Dirt 5 is a very different game to the previous three entries in Codemasters’ off-road racing series. Dirt Rally and its sequel spun the series off in a simulation-based direction, appealing to rally purists with its authentic approach, uncompromising difficulty, and steep learning curve. Dirt 4 followed suit with another smattering of point-to-point rally races, but crucially made the experience accessible for casual racing fans by introducing a more forgiving handling model. With a third Dirt Rally already in development, Codemasters is looking to diversify the series’ mainline entries by returning to the arcade spectacle and histrionics of Dirt’s early years with Dirt 5.