Codemasters’ F1 series is back with another assured and winning performance for the 2013 season but not without a few boos coming its way – a summary which Sebastian Vettel might relate to.
Unlike the bosses of real-world grand prix racing, which according to Lewis Hamilton is in danger of becoming boring due to its German champ’s dominance, those clever Codies have found a great way to liven up their game based on the sport.
They haven’t revolutionised the core gameplay because after all what’s at the heart of F1, racing state-of-the-art cars around fast tracks, doesn’t change from year to year so it would be difficult to make wholesale changes.
Instead they’ve gone back in time to find inspiration for a new feature – what they’ve come up with still needs a lot of work but the concept is a masterstroke.
Now on its fourth annual release, the series could have been at risk of falling into a similar slumber to other sport sims by going stale from only having minimal improvements made from one year to the next other than the obligatory updates to teams and line-ups.
That pitfall has been avoided thanks to the inclusion of classic content which adds fresh impetus and provides a real treat for all long-terms fans of motor racing's premier competition.
The basic edition of the game includes five cars from the 1980s and two tracks from that era which no longer feature on the F1 calendar - Jerez and Brands Hatch. A 90s pack, which is available as downloadable content or included in a special edition of the game, includes six more cars and another two now-defunct tracks - Estoril and Imola.
Codemasters’ divvying up of this classic content has drawn some criticism, with detractors saying it’s stingy to hold half of it back as DLC or for the more expensive version of the game. You’ll have to make your own mind up on that.
Others have complained about the lack of depth and authenticity to this new offering. I can concur with the moaners on this point although I’m a big fan of the classic content overall.
The 11 old cars are all from just three teams – Williams, Lotus and Ferrari. All other top teams which starred in these two golden decades are absent – so no Brabhams, McLarens, Renaults or Benettons.
The driver assigned to each car is in some cases the original, but in others they are drivers who just happened to have represented a particular team at some point in their career – so you have out-of-place Mika Hakkinen and Mario Andretti racing in mid or late-80s Lotus cars.
These classic cars can be raced on any of the four former GP circuits as well as on any of the 19 present-day tracks that are included in the main part of the game covering the current season.
However, there isn’t very much you can do with them, as modes are limited to time trial, time attack (beating target times to earn medals), scenarios and grand prix.
With a sparse selection of cars and drivers the six scenarios are all fictitious, so there no real races or rivalries recreated.
Each grand prix only features 10 or 12 cars, so races can feel empty. What’s more bizarre is that cars which are years apart in their respective decades are raced against each other. Having a ‘92 Williams against a ‘99 Williams or an ‘80 Williams against an ‘88 Ferrari just doesn’t sit right.
While the classic content may be somewhat hollow, it still provides a huge amount of fun.
Tearing around Brands in Nigel Mansell’s old Williams cars has given me moments of unbridled joy. It’s one of the most enjoyable things I’ve been able to do in a video game for a long time.
The old cars handle differently from one another but, more noticeably, they are also vastly different from the more refined modern speed-machines found elsewhere in the game.
The 80s and 90s models feel squirmy and slippery compared to their contemporary counterparts. Codemasters has done a great job of capturing the rawness of these untamed beasts.
The appearance of the cars has been replicated very nicely, both outside and in the cockpit. I strongly believe F1 cars, although much more basic than they are today, looked much more attractive in the old days – and that’s highlighted here.
Scenery around the tracks and the on-screen display are very faithfully 80s and 90s, with the action in the earlier decade viewed through a yellowy filter which gives it a suitably vintage veneer. Legendary commentator Murray Walker even crops up, well his voice does anyway, which is another lovely touch.
The classic content is already a great addition to the F1 series but it could be better still with some more fleshing out in future editions. If Codemasters sticks with it this area could overtake the main game as many people’s favourite part of the overall package.
As for the main game, all the official teams, drivers and circuits from the current season are present and correct as you’d expect but I haven’t come across anything I’d consider to be a major improvement from last year.
Since the 2012 iteration of the game was already very good, simply maintaining the high standards set previously is no bad thing.
The game looks as impressive as always, with top-notch attention to detail on cars and tracks. Other visual treats such as weather effects are as outstanding as in earlier years, while the illusions of rapid acceleration and sense of speed are performed as convincingly as before.
There is a wide range of content to play through across single and multiplayer including grand prix, season challenge, career, time trial and skills tests.
It’s highly unlikely my abysmal driving skills have improved, so it seems the handling has been tweaked a little from last year and the steering sensitivity has perhaps been tightened slightly Understeer can be a menace, but I’ve been flying off the track less than before, with the cars feeling more grippy and easier to control to some extent.
I've agreed with the consensus that the F1 series' level of realism has been somewhere between arcade racer and simulation, but I've always felt it's been closer to the latter due to how difficult the games have been. This year's version is the same and is far from being an easy ride.
The series continues to be as punishing as ever, with every single mistake having a consequence.
You'll need maximum concentration and tightly honed driving abilities to avoid being prey to the combative AI or falling foul of the extremely zealous race officials and their time penalties.
The balance between speed and precision is still hard to achieve in F1 2013.
If you’re tried previous versions of F1 but struggled to get very far when the optional driving aids have been switched off you’ll find this year’s game just as tough and frustrating.
However, if you have enjoyed the series in previous years the 2013 release comes highly recommended.
The classic content along makes it a worthwhile purchase for racing fans. This part of the game may be shallow, but the sheer thrill of getting behind the wheel of some of F1's greatest cars more than makes up for that.
Verdict: 8.5 out of 10
Out now for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC - PS3 version played
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