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Gravel

Gravel isn't perfect but it nails enough of the essentials and brings just enough style to the table to make it a great racing game overall.
Gravel Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
graphics, music
optimization, stability
76% User Score Based on 760 reviews
Critic Score 73%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

LinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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Gravel Game Cover

About

Gravel is a single player and multiplayer open world racing game. It was developed by Milestone S.r.l. and was released on February 27, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Gravel is the only title in the market that includes the most extreme mix of off-road competitions ever seen in a game!

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
Gravel screenshot
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76%
Audience ScoreBased on 760 reviews
graphics96 positive mentions
optimization14 negative mentions
  • Fun and accessible arcade-style off-road racing with a good balance of realism and arcade elements.
  • Variety of cars including rare and classic models and diverse race tracks and modes.
  • Smooth performance on most systems with good graphics and adjustable driving assists.
  • Rewind feature allows players to correct mistakes and maintain flow.
  • Engaging progression system rewarding stylish driving.
  • Multiplayer available and functional with friends.
  • Supports wheel and controller input well.
  • Artificially inflated price due to much content locked behind multiple paid DLCs.
  • Annoying unskippable cutscenes and repetitive, bland commentary.
  • Dark night races with ineffective headlights leading to poor visibility.
  • Inconsistent AI difficulty and occasional rubberbanding.
  • Some technical issues including crashes, freezing, microstuttering especially on certain maps and platforms like Linux or Steam Deck.
  • No option to remap controls in-game, requiring third-party solutions.
  • Online multiplayer servers are mostly inactive, limiting multiplayer experience.
  • Limited car customization options beyond liveries.
  • Graphics and physics feel somewhat dated or inconsistent at times.
  • Some tracks suffer from repetitive layouts and lack of engaging design.
  • Poor sound design in engine noises and game music.
  • Lack of local split-screen multiplayer.
  • graphics
    186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are generally regarded as good and visually appealing, especially for a 2018 indie arcade racing game, with nice environments and solid performance on modern hardware. While not on par with AAA titles like Forza, the visuals effectively complement the arcade feel, though some tracks can appear dark or blurry and occasional graphical bugs and optimization issues are noted. Overall, the graphics provide a pleasant, colorful experience with standout DLC visuals, despite some dated and inconsistent elements.

    • “The graphics are great for an old game, almost feels like this game made this year.”
    • “Graphics are beautiful, every track is like a paradise to the eyes, but that's what you expect from unreal engine.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, runs really smooth and tons of different track variations.”
    • “The graphics look like they've been ported from Xbox 360 or PS3.”
    • “Graphics seem muddy and mixed together, feels cheap.”
    • “The graphic quality is much lower than what it seemed to be in videos and screenshots.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music is generally viewed as generic, repetitive, and dominated by hard rock and metal tracks that many find uninspired or cringe-worthy, especially the menu and race music. While some appreciate the heavy rock soundtrack for setting an adrenaline-pumping mood, most recommend turning off the in-game music in favor of personal playlists to enhance the experience. Overall, the soundtrack lacks variety and licensed tracks, detracting from the game's atmosphere but is considered an expected shortcoming for a budget title.

    • “Each event is presented as an episode in the off-road masters series, complete with commentary, flashy menus, and rock-heavy background music.”
    • “The soundtrack, filled with hard rock and metal tracks, helps sell the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, and the terrain variety keeps the visuals from growing stale too quickly.”
    • “Very polished game, from visuals, to menus, to soundtrack and voiceovers.”
    • “The music is awful and I definitely recommend muting it.”
    • “My only negatives are the short campaign, cheesy presentation in the campaign, and the pretty terrible menu/race music; seriously, it's that bad I had to turn it off because it drove me insane.”
    • “None of the sim settings they have make any major change to the car, there is simply no weight transfer present. Then they have the audacity to shove an awful menu track every time you are there and in the races too, with tracks that are too loud and do not fit at all; you have to turn all music off to be sane.”
  • gameplay
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a solid, accessible arcade racing experience with responsive controls and a blend of light simulation, making it enjoyable for both casual and rally fans. While it lacks depth and can feel repetitive, the varied tracks, car roster, and forgiving mechanics provide fun pacing and intuitive handling, though some criticize sluggishness, AI catch-up tactics, and occasional bugs. Overall, it's a well-made but somewhat underrated arcade racer that balances fun driving with straightforward progression.

    • “The gameplay strikes a balance between arcade-style controls and light simulation elements.”
    • “Being honest, I enjoyed Gravel even more than the Dirt games I've played before. It's not really an overly arcadey game but there's some sense of realism in the way it controls. The controls feel well-done, the racing mechanics are fun, and the maps are beautiful and well-designed. It's easy to get into but difficult to master, making it a good racing experience for both fans and newcomers.”
    • “Don’t expect a simulation type game, but this is huge amounts of fun. The game mechanics are well thought-out (the "show points" gimmick tempts you to do silly things to wow the crowd instead of staying safe and boring, which is more entertaining than it sounds), the car roster and liveries are amazing for a rally geek.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely repetitive and boring all throughout.”
    • “The game lacks the polish, depth, and mechanical precision of its genre contemporaries.”
    • “The gameplay is very bad, the handling is crap, I don't know if I'm driving a buggy or an ocean liner.”
  • optimization
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization for the game is generally solid on modern PC hardware, offering stable 60fps performance with smooth gameplay, though console versions are capped at 30fps and experience occasional dips and tearing. However, the Linux port suffers from notable performance issues, including microstuttering and lower framerates due to lack of Vulkan support and OpenGL limitations. Overall, despite some stutters and occasional bugs, especially on certain hardware and maps, the game remains playable and enjoyable for most users.

    • “Performance is generally stable, especially on PC, where the game can run smoothly at 60fps, but console versions are locked to 30fps and suffer occasional dips and screen tearing.”
    • “Great game that runs smoothly on almost every configuration.”
    • “Game's optimized and runs great on my garbage OEM HP workstation, zero crashes.”
    • “At times, significant performance issues on Linux.”
    • “Graphics also look generic due to UE4 and performance suffers from bad optimization, which is typical for Unreal games.”
    • “Performance issues on certain rigs; my 6-year-old laptop can handle this at max settings at 30-40 fps, but a rig with a much better CPU and GPU suffers some lag.”
  • stability
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with many users experiencing frequent freezes, crashes, and bugs that severely impact playability, while others report smooth, crash-free performance on their systems. Despite some improvements over time, issues like stuttering, glitches, and poor optimization remain common and frustrate the overall experience.

    • “Game's optimized and runs great on my garbage OEM HP workstation, zero crashes.”
    • “I have no issues running it, no glitches or bugs.”
    • “If you're on a PC I would recommend this game as it runs great and everything works and the game is mostly enjoyable.”
    • “The game is incredibly buggy and poorly optimised.”
    • “It frequently freezes at the start of a race and has several game-breaking bugs that force the game to quit.”
    • “Since you'll encounter random freezes on several tracks (and certain objects), you have to work around for a fix yourselves and those processes are really time-consuming.”
  • story
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally regarded as minimal and cliché, centered around a simple "underdog rises" theme with little depth or narrative development. While some appreciate the inclusion of real actors and a few boss battles adding minor charm, most find the story mode short, straightforward, and secondary to the racing experience. Overall, the story serves primarily as a basic framework to support gameplay rather than a compelling or immersive element.

    • “The 'story mode' is simple and nice.”
    • “The 'story,' though cringey and old-school, features real actors, which adds a bit of charm.”
    • “Career mode: 9/10 - it has a meaning, it has a story, it just has something that drags you into it and you really want to go on and on and on.”
    • “The story is basically nonexistent; it's the classic 'new guy rises up and beats the veterans,' that's it.”
    • “The music is boring and repetitive, there's no story arc - just do the races, and the biggest issue for me: no shop for buying cars or equipment.”
    • “The cinematics/story is worse than 2015 Need for Speed.”
  • grinding
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is generally moderate and not overly difficult, though unlocking 100% achievements or reaching high levels can require repetitive, tedious effort. Some players find it slightly grindy, especially in later stages or specific events, while others appreciate pacing elements and DLC that reduce the grind. Overall, grinding is manageable but may feel monotonous for those averse to repeated tasks.

    • “Not grindy, but maybe because I have the paid DLC which gives you 3 event lists right after the first one.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Unlocking 100% achievements is very easy, although it requires extra hours of grinding which I am absolutely not willing to do.”
    • “I have no idea since those last 44 levels are just grinding the same tracks over and over again.”
    • “I'm also not a fan of forced grinding and that's something, especially those races, have. Options for getting stars without forcing you to play things you don't really like would be good.”
  • humor
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor shines through its cheesy voiceovers, amusing cutscenes, and wonky yet entertaining collision physics, adding charm especially during crashes and offbeat moments. While some jokes and scenarios wear thin over time, the overall lighthearted and fun tone enhances the off-road racing experience.

    • “The career mode VO and FMV scenes are super cheesy but in a good, kinda funny way.”
    • “Fun to drive and some crashes are hilarious fun.”
    • “The progression is very basic and there isn't much presentation either, being just a single player campaign with some mini boss dudes with funny cutscenes thrown in.”
    • “I checked the cloud sync, it was ok and guess what - I was asked to enter my name... it's not funny”
    • “It's not funny”
    • “It's not funny”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers decent replayability through weekly challenges, time attack, and custom race options, though it lacks community events, leaderboards, and seasonal challenges that could enhance long-term engagement. While some players wish for more stages, the variety of tracks and cars provides satisfactory diversity and enjoyment. Overall, despite limited features, the game maintains a nostalgic and fun appeal that encourages continued play.

    • “But there are weekly challenges which do give the game some replayability past the career mode.”
    • “It has time attack and other custom race options which give it a decent replay value. I wish there were just a few more stages, but if you can get the game under $30, it's well worth it.”
    • “There are quite a few tracks and a lot more playable cars in this game than I initially thought, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and their diversity.”
    • “The lack of community events, leaderboards, or seasonal challenges further limits the long-term replayability.”
    • “Despite all the small critiques and the lack of replayability, I still somehow find this game a blast to play, perhaps it feels like simpler times.”
    • “It has time attack and other custom race options which give it a decent replay value, but I wish there were just a few more stages.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game struggles to evoke emotional engagement, feeling mechanical and detached, especially due to lifeless AI and janky collision responses that disrupt immersion. However, the handling can feel satisfying and connected when using an Xbox One controller, offering brief moments of enjoyment despite overall frustration.

    • “Technically present, emotionally absent: the AI is lifeless, the handling is serviceable but forgettable, making the whole thing feel like a racing game on autopilot.”
    • “Playing with the Xbox One controller made me feel like the vehicle was truly in my hands.”
    • “Fun handling stops being true when collisions are involved - touching walls, opponents, or landing after jumps causes erratic car behavior and frustration.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a monetization approach free of microtransactions, with most content unlocked through progression, offering a refreshing alternative to typical modern racing games. Additionally, it has minimal advertising, contributing to a more seamless experience.

    • “It’s also free of microtransactions, with most content unlockable through progression, which is a refreshing change from modern racing games.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is energized by a hard rock and metal soundtrack that enhances the adrenaline-pumping experience, while diverse terrain visuals maintain a fresh and engaging environment.

    • “The soundtrack, filled with hard rock and metal tracks, helps sell the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, and the terrain variety keeps the visuals from growing stale too quickly.”
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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Gravel is a open world racing game.

Gravel is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Gravel.

Gravel was released on February 27, 2018.

Gravel was developed by Milestone S.r.l..

Gravel has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Gravel for its graphics but disliked it for its optimization.

Gravel is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include DIRT 5, Speed Liner, V-Rally 4, DiRT 4, WRC 4 FIA World Rally Championship and others.