of the game, it is AJ who will take you under his wing as he shows you what it takes, and what is needed, for you to make the move from lowly wannabe, to global superstar.
In order to do that though, you’ll need to compete against Nolan North’s chracter – Bruno Durand, an ultra-competitive, cold, calculated vet who has become a champion in many other off-road disciplines. With Bruno’s talent and star power, and your path to glory calculated by AJ, a clash is fast on the cards. And it is the fallout from an epic race between these two icons in which the foundations for your own success lays.
From start to finish, your journey through the career of DIRT 5 will be covered by the DIRT Podcast by Donut Media, hosted by James Pumphrey and Nolan Sykes from the Donut crew. You’ll discover that their energy and excitement match the vibe of DIRT’s racing world, and between events they react to all the key moments of your story, with special guests including AJ and Bruno, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, and gaming and car culture personality SLAPTrain.
The adventure that awaits promises to be brought together via a deep narrative driven experience that is split into five chapters, able to cover the key moments in the narrative. Each chapter offers multiple paths for you to take in, meaning you can choose which events you want to participate in through the chapter. And if you want to take in everything? Expect no less than 130 events across nine different race types, featuring every location in DIRT 5.
By completing races, you will open new events in the chapter, with the higher you place in the race the more Stamps you will earn. And these Stamps are vital too, unlocking the Main Event of each chapter, so the better you perform, the quicker you can progress. Main Events are the conclusion of each chapter and promise to provide the toughest test. Thankfully you’ll only need to finish third or higher in order to move onto the next chapter.
If you thought that was it for the career though, then you’d be wrong. By completing certain objectives throughout Career events, secret Throwdowns – where you go one-on-one with a fierce challenger in epic events – will be unlocked.
By taking in the career you’ll get the chance to travel the world, racing incredible vehicles as you do so. And that means you’ll need sponsors – if only because global travel is an expensive business. As a highly-touted rookie, the world is watching and there are some major names that would like to speak with you. In fact, there will be no less than 20 real-world brands available to sponsor you in Career mode, including the likes of Monster Energy, Sparco, Michelin, Fatlace and, of course, Codemasters themselves. Each sponsor will have unique rewards when you sign with them, including an exclusive livery of that brand, stickers to use in the livery editor, and a currency signing bonus. But further still, each will have objectives, both long and short-term, that they want you to hit in your Career. Do so, and your Reputation Rank will increase, which leads to an ultimate reward once you hit the top rank.
Being able to switch up your sponsor is doable, though should you wish to jump out of a contract early, you’ll receive less rewards, particularly if you haven’t met your sponsor’s minimum race contract. Choosing to stay loyal to one brand, or going all out to discover what multiple sponsors have to offer is all part of the journey in the Career.
And finally, as is the way of the world now, DIRT 5 isn’t just about going it alone. A four-player split-screen option is included in the Career mode and it will be the highest finishing position of any player which is the one that’s counted in Career, meaning you could earn more Stamps, more sponsor bonuses and more currency by teaming up. Whilst those rewards earned only count for the host player, each additional player will receive XP and currency rewards for their own accounts, which they’ll have whenever they next play DIRT 5 as the host player.
Just to seal the deal, the split-screen integration is a drop-in/drop-out deal, so if you need your mates to hop in for a race or two, they can, all without it halting your progression.
DIRT 5 will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and PC from October. We’ll then see a Google Stadia launch in early 2021. The question is, will you be diving deep into Codemasters’ DIRT 5 career? Let us know in the comments.
