17/09/2012
NEWS STORY
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This week sees the release of F1 2012, the latest Formula One game from Codemasters. It's the fourth in the series which started back in 2009, and the third for the leading gaming platforms. Pitpass received an advanced copy to review and while it didn't disappoint, it hardly inspired either.
Last year we reviewed F1 2011, concluding the game was a confused hybrid stranded somewhere between racing simulation and something the casual fan can pick up and play. It was an improvement over F1 2010, the first of Codemasters titles to appear on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but it was a tricky game that was likely to appeal only to the most hardened of Formula One fans.
That was seemingly reflected in the sales figures. Codemasters sold 2.05 million copies for F1 2010 across all platforms worldwide, while F1 2011 managed just 1.88 million despite additional releases on both the Ninentdo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
The trouble F1 2011 faced, and that which the latest edition will also battle, is that not a great deal has changed in Formula One over the last few seasons. When F1 2010 was released there hadn't been a new Formula One game title in years, and with a host of new teams there was a novelty factor about it.
The drop in sales suggests some of that novelty has worn off. While 2011 featured Pirelli, DRS and KERS, not to mention the standard driver changes and new circuits, the game was fundamentally the same. It was an evolution, not a revolution.
It's the same story this time around. F1 2012 builds on the foundations of the previous two titles and tightens things up, but as a result it's more confused than last year's title. The learning curve for new players has been eased, with players welcomed to the game via the all-new Young Driver Test, a series of simple tests which give players an understanding of the game, and, to a lesser extent, the sport.
Many of those who purchase F1 2012 will be veterans of at least one of the previous two games. As such the Young Driver Test, while a novel idea, is a wasted concept. But the game has to cater for the lowest common denominator, and experienced players will breeze through the opening sequence before quickly changing the settings to meet their skills level.
The in-game graphics have not changed from F1 2011 and while the cars have all been remodelled at a glance one would do well to pick the difference. The audio is a clue, it's more crisp and realistic than last year, but only by playing the two games back to back would you be able to notice.
What you will notice is the heavily revised menu system. Historically the game has been driven from the players' motorhome, with options cast about the room. F1 2012 features are more traditional navigation system which is far simpler, though it does get frustrating as an instruction isn't always clear or intuitive with far too many buttons to press before the game gets going.
The aggressive car dynamics which either made of blighted F1 2011, depending on your penchant for realism, have been blunted. The cars are no longer likely to snap under acceleration or dance around under braking by default. Settings can be tweaked to encourage that behaviour, switching off ABS and traction control for instance, but by default the controls are far more straight forward.
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While it sounds simple it was important since F1 2011 tasked new players with a near vertical learning curve which tended to frustrate more than entertain. If Codemasters wants to encourage new players it needed to make the game accessible, and it has done, but coming in the third game in the series one has to wonder if it's come too late.
The gameplay itself is good, the controls simple enough but with KERS and DRS does keep you busy, especially when attacking or defending. Weighing up when to open DRS during qualifying versus how much throttle and DRS to apply are crucial and can draw mistakes, but get it right and there's a real sense of accomplishment when you nail a corner perfectly.
Players get that same sense of accomplishment when using a force feedback steering wheel. Indeed the game truly comes alive when paired with a wheel, making the dull and inaccurate controls ferociously sharp. Equally the pedals mean it's easier to feed on the power, a little too easy at times, though the snaps of oversteer one anticipates never do seem to arrive. It gives players an idea that just below the surface, if one wants to explore beyond the realms of a casual gamer, the game can really come alive.
Speaking of more alive the artificial intelligence adds an extra dynamic to the game, your rivals moving to defend or attack and proving a real challenge at some of the circuits with less overtaking opportunities. They are weak on the brakes and it is easy to sail by from an impossibly long way back but barging past by braking impossibly late and running in to them is not encouraged.
Radio chatter is repetitive and unhelpful; on lap three of each and every race your engineer will come over the radio reminding you that DRS is now enabled, before explaining how it works. Useful during the Young Driver Test as players come to grips with what's potentially a brand new game and sport, by race three it would be safe to they've probably figured it out.
Driver rivalries are a more central theme of the game. Where in previous years a player's target has largely been their teammate, the Seasons Challenge allows players to pick a driver they believe they can beat and, if in three races you succeed, you're rewarded with a contract offer from that team. The idea is that one would start in one of the smaller teams, as you do in career mode, only the concept if flawed.
Jumping straight in to a McLaren we chose Kimi Raikkonen as our rival. After two races (and two victories) an offer to take Kimi's place at Lotus was received, so we jumped ship. Two races later we were at Mercedes, then Red Bull and finally Ferrari to round out the ten race challenge. The problem is that it's easy simply to choose the drivers who are likely to be your main rivals in the championship, take their seat and force them to sit out two races. It makes winning the championship trivial - in ten races we were nearly 150 points clear of second place Fernando Alonso, who only competed in eight events since we were sat in his car for two.
Also new for F1 2012 is the Champions Mode, which pits players against all six world champions in a number of scenarios; players tasked with catching and passing their rival, or defend their advances to succeed. It's a novel concept which adds some depth to an otherwise shallow game, even if we were unable to get beyond the second level; a charging Lewis Hamilton bearing down on us at a wet Interlagos.
The new modes are a welcome addition, of course, as they add to the game's replay menu. More than that the Champions Mode is a great and simple way of educating those new to the sport about some of its leading lights, while the Seasons Challenge gives an insight in to the rivalries that exist both within and between the teams. It's all part of that accessibility piece the game appears to have tried to capitalise on.
But because of that the game is a contradiction. It's not an out-and-out simulator but it's not a pick-up-and-play game either. Players need some semblance of skill to enjoy it, not to mention a healthy amount of spare time, and to really get the most a force feedback wheel is a necessity.
But it is still clearly the youngest brother of F1 2010, and that is a positive as Codemasters builds its Formula One franchise, but it doesn't seem a title likely to attract new players. With rival titles like Forza 4 (Xbox 360) and Gran Turismo 5 (Playstation 3) selling ten times the number of titles as F1 2011 the game will struggle to be among the top sellers. Given recent trends Codemasters should be pleased if it passes the 1.5 million mark, which seems scant return for a Formula One license that's estimated to cost in the region of $20million a year.
Bottom line is if you're a hardened F1 fan and a keen gamer you will enjoy this, more so if you've a racing wheel to try it out with. But if you're a casual fan and undecided on whether you should fork out your hard earned money, take our advice from last year; give it a few months and pick it up out of the bargain bin for peanuts.
Check out some screenshots from the game, here.
To check out previous features from Mat, click here.