Developer Codemasters has released a new trailer for upcoming off-road racing sim DiRT 5 that reveals not only a firm release date but also a look at the game’s career mode.
DiRT 5 will release on October 9th on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam, and later down the line, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Stadia.
As for the story mode, Codemasters is pulling out all the stops this time around, drafting in the voice-acting chops of industry topliners, Troy Baker and Nolan North. DiRT 5 five-chapter career mode will be the franchises most ambitious to date.
As Codemasters explains, ‘The Career is split into five chapters to cover the key moments in the narrative. Each chapter offers multiple paths for the player to take, meaning you can choose which events you want to participate in through the chapter. If you want, you can still race in everything there is to offer, which is over 130 events across nine different race types, featuring every location in DIRT 5.’
As an up and coming racer, the player will look to Alex ‘AJ’ Janiček, a seasoned superstar of the rally scene played by Baker, for advice as he becomes a mentor of sorts. Nolan takes on the role of Bruno Durand, an ultra-competitive nemesis-like character hungry for glory. The story will chart a pretty familiar tale of rags to riches as the player vies for the top of the sport.
The career mode will unfold through episodes of an in-game podcast that will each push the story forward with news, skits, and what sounds like irreverent takes on the main story beats. The real-life hosts of the car culture Donut Media YouTube channel, James Pumphrey and Nolan Sykes, will present these podcasts. After every significant in-game event or race, the characters will come on the fictional podcast for interviews.
While racing titles aren’t exactly praised for their narratives, it seems Codemasters is eager to buck the trend and has drafted in a stellar cast to do just that.