Avid racing fans are in for a treat come September 18 when video game developer Codemaster releases its latest Formula 1 simulator for Xbox and PS3.
Unlike RPG or platform adventure games, gameplay for racing games are quite straightforward. In fact, any attempt in storytelling will only cause a distraction and take away from the main stars of the game -- the lineup of cars.
The Gran Turismo franchise capitalizes on the sentiment and offers one of the broadest spectrum of automobiles in any game. With over a thousand cars, 26 locations, and 71 different tracks, Gran Turismo guarantees that it's virtually impossible to familiarize a person with every single car. Essentially, Gran Turismo represents the world's greatest automotive all-you-can-eat buffet.
Released almost two years ago, the relevance of Gran Turismo has yet to dim but video game design continues to evolve. What does Codemaster's latest 'F1 2012' bring to the table? We play the PS3 demo and see what's what.
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From the very beginning, the launch menu welcomes the player with the manic cacophony of a revving Formula 1 engine, a sure fire way to get heart rates to rise. Formula 1 represents the pinnacle of motorsport and its Codemaster's job to bottle its essence into digital data.
Beyond the challenges of capturing realism, the visual appeal, and the glitz and glamor that comes with the sport, perhaps the most difficult challenge Codemasters must face is to educate players who may not be familiar with Formula 1 at all.
In order to bring the learning curve to a reasonable slope, players can first acclimate by choosing the Young Driver Test gaming mode. There, F1 2012 walks through the necessary skills players must have to experience the game at its full potential. Similar to Gran Turismo's license tests, the Young Driver Test simulates young drivers elevating from a feeder series into a Formula 1 car for the first time.
"Straight Line Test" allows the player to experience and understand the ferocious acceleration of a Formula 1 car, which are capable of acceleration from 0-to-100 mph and immediately brake back down to 0 mph all in less than five seconds. Next, "Hairpin Turn Test" allows the player to get an idea of just how much lateral G a Formula 1 car can take. Racing line markers must be hit perfectly for players to understand the fastest way through a turn. Finally, the "Baseline Performance Test" challenges the player to string together a perfect combination of both aspects. Beyond the limited game selections in the PS3 demo, the F1 2012 final game will include an introduction to KERS & DRS as well as helpful techniques in wet weather driving and tire conservation. A 'free run dry' and a 'free run wet' mode will be available any time during the Young Driver Test as well. In wet driving mode, Codemasters really pushes the envelopes in computer graphics and rendering. Drops of rain glisten with realism against every surface including the asphalt, grass, body panels, and even the helmet on the driver, changing the shap of the raindrops as the F1 car continues to accelerate.
First impressions of the game are extremely positive. While the Young Driver Tests were rather basic, F1 2012 does a great job selling just how difficult it is to rein in a Formula 1 car. Both acceleration and braking inputs are translated immediately and the sharpness of an F1 car really shines through. Driving it smoothly around the bend and you'll benefit from getting on the throttle sooner for a quicker exit. However, a sloppy approach risks off track excursions that collect a lot of grass and gravel debris onto the tires. What's more, a tire lock up will cause a flat spot that will send constant vibrations through the controller as grip and handling levels severely plummet. This dramatically raises the level of anxiety with every approach to a sharp corner.
The next gaming mode in F1 2012 is the 'Season Challenge,' which puts you into the thick end of Formula 1. In the demo, the player will be racing for Williams F1 Team and must tackle the Monza. The first job will be to select a rival driver to face-off against. Now, not only must the player earn a respectable grid position during qualifying and finish strong, one of the key challenges is to defeat your immediate rival for the championship -- that means you must qualify faster and finish ahead of your rival throughout the race weekend.
Before you head to the circuit, F1 2012 provides you with quick car set-ups from 'Cautious,' which leans towards understeer, to 'Balanced,' for neutral handling, and finally 'Aggressive,' for a lively rear end. Custom adjustments are available as well, as adjustments can be made to anything from aero, brake sensitivity, weight balance, suspension, gearing, engine output, and wheel alignment. Unfortunately, the demo has locked this option.
Qualifying immediately sends the player off to a flying lap in Monza. Perhaps even too quick for even the most experienced of race sim enthusiasts, F1 2012 features much welcomed colored braking lines to guide the players around the circuit. Poor cornering technique can be some what alleviated with good straight line speed through the generous use of DRS and KERS. Competing ghost cars share the track and lets the player know approximately where his or her time ranks among the grid. Standings will display the session best time, your teammate's best time, and finally the player's personal time.
Finally, it's time to enter the race. True Formula 1 racing is relentless and unforgiving -- thankfully, Codemasters is not. If a crash or a poorly negotiated corner threatens to end your race weekend, flashbacks are available to rewind the action to a point sometime before the mishap, allowing the player to try tackling the situation one more time. Despite the padding, all four flashbacks can be used pretty quickly. In addition, poor driving etiquette such as corner cutting and causing collisions will put the player at risk of penalties.
All in all, if Gran Turismo 5 is an all-you-can-eat buffet, then F1 2012 is a 3-star Michelin restaurant for players that appreciate the elite palate. Codemasters F1 2012 plays very true to real Formula 1, rendering even the smallest aero design features of all F1 cars. The unique driving experience is expressed flawlessly and even the latest DRS and KERS regulations are meticulously emulated. Hitting the DRS causes the rear end to float due to the loss of grip. The engine note of the F1 car changes ever so slightly to indicate KERS application.
A truly exciting and immersive experience, F1 2012 official hits store shelves in America starting September 18th. If you're a fan of motorsports, pre-order your copy. We promise you won't regret it.
For now, download the demo available on both PS3 Store and Xbox live. Check out the gameplay demo below:
