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Image Credit: BeamNG.DriveĬouple this dangerous environment with BeamNG‘s realistic damage model and you really do feel like any wrong move could end your run through the map. Not to mention the deep sand in which cars can easily get stuck. Though full of obstacles such as solid plants, hidden rocks and large bumps in the road, it is just as treacherous. Sitting at just 10km², the Johnson Valley map is certainly not as expansive as Dakar Desert Rally‘s massive interpretation of the Saudi Arabian desert. BeamNG perfectly Captures the Survival Aspect of Dakar On the other end of the spectrum sits the FPU Wydra which to all intents and purposes is a representation of the Dakar’s infamous truck category. Both of these models could be likened to the Dakar rally’s car class. The SP Dunekicker is a powerful trophy truck seemingly at home on the large dunes, while the SP Rock Basher is a rock crawling specialist.
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Players can tackle this 10km² location in a variety of new vehicles, many of which mysteriously resemble Dakar competitors. This new truck has joined BeamNG in the latest update. Having tested the map out, I’d say this difficult to navigate terrain is set to give the official Dakar title a run for its money. Called Johnson Valley, it’s essentially a large desert made up of dunes, thick sand and an expansive boulder field. In December, BeamNG.Drive received its most recent update, Conquer the Desert, introducing a new map. Though after a recent update, there is a new kid on the block. In fact, players often complain about the game’s difficulty after getting lost in a vast landscape full of dunes. The title released last year and does a very good job of replicating the orienteering aspect of the event.
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Within racing games, the obvious choice to get a dose of Dakar action would be Dakar Desert Rally. With the two week rally raid now over, fans of the event will look elsewhere for their fix. In the real world, the Dakar rally taking place in Saudi Arabia has just come to an end. But more recently, an update to BeamNG.Drive has caused the official game to lose its title of the best Dakar simulator.
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Dakar Desert Rally released last year to a positive reception.
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