Dakar ’97

Dakar ’97 has a straightforward old-school charm: pick one of four Dakar machines, point it at rough terrain, and try to keep moving from checkpoint to checkpoint. The mix of mountain roads, savannah, beaches, and open desert gives the small course count some welcome variety, especially when the route stops feeling like a normal circuit and asks you to navigate the landscape.

Its limits show up quickly. With only six courses, four vehicles, and little adjustment beyond transmission choice, this is a lean rally package rather than a deep off-road obsession. Still, if you enjoy late-1990s PlayStation racers and want a brief Dakar-flavored change from lap-based driving, the checkpoint runs have enough character to be worth a spin.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Dakar ’97 starts with a premise that is stronger than its scope: Dakar racing is about enduring ugly terrain and staying on course, not simply shaving tenths off a familiar lap. That comes through in the route selection. Mountain roads, savannah, beaches, and raw desert break up the six courses, while the desert checkpoints give the driving a more exploratory flavor than a standard circuit racer.

You can tackle a full Rally run or use Test Run to learn a particular course with a chosen vehicle. Test Run is the sensible place to begin, because the game does not have a huge selection of cars or tuning options to soften the learning curve. Manual or automatic transmission is the extent of the customization, and the four-car roster, two Mitsubishi Pajeros, a Mitsubishi RVR Prototype, and an Isuzu Bighorn, feels restrictive once you have found a favorite.

The behind-car view suits the uneven courses best, letting you judge jumps and see where the vehicle sits on the road. A hood view is also available if you prefer a lower, more committed perspective. The game can be forgiving in an odd way, though: a vehicle can teeter at a cliff edge without actually falling off. That keeps a bad mistake from ending a run, but it also takes some danger out of a racing format built around hazardous terrain.

This is a compact game that rewards interest in its specific theme more than a desire for endless variety. If the thought of learning a handful of Dakar-style routes and making cleaner checkpoint runs sounds satisfying, Rally mode has a clear purpose. If you need a broad garage, extensive setup work, or a long list of events, Dakar ’97 runs out of road fast.

Dakar '97: A small jump — Dakar ’97: A small jump

Graphics

The PlayStation-era off-road scenery has a rough, blocky look, but the courses are easy to distinguish. Pale sand, orange dirt, dark rocky canyon walls, and snowy mountain backdrops give each environment a different color and texture. The white Mitsubishi and darker Isuzu trucks remain recognizable against the terrain, even when the ground gets visually busy.

Some shots have genuine atmosphere, especially the Pajero crossing a reflective patch of water near dunes and the car silhouetted against a huge orange sunset. During races, the angular landscape and stiff-looking vehicle angles make the game look dated, but the sharp drops, ridges, and jumps still communicate the terrain you are trying to survive.

Dakar '97: Starting test run with Mitsubishi Pajero Prototype — Dakar ’97: Starting test run with Mitsubishi Pajero Prototype

Story

There is no character-driven story pulling you from race to race. Dakar ’97 uses the Paris-Dakar rally concept itself as its hook: you are taking an off-road machine through a succession of punishing environments, trying to meet the demands of the course.

That makes each Rally attempt its own small journey. The routes include defined roads and open landscapes where checkpoints matter, and the changing locations provide the sense of travel a traditional plot would normally supply.

The opening and sunset imagery add a little romance to the endurance-rally idea, but do not expect drama or personalities around the racing. This is a game for someone happy to make their own story out of a clean run, a recovered mistake, and finally reaching the next checkpoint.

Dakar '97: Can't go off the cliff even if you loose the balance — Dakar ’97: Can’t go off the cliff even if you loose the balance

Overall Experience

Dakar ’97 is a modest, focused racer with a subject that remains more interesting than its limited content. It captures a useful slice of Dakar racing by putting you on rough courses where the route itself matters, rather than dressing every event as another lap race.

The short roster, six-course lineup, and bare-bones options make it hard to recommend as a long-term racing game. You will see most of what it has to offer quickly, and the safety around cliff edges blunts the rough-terrain fantasy at moments when the game should feel most perilous.

Still, the game has a niche appeal that is easy to understand. Give it a chance if you like vintage PlayStation driving games, obscure racers, or the particular rhythm of off-road checkpoint running. Everyone else will probably find it a brief curiosity, but an enjoyable one while the desert routes still feel fresh.