F1 2019 Review

Introduction

The annual edition of Codemaster’s epic racing simulator is back in the mix and we are wondering if it has done enough to tickle out fancies!

Our Say

Pros

• A mind-boggling and harrowing racing experience
• Career mode keeps the player engaged thanks to its adequately defined storyline
• Stunning visuals

Cons

• A mind-boggling and harrowing racing experience
• Script left a lot to be desired
• Despite all the assists switched on, gameplay is not as intuitive as one would like

Specifications

• Review Price: £44.99
• Genre: Racing Sim
• Developer: Codemasters
• Release Date: June 28, 2019
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (version tested)
One could quite easily pardon even the most ardent of racing enthusiasts for failing to notice F1 2019 as it is to be released soon.

The primary issue, which may seem preposterous, is that the developers are magnificent at their art. There has been no developer but for them who has been able to provide a digitally immersive experience of riding a fast paced Formula 1 car; wherein a moment’s fault could end up the player losing control of beast and getting smashed into the nearby barrier.This is probably how a real world Formula 1 car race can be defined appropriately.

Consistency is the key

Codemasters has been at it for several years now. Silently, consistently, conjuring the best racing games year in and year out, to the extent that it becomes almost impossible to discover any novel aspect to discuss without appearing artificial: of course they have been impeccable at doing this! It is unbelievably perfect and the rest are simply bells and whistles.They have come up with a nice solution by adding a new type of race called as Formula 2 alongwith a melodramatic storyline to keep the player engaged in the career mode; thereby making your victories and losses all the more meaningful.

Formula 2 racing

The addition of Formula 2 racing adds vigor to the career mode and also tends to make the game impactful. Taking a cue from the epic immersive System Shock 2, the player chooses a driving academy and F2 racing team before even getting on the track and these choices have their own ramifications; determining the racing teams that may or may not give you contract in the long run.You will have to go through the Formula 2 season first. You will not be engaged in full races but will be involved at crucial moments and told to finish it off. These segmented tasks are fascinating and in the first of them you are given control after your turbo has broken and dropped into a flock of fast paced cars.

Scripted melodrama

The players will encounter a couple of characters in this game – a proud Brit Devon Butler and a German driver Lukas Weber. Your encounters with these chaps will initiate scripted segments throughout the season and with the completion of this section, you are one of the many drivers who qualify for the bigger leagues including Butler and Weber.Their existence and the competition against them sets the game alight. So, it can be quite frustrating to see the dramatic air of the game wear away whenever you enter your F1 car for a race. The scripted chunks alongwith F2 seem to go away a bit too quickly but while F1 2019 allows you to agree to a full season of F2 racing elsewhere, there is nowhere else that those dramatic scuffles break!

Game progression

This is substituted by a more RPG styled progression with a skill tree that allows you to bolster your rider’s performance, get better in terms of statistics, as each driver is racing their own specific model, even if they look almost the same from the outside.As far as I am concerned, my problems with F1 2019 seem to be similar to those that I have with the world of motor sport. Sticking to a perfect racing line and having to account for a few penalties for some aggression or crossing corners – I personally do not consider it a good time! I used to play arcade racers such as Need for Speed and the mesmerizing Burnout Paradise but I was always enthralled by the feeling of the car via a pad, sensing my tyres sticking to the road while turning a tight corner or even the incredible pull of deceleration as I pressed hard on the brakes to avoid a crash.

A different beast altogether

F1 2019 is entirely different from other racing games out there so you will have to get accustomed to it first. Races can be frustratingly long and at the outset I had to switch on all the assists to ensure that I was able to exercise complete control over my car.I have played F1 games earlier as well but as someone who has always taken a fancy to hurtling an amped up Nissan Skyline around a course, the difference is tangible and there is a shift in gears required to see success in F1 2019 and it needs to function!

Success in this game demands skill, patience and strategy and this makes every race meaningful. I don’t think that F1 2019 will be able to keep me addicted for a long duration of time. I am a lousy driver and this game demands unbelievable amounts of patience and skill to pull it off and I simply don’t have these traits.We were not able to test out the multiplayer thoroughly but this is where one can envisage the long term prospects associated with this tremendous game. I was not able to shine like a star as far as racing was concerned but there were a few bright spots related to customization. The cars and drivers are no more linked to particular teams and can be customized as desired.

Conclusion

This year’s F1 is by far the best edition to be released in the franchise so far but the consistent design of the series alongside the developer’s characteristic finesse and attention to detail when it comes to racing, make it a predictable phenomenon. It is prettier, bigger and better than its predecessors and comes with the addition of Formula 2 and a few refinements transforming it into a game that will definitely be able to capture the imagination of diehard F1 franchise fanatics.Having said that, despite its grandeur on the racing track, it is so intense and impermeable that is very hard to recommend it to a wider audience. This is perhaps the best you can hope for in terms of a racing simulator but unless you are a diehard fan, it may not be able to attract the new customers.

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