Dirt 5 Review Roundup

Dirt 5 will come out alongside Xbox Series X/S on November 10 and PS5 on November 12. For current-gen consoles and PC, Dirt 5 will arrive earlier on November 6.

To help you get a feel for Dirt 5's critical consensus, we've collected reviews about the game below. Critics are divided over the racing sim's appeal. Some felt that Dirt 5 was too tame and much of the same-old when it comes to racing games, others welcomed Dirt 5 as a refreshing return to a low-stakes arcade experience.

GameSpot's Dirt 5 review is forthcoming, so stay tuned for that. In Xbox Series X's Dirt 5 preview for GameSpot, Michael Higham stated, "Dirt 5 may also not be the most impressive thing to come out of the gate to flex next-gen console power, though I do think it's a good example of how 120 FPS can improve the gaming experience (for the few who will take advantage of it), and that 4K 60 FPS is attainable."

• Game: Dirt 5
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
• Developer: Codemasters
• Release Dates: November 6 (Current-gen & PC), November 10 (Xbox Series X/S), November 12 (PS5)
• Price: $60 / £52 / $68 AUD

EuroGamer -- No Score

"It's a small shame but a big deal for a driving game, undermining much of the great work that's been delivered here - Dirt 5's vehicles feel like they've been wrapped in cotton wool rather than being snarling, living beasts that need serious taming, which can make much of the action a bit of a snooze. Is it enough to derail the entire thing? Not really, and after the identity crisis that plagued mainline Dirt it's heartening to see it back with a sense of purpose, and a little of that old swagger too. There's still some tinkering to be done, though, if it wants to return to the series' peaks." -- Martin Robinson [Full Review]

PC Gamer -- 60/100

"Who and what is Dirt 5 for? I've been asking myself this question a lot, as I race stony-faced along its forgettable gravel. I don't know the answer, and I'm not sure Codemasters does either. After all, this is a series that made a name by injecting a bit of extreme sports culture into the Colin McRae Rally series, which was itself beginning to feel a bit warmed-up by 2007. Colin McRae: Dirt was fresh and fun, chucking its pacenotes out of the passenger window and doing a donut just because it felt like it...Instead of jettisoning [Dirt 5's] identity it’s playing too safe, holding onto it too closely in search of the apocryphal casual racing gamer who’s scared of brake pedals." -- Phil Iwaniuk [Full Review]

Push Square -- No Score

"The DIRT franchise has gone through a lot of change over the years. The second and third entries deviated from the pure rally experience, going big on personality with more varied events. Codemasters pivoted to a more serious rally focus in DIRT 4, but with the DIRT Rally games already catering to the purists, it left the series in an odd position. The solution: pull another U-turn, and bring back the fun factor. We're pleased to say DIRT 5 really benefits from this approach...It's made immediately clear what the intention is here — this is a return to the more arcadey roots of the series. With colourful, eye-catching presentation, a great licensed soundtrack, and a forgiving handling model, this is the tonal opposite of the previous game in the series." -- Stephen Tailby [Full Review]

Tom's Guide -- No Score

"Sure, DIRT 5 won’t offer the sort of hyper-realistic, knife-edge simulation of its sister title, DIRT Rally 2.0. Codemasters Cheshire, the studio making DIRT 5, makes no bones about the fact that this upcoming entry is intended as a more immediately fun experience, and one you’re even encouraged to enjoy with friends, via split-screen, in the same room...Codemasters already has the simulation angle covered with DIRT Rally; DIRT 5 is for those pining for a rewarding and dazzling arcade ride." -- Adam Ismail [Full Review]

Twinfinite -- 4/5

"With the introduction of the Dirt Rally series, the core Dirt series is now more casual by design. The former is the home of long, intense events that test your focus, precision driving, and tight control. Rally is now the hardcore simulation series, leaving Dirt to offer the more traditional, pick-up-and-play racing experience. As a result, Dirt 5’s gameplay has been tweaked from what Dirt fans might expect. It’s not nearly as punishing, with throttle control and precise braking things of the past. You can hurtle around every track at full pelt, flooring the accelerator between each corner." -- Tom Hopkins [Full Review]

Wccftech -- 9/10

"DIRT 5 offers a new path for the DIRT series and treads it brilliantly. The core numbered titles have always been slightly more arcade, but this takes it to a whole other level and is fantastic because of this move. This is an incredibly approachable and varied racing game that takes you on a tour of several racing styles in far-flung places across the globe. With every new console generation comes a new generation of racing games, DIRT 5 is that game. It looks fantastic, it's incredibly fun and it's polished to a great level and is arguably the best game to come out of Codemasters." -- Chris Way [Full Review]