F1 2012 Review

It seems the F1 series is here to stay as Codemasters’ successful Formula 1 racer enters its third iteration in as many years. By now it is fair to say the game occupies a similar place in the market as its fellow annual sporting franchises, such as FIFA or Madden. But can the developers replicate what EA Sports do so well, in providing yearly updates with just enough new content to warrant a purchase?

Much like the cars themselves, it’s a case of fine-tuning, but the risk with tweaking to the limits is that the formula might break, so the gameplay has been left largely untouched. Perhaps the car handling is marginally less ruthless than F1 2011, but if you showed anyone but the most stringent fan a race from last year alongside this year, they would be hard-pressed to tell you the difference.

It’s lucky then that the racing was so well constructed from the off in 2010. The pace and agility of the cars are well judged, and the speed is as thrilling as ever. When you time an overtake just right, or when a risky line on the last corner of the race pays off, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Yet it will be daunting to those used to more traditional racing games. Even Forza fan will struggle with the power that’s on offer here. The inch-perfect and reflex-heavy nature of the sport may act as a barrier even to some more experienced players, let alone fans of F1 whose interest in racing games might not stretch beyond Mario Kart.

Codemasters have attempted to address this issue with a new mode that accompanies you the first time you start up the game - the ‘Young Driver Test’. Though optional, it comes highly recommended. The test leads you through the basics of the gameplay while also teaching the fundamental aspects of F1 racing, such as how to hit the apex of a bend and when to use KERS. It’s at least half an hour long and well presented at the Yas Marina track, really drawing you in to the game. If you’re in any way new to the series, you’re going to need it.

Beyond the tutorial, there are a few more options to consider on the main menu this year. Alongside the usual time trial mode there’s a Champions Mode which pits you against top drivers, such as Hamilton or Schumacher, in different conditions having to fulfil certain requirements. It may not sound like much, but having to battle from 13th to overtake Niko Rosberg in 7th is a real challenge, and offers a neat change of pace from the standard races.

It won’t be the mode where you spend most of your time though, and there’s a new mode bridging the gap between quick play sessions and the mammoth Career Mode. Season Challenge is a 10 race mode with an emphasis on beating your chosen rival and claiming their car. This different approach adds a new aspect to proceedings and alters the race dynamic from just aiming for the podium. The progression is more palpable than anywhere else in the game, and you gain a refreshing sense of freedom as you jump from team to team. It’s an enjoyable mode for all types of players.

Of course, it won’t eat into your life quite as much as the standard Career Mode. This is where you start as a lowly newcomer and gradually build your reputation until you start receiving offers from other, bigger teams. New in F1 2012, you will have more impact on the press, with newspaper clippings and emails from your agent popping up after each race. Though this appears to be another step to forming a complete F1 experience, its limited implementation is all too apparent and you’ll soon realize there’s not actually much to it. This doesn’t stop Career Mode being an enthralling journey though, and you’ll be keen to rise up the ranks as fast as you can, though only the most committed of players will truly hit the big time.

If, so far, this review is simply reading like a list of different game modes, that’s because it is. Codemasters seem happy with how their game feels to play, and so they should. Visually, the graphics haven’t improved much, and neither has the sound, but they’re both about as good as they can get on current generation hardware, so why tinker with it more than necessary?

The multiplayer mode is back, for example, making a strange change of pace when faced with human opposition. The rhythmic perfection of the AI racers is replaced by a frantic unpredictability, and it’s as much about focusing on the behaviour of other cars as your own. Provided you play alongside like-minded racers, some of the real highlights come when competing against others, which is even more reason to applaud the presence of a local multiplayer in a time where it is usually overlooked. Finally, Co-op Championship is back from last year, giving you the opportunity to play through seasons with the assistance/rivalry of a human team mate. When you find someone of equal ability, there’s no better mode to play.

This kind of sums up F1 2012 - when it gets it right, it’s a fantastically exhilarating driving game. At times, I felt mentally exhausted from the levels of concentration required just to maintain my position. However, a varying degree of difficulty muddies the high-points a little. Too often I was winning by a good 10 seconds, but struggling to reach 15th if I put the difficulty up. The plethora of game modes undoubtedly helps to broaden the appeal of racing as much as possible, but surely there’s only so many more ways to play that Codemasters can come up with?

But that’s a concern for next year, because F1 2012 becomes the latest solid entry in the series. If you know your Sauber form your Force India, then this game should provide you with hours of entertainment. But if your interest in the sport is only fleeting then think twice before entering the remorseless world of Formula 1, because you may just find it too much.