Dakar 18 (PS4, XOne, PC) - Release date September 25 2018

[doblocruiser]

@zargdin I'll upload a few shots from several stages later. But I can say that variation isn't an issue Scenery wise. The game is the Dakar 18 experience with all 14 official stages.

 

[die996]

But the only thing that puts me off now is that the footage I have seen looks a bit boring, with endless sand dunes.
But you suggest not. What type of scenic/terrain variety is there in the game?

You start the game in the Peruvian dunes but even there there is some variety. You got lower dunes, sand mountains, sand canyons... Then you arrive to Bolivia and you start driving next to fields, across villages (SPEEDZONES), on ridges, next to a river and more. Argentina has some short dune sections, much flatter trails (prepare for some serious speed) and you're gonna drive a lot on different dry riverbeds.

The game recreates the stages rather well. If it's not more varied it's because real life is like that! What you say reminds me of when some people complained that the stages on WRC3 (PS2) were "empty" even though they were replicas of the real stages, Welcome to the Real World!

 

[doblocruiser]

The shots you see are only a few from the first 4 stages. Stage 1 to 6 are in Peru, 7 to 9 in Bolivia and 10 to 14 in Argentina. The stages in Bolivia are an absolute highlight but I don't want to spoil that here. Up until stage 6 there are many offroad sections without roads after the most stages follow regular roads.

If you want more just let me know

 

[doblocruiser]

There will be a small hotfix today for a timepost problem at Stage 10. Issue appeared due to the "Rally DLC in Argentina" that will be announced soon. This info comes from their Discord-group.

 

[Tyger]

A seller on eBay has this for the Xbone at £19.85, and I'm very tempted. Does look like it has its flaws but nothing else really like it, and it would be nice to support the devs. Sell it to me guys!

 

[doblocruiser]

Just do it @Tyger ! It is a navigation game first and you'll feel alone a lot in this gorgeous huge world. Getting through the stages is an achievement by byself and it is varied! It's my racinggame of the year!

Negative point: bikes and quads are a struggle !

BTW: how come those screens above haven't convinced you yet?

 

[er185es]

When/where did they confirm Ruta 40? Don't remember seeing that anywhere.

On PC they have added some roadbooks from the Ruta 40 stages but you can not play until Bigmoon launches the free DLC. Although you can play some stage using this trick

 

[305Michael305]

The way you get stuck in sand and stufffs very cool no game not even muddrunner does it that good

 

[Tyger]

A seller on eBay has this for the Xbone at £19.85, and I'm very tempted. Does look like it has its flaws but nothing else really like it, and it would be nice to support the devs. Sell it to me guys!

I bought it of course, arrived today, hope to try it out over the weekend =)

 

[doblocruiser]

I bought it of course, arrived today, hope to try it out over the weekend =)

Xbox just got major patch released today Enjoy

About those Ruta40 stages. They probably launch this DLC for free and there will mostly bé 5 extra stages. That is some serious extra stuff

Happy to see though that a few more here are picking it up.

 

[cjr3559]

All I can say is Competitor difficultly is kicking my butt but in a good way. Finished Peru stage 5 (I think it was 5), and what a workout. Long distance with dozens of waypoints and varied terrain. It goes on and on and runs the entire gamut from beaches to dunes to track to Rios and does it all over again. And don’t forget that it starts during the day and ends in the dark. Tough stuff.

 

[cjr3559]

I wanted to mention the game crashed a couple times yesterday.

First was during the opening stage at Bolivia, the second was strange; in the event menu screen I needed to get up for a moment and when I returned after about 10 minutes the blue screen of death was on. After that I gave up for the day.

Recently there’s a noticable decrease in gameplay stability and crashes are more common. Could this be update related? I thought the game should be getting better, not worse.

This game is too time intensive to be handcuffed by game crashes.

PS4 user.

 

[doblocruiser]

I haven't experienced this @cjr3559 I ran one round with Trucks and had no crashes. Only one crash when I went into competitor mode with the Mini of Roma on Stage 2 between WP 82 and 83. For the rest and has been running fine in career. Treasure hunt though is unstable in quiet a few places and make the game crash to PS4 menu

There are a few stages that are tough and I've been cought by surprise multiple times because I didn't take enough time to slow down and look at the roadbook. However I slowly start to recognize multiple sections on all the stages which makes navigation a bit easier. In the dunes it stays tricky because it is easy to miss a waypoint.

It is an incredible fun game and the patches have been very welcome. A few are needed to sort out the last wheel issues to get the physics more sorted with certain vehicles.

 

[die996]

I slowly start to recognize multiple sections on all the stages which makes navigation a bit easier. In the dunes it stays tricky because it is easy to miss a waypoint.

The only tricky waypoints are the "invisible" ones, the WPC, rest is incredibly easy once you're doing a stage for the 3rd time.

 

[er185es]

The DLC is to be released later this year and will be free for all buyers of Dakar 18 for a limited amount of time. The “Desafío Ruta 40 Rally” is part of the world-famous “Dakar Series”, a number of cross-country rallies and is the first event of this series to be added to Dakar 18. The race took place between August 27th and 31st in Argentina. As with the main game the team at Bigmoon Entertainment focused all their effort on simulating this challenge to make it as realistic as possible. It will enhance the already existing world of the main game by additional 12.000 km² including five new stages around the beautiful country side of Argentina. To make sure players do not get lost in the challenging world, the DLC includes brand new road books – again based on the original road books handed out to the drivers during the event.

 

[doblocruiser]

Show some love @GTPLANET

Would bé awesome to see this in the newssection @SlipZtrEm

 

[die996]

Show some love @GTPLANET

Would bé awesome to see this in the news section @SlipZtrEm

LoL, they only talk about asphalt or mainstream racing games. They only talked about Dakar18 in the past to bash it. Also, it's not like any mod/admin/writer/whatever understands the Dakar Rally at all.

 

[Joey D]

LoL, they only talk about asphalt or mainstream racing games. They only talked about Dakar18 in the past to bash it. Also, it's not like any mod/admin/writer/whatever understands the Dakar Rally at all.

 

[die996]

Mod/admins/writers/whatever...

1 · All come from circuit racing or sprint rallying

2 · I would be highly surprised if any "notable" has ever followed any proper form of car racing (no amateur events) that had heavier cars than NASCAR. Stockcars are featherweights when compared to most rally raid vehicles. European racing trucks are around 6500lbs LIGHTER than any truck in FIA cross-country rallies.

3 · Most are either American or British, 2 countries that have never cared for the Dakar Rally even when they've had notable competitors.

4 · Due to 1 and 2, it is very likely most of their Dakar Rally knowledge comes from highlight videos out of places like Red Bull or the awful official Dakar Rally Youtube channel, which makes them absolutely oblivious about what driving in similar events is all about. "10/10ths" doesn't work unless you want a dead vehicle and a bad back.

5 · I'm sure not even one of them has ever driven without following a marked path using, you know, NAVIGATION. I'm sure trailrunners know more about it than any "notable" here.

Of course you don't give a damn about Dakar Rally, it is almost understandable. I mean, you got no knowledge about the real event at all (again, Youtube videos do not count one bit), all of you probably just wanted some Motorstorm-style lame game (that release trailer was one of the worst things I've ever seen when compared to the final product) and you got one that tries its hardest (and sometimes fails) to faithfully recreate one of the most unique motorsport events in the World. As a matter of fact, I should not expect more, this forum is about Gran Turismo FFS, the most mainstream driving game in the World, one that has always failed about basic things like AI drivers and dirt racing but still keeps on selling millions.

 

[Scaff]

Mod/admins/writers/whatever...

1 · All come from circuit racing or sprint rallying

2 · I would be highly surprised if any "notable" has ever followed any proper form of car racing (no amateur events) that had heavier cars than NASCAR. Stockcars are featherweights when compared to most rally raid vehicles. European racing trucks are around 6500lbs LIGHTER than any truck in FIA cross-country rallies.

3 · Most are either American or British, 2 countries that have never cared for the Dakar Rally even when they've had notable competitors.

4 · Due to 1 and 2, it is very likely most of their Dakar Rally knowledge comes from highlight videos out of places like Red Bull or the awful official Dakar Rally Youtube channel, which makes them absolutely oblivious about what driving in similar events is all about. "10/10ths" doesn't work unless you want a dead vehicle and a bad back.

5 · I'm sure not even one of them has ever driven without following a marked path using, you know, NAVIGATION. I'm sure trailrunners know more about it than any "notable" here.

Of course you don't give a damn about Dakar Rally, it is almost understandable. I mean, you got no knowledge about the real event at all (again, Youtube videos do not count one bit), all of you probably just wanted some Motorstorm-style lame game (that release trailer was one of the worst things I've ever seen when compared to the final product) and you got one that tries its hardest (and sometimes fails) to faithfully recreate one of the most unique motorsport events in the World. As a matter of fact, I should not expect more, this forum is about Gran Turismo FFS, the most mainstream driving game in the World, one that has always failed about basic things like AI drivers and dirt racing but still keeps on selling millions.

As a former mod and writer here, not only are you incorrect, but insultingly so.

 

[die996]

Oh, c'mon... I'm sure most of the notables don't know any of the following:
· Cars and trucks are not allowed to refuel during the stages. Cars have fuel tanks around 100 gallons in size while trucks can go over 250 gallons. On the other hand, bikes, quads and UTVs (2019 RULES!) have a refueling point every less than 250km.
· Bikes/quads sometimes have harder routes to follow than cars/UTVs/trucks. This also helps avoid the top cars catching up to all the amateur bike/quad riders.
· Rotary-powered bikes and quads are 100% allowed but nobody has tried it (not sure if ever).
· FIA T1 4x4 cars and FIA T4 trucks are only allowed 12 inches of suspension travel. 4x2 cars (buggies) do not have such limitations.
· The engines of all FIA T1 4x4 cars come from roadlegal vehicles from the same automotive group, the rules allow for almost no modifications so none make 10% more than the original cars. The Mini uses the engine of a BMW 335d, the HiLux is powered by a Lexus RC-F, the Duster is powered by a Nissan Patrol NISMO and so on. You could technically build a perfectly legal Hellcat-powered FIAT 500X.
· The technical regulations include a minimum weight per engine size. There is a formula for turbos and superchargers but they do not care about the number of cylinders. You could race a 1600cc turbo Volkswagen Tiguan against a RC-F-powered HiLux in somewhat "fair" conditions.
· For a top-level participant, getting buried in sand is extremely rare. Many crews have said that they've never gotten stuck once during an edition with some saying the "worst" situation they had was solved by simply backing off and trying again.
· Any human being inside any racing vehicle must be perfectly qualified to drive said vehicle at any point if necessary. Co-pilots sometimes drive the vehicles on highways. A co-pilot was responsible of Ales Loprais' wreck and retirement in a Dakar Rally not even 10 years ago, the truck went off the road and flipped.
· Completing the Dakar Rally in a FIA T2 car is both the biggest challenge someone can try and the biggest proof that the Dakar Rally is maybe not that challenging. Why? FIA T2 regulations are the cross-country equivalent of Group N racing... except you have to carry all your spare parts (some teams literally carry a full transmission and gearbox inside just in case), you got no outside help at all and there are no Lancer Evos. The best weapon for FIA T2 is a 5-door Toyota LandCruiser that has to weight at least 5000lbs without fuel and has around 140hp.
· Another piece of proof that the Dakar Rally maybe is not that challenging is that, not many years ago, someone completed it on a 125cc 2-stroke motorbike that had around 35hp.
· The official highlights tend to hide this as much possible but timing and scoring clearly show that "following around" or even waiting for someone is incredibly common during the stages that have lots of off-track sections. Some top-level riders and drivers will lose 2-3 minutes in less than 90 minutes, then never lose another second for the next 3-4 hours. When dust is not a problem, amateur riders tend to ride in groups of up to 6 bikes.
· The organization has every participant perfectly tracked to the point of obsession. If your vehicle is stopped for any amount of time the ASO will call you and ask WTF is going on. Some participants have complained about it because this includes when you stop to pee or poop, some have suggested that a "pee stop" button would solve some very awkward conversations (just imagine screaming/talking to your bike while taking a dump in the middle of nowhere while some random stranger is like "are you OK?").

And I could go on but I think I've made a point on how the notables do not really know or care about rally raid.

 

[PzR Slim]

I've been here a few years, enjoy all types of racing and think you are so far off the mark that, yes, it's extremely insulting

 

[die996]

I've been here a few years, enjoy all types of racing and think you are so far off the mark that, yes, it's extremely insulting

I've said 12 things that define the Dakar Rally off the top of my head. I'm almost 100% sure that all the notables (not an insult, just a name to combine you all) wouldn't get any 3. You all act like "OMG, I'm so offended" but you haven't even tried to prove me wrong.

People with reason try to counter with arguments, the rest get offended, whine and censor.

 

[daan]

And I could go on but I think I've made a point on how the notables do not really know or care about rally raid.

Oh yes, you've made a point, but it's not the point you think you made.

 

[Scaff]

And I could go on but I think I've made a point on how the notables do not really know or care about rally raid.

The only point you've made is that you are capable of making inaccurate assumptions.

I'm old enough to have been following the Dakar to remember Ari's accident, the move from Africa, Peterhansel's entire career. The Dakar for me has always been the start of the motorsports year.

You've thrown your toys around because you disagree with someone else's opinion of a game! Oddly enough I actual disagree with some of the opinions in the GTP review, the difference is I don't then start to make it personal, an approach you may want to try in the future.

 

[PzR Slim]

I've said 12 things that define the Dakar Rally off the top of my head. I'm almost 100% sure that all the notables (not an insult, just a name to combine you all) wouldn't get any 3. You all act like "OMG, I'm so offended" but you haven't even tried to prove me wrong.

People with reason try to counter with arguments, the rest get offended, whine and censor.

I've been a champion of the game from the very beginning. I wasn't trying to counter anything, just pointing out your crappy attitude. Your blanket throwing really is quite something.

 

[doblocruiser]

Let me say this: Rally Raid isn't that high on my list of what I follow in motorsport and I have the knowledge of the average spectator but Dakar '18 is by far the most enjoyable racing game experience I had in a long time.

Next to that I simply wanted to point out that the devs have been very engaging and trying to get this game to a higher level. Now with the free DLC to come I think that is pretty remarkable these days and they deserve some more attention for what they are trying.

 

[cjr3559]

@die996 does have a point, other games could use a little more TLC in the newsfeed. Lately it’s been mostly GTS, FH4, and FM7. Granted it was GT that brought me here initially 6 years ago, but showing some love or recognition for these smaller titles would be welcome. Mostly they make the news when first released and then they get lost in the haystack shortly after. If a game gets a decent update then it should make the newsfeed in my opinion.

 

[Joey D]

@die996 does have a point, other games could use a little more TLC in the newsfeed. Lately it’s been mostly GTS, FH4, and FM7. Granted it was GT that brought me here initially 6 years ago, but showing some love or recognition for these smaller titles would be welcome. Mostly they make the news when first released and then they get lost in the haystack shortly after. If a game gets a decent update then it should make the newsfeed in my opinion.

We do cover a ton of different games. Yes, GTS, FH4, and FM7 are the big hitters, but that's what a majority of people want to see. But I can attest that I personally cover games like American and Euro Truck Simulator, Spintires, Wrench, and a handful of others. As a staff, we also cover games like Ride, Isle of Man, Assetto Corsa, Project Cars, F1 2018, and the Dirt series to just name a few.

We're always open to suggestions, but it's also important to note that the writing staff are volunteers with a life outside GTP. We cover as much as we can but we all have families, other jobs, and various other things that take up our time so sometimes things do fall through the cracks because we simply don't have the manpower to cover it all.

 

[cjr3559]

I just noticed on the TM technical support website they have the TH8A listed as fully compatible both H-pattern and sequential.

But here’s the real news; it needs plugged in directly to the console, not to the wheel. A-ha.

I won’t be able to test this until Thursday, but anyone else here try this yet?

I’ve got the same question posted on the Dakar Reddit page.