Its good. Some minor issues but the best F1 game in 10 years
If you read some of my previous posts and reviews about the F1 games that have come out, you will realise that it has been a very long time since ive played one which has made me go back to it for a 3rd time. Im sure you know what i mean. When you get a game, you play it for a few hours to get the mechanics and then when you next come to the box you find that you cant be bothered to play it. This F1 game for the first time since the PC release in 2000 is actually good and i actually wanted to go and race a competitive 20 lap race. Excellent, i haven't done this since forza3 and motogp 07.
Only good though?
Well yeah. The first thing i did was whack it on expert, no assists and manual gears and couldn't drive a corner. This is how i race forza 3, but codemasters hasn't got the power/throttle combination down, its all a little too sensitive. I haven't spent too much time with it yet but i cant see me getting the times i need to pole it on expert difficulty. I turned this down, i put my abs on tried that, still the same so resorted to putting medium traction on and got a much better game. I could finally attack the apexs with quite a satisfying throttle system with spinning out only when i got it wrong.
When all this was done i started with my favourite test track, Melbourne, and started to play with the customisation of the car. Its quite basic but as good as motogp's system, the settings don't make too much difference and only noticeable from one extreme setting to the next. Its all ok but not in as much depth as i would of liked.
So the game is the same as every other f1 game really to cut it all short. You have all the various races (multiplayer up to 12 in generic game types which is quite good if you take out the damage and first corner pile ups) and a career mode which sees you start at a lower team and you are set targets to meet. Meet them and you get better contracts. Its all been done before but this i don't mind.
There are leader boards where you can compare a few things but this is where the game lets itself down. There just aren't enough stat pages. The end of races, online or otherwise doesn't show you enough satisfying data like fastest laps, split times, easy to see distances from cars in front and behind (although these are here, i just cant look at the sector points and take corners). The end of multiplayer races are spoiled by massive wait times for the next race and no recording of any times, positions or other throw away stat building process. People love that stuff and this game doesn't have any of it. I will predict that the online community for this will be gone after a few months after Christmas, ill still be playing but there just isn't enough to keep that casual/kiddie gamer occupied. Leveling has become an addiction in recent games and this game hasn't got enough of it, most people will batter the achievements and trade in. This is ONLY if you are a casual gamer.
For me, its actually perfect. A good solid control system with time trials, ghosts, online and a hard career. It is satisfying and the tracks look so damn good. Ive not mentioned gfx or sound, its just good thats why.
It is without a doubt the best f1 game to come out in the last 10 years. I liked the wii version for a short time but the graphics and the horrid controls burned that game into the back slot of my cupboard, this one replaces it and gives me a game i can swap. If you are a fan of racers, this is a must buy. Don't expect a forza, its not, but a racing game which has a solid control, speed and feature system which racing fans will be satisfied with. I am and trust me, finding that racer which has you battering lap times in time trials because you are hooked is always a good one in my book.
UPDATE: 26/09/2010
After playing up to the Yas marina circuit on hard difficulty im beginning to get a little frustrated with the game.
Cutting corners, causing accidents and the pit guys keeping me in the pits while the entire field trickle past me has got me smashing stuff up.
This is the kind of thing that gripes every F1 game. Most of the time you find yourself taking massive evasive action to get out of the way of a car only to go off the track, spin out OR the warning system penalising you for cutting corners. It's a total blag. I really love the game but this stuff really irritates me.
Get this. Pole position on hard difficulty with a lotus. Led 6 laps by a few seconds ( 6 I think ) and then pitted, rejoined in 18th. Why? Well for some reason whenever I pit the rest of the field do, regardless of if I ask to come in or just do the default strategy. Im waiting at my pit box and the lollipop man just doesn't move, 15 cars went past before he lifts up. Annoying. This has happened 6 times in my career and of course you simply cant get back to first as hes practically done a lap at this point. Man. SO ANNOYING. The game is excellent however just ive lost the championship now with this.
Not getting the update system, im doing the objectives set but not sure if its being applied or not. If its just auto then it is, otherwise there is a little icon which is sometimes there and then its not.