On Friday I visited Bandai Namco's UK base in London to try out a few soon-to-be-released video games, including F1 2014.
The title, which is the sixth Formula 1 game to be published by Codemasters, will be available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC from October 17th in the UK (other dates can be found here).
I’m obviously a big fan of the franchise and have reviewed several of the games for my blog. However, unlike previous releases, I was able to test F1 2014 before it becomes available to buy (which I thought was pretty cool). Here are my first impressions of the game.
Firstly, it is exactly what I thought it would be – an updated F1 2013 with the current drivers, teams and tracks. It is clear that the focus for Codemasters has been on next year’s title, which will be launched on new-generation consoles – Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC.
This is understandable, but it does mean that there are fewer changes and new features in F1 2014. I imagine this will cause some people to skip buying it and wait for F1 2015 to be released instead.
I personally thought the step between F1 2012 and F1 2013 was quite significant, particularly with the classic content – which I really enjoyed playing. So, as you can imagine, I was disappointed to hear when the first F1 2014 details were announced in July that this would be ditched, and I am still hoping that the swanky paddock/motor home menus return at some point in the near future – as I have mentioned several times previously.
I tested an early stage of the game and already the graphics were quite good - although they weren't on the same level as Project Cars, which I also got to play. I tried out the Red Bull Ring, which is new to the game, and the returning Hockenheimring, as I visited both tracks earlier in the year. The attention-to-detail is still on-par with last year’s game and the tracks look great.
Of course, the game developers had a big task on their hands trying to implement the 2014 season’s seismic rule changes into the game. The handling of the cars certainly takes some getting used to – there is more sliding and the lower downforce levels do make some of the corners trickier.
However, I feel there is maybe still a bit too much grip. Even when I turned off traction control (I raced most of the time with the settings I usually use on the other games), the cars felt too planted to the ground. Hopefully this will change for the final version.
You can definitely feel the difference in performance from car to car. I tried out all but two of the machines on the 2014 grid and the Caterham CT05 was more challenging to drive in comparison to the Mercedes W05, which is how it should be.
The power-unit audio is good, although they are a little off what the cars sound like in real life. The damage model seems to be a little better than previous games, although it is still not where I would want it to be.
The driver evaluation system at the beginning is a nice touch for new players and is a refreshing change from the previous young driver test feature, but if you are an experienced F1 gamer, you will probably skip it.
Like the other games in the franchise, the wide range of adjustments to the difficulty settings means everyone can find the right match for their abilities. I also had a brief look at the expanded ‘Scenario’ mode and had a go at a few of the challenges, which are short and fun – with voice-over from Sky Sports F1’s David Croft.
The inaugural Russian Grand Prix takes place next month and I got to sample the Sochi Autodrom - which Codemasters recently revealed in a hot lap video - in the game. I must admit, the layout is quite challenging and I think there will be quite a few good overtaking spots.
Of course, the game that will be released in October will be quite different to the early version I tried out at Bandai Namco. The release of F1 2015 early next year on new-generation consoles may cause some to give this season’s game a miss, but I certainly can’t wait to get my hands on it and explore the final version.
Like the sound of F1 2014? The game is now available to pre-order.
 |
| © Codemasters |
The title, which is the sixth Formula 1 game to be published by Codemasters, will be available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC from October 17th in the UK (other dates can be found here).
I’m obviously a big fan of the franchise and have reviewed several of the games for my blog. However, unlike previous releases, I was able to test F1 2014 before it becomes available to buy (which I thought was pretty cool). Here are my first impressions of the game.
Firstly, it is exactly what I thought it would be – an updated F1 2013 with the current drivers, teams and tracks. It is clear that the focus for Codemasters has been on next year’s title, which will be launched on new-generation consoles – Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC.
This is understandable, but it does mean that there are fewer changes and new features in F1 2014. I imagine this will cause some people to skip buying it and wait for F1 2015 to be released instead.
I personally thought the step between F1 2012 and F1 2013 was quite significant, particularly with the classic content – which I really enjoyed playing. So, as you can imagine, I was disappointed to hear when the first F1 2014 details were announced in July that this would be ditched, and I am still hoping that the swanky paddock/motor home menus return at some point in the near future – as I have mentioned several times previously.
I tested an early stage of the game and already the graphics were quite good - although they weren't on the same level as Project Cars, which I also got to play. I tried out the Red Bull Ring, which is new to the game, and the returning Hockenheimring, as I visited both tracks earlier in the year. The attention-to-detail is still on-par with last year’s game and the tracks look great.
Of course, the game developers had a big task on their hands trying to implement the 2014 season’s seismic rule changes into the game. The handling of the cars certainly takes some getting used to – there is more sliding and the lower downforce levels do make some of the corners trickier.
 |
| © Codemasters |
However, I feel there is maybe still a bit too much grip. Even when I turned off traction control (I raced most of the time with the settings I usually use on the other games), the cars felt too planted to the ground. Hopefully this will change for the final version.
You can definitely feel the difference in performance from car to car. I tried out all but two of the machines on the 2014 grid and the Caterham CT05 was more challenging to drive in comparison to the Mercedes W05, which is how it should be.
The power-unit audio is good, although they are a little off what the cars sound like in real life. The damage model seems to be a little better than previous games, although it is still not where I would want it to be.
The driver evaluation system at the beginning is a nice touch for new players and is a refreshing change from the previous young driver test feature, but if you are an experienced F1 gamer, you will probably skip it.
Like the other games in the franchise, the wide range of adjustments to the difficulty settings means everyone can find the right match for their abilities. I also had a brief look at the expanded ‘Scenario’ mode and had a go at a few of the challenges, which are short and fun – with voice-over from Sky Sports F1’s David Croft.
 |
| © Codemasters |
The inaugural Russian Grand Prix takes place next month and I got to sample the Sochi Autodrom - which Codemasters recently revealed in a hot lap video - in the game. I must admit, the layout is quite challenging and I think there will be quite a few good overtaking spots.
Of course, the game that will be released in October will be quite different to the early version I tried out at Bandai Namco. The release of F1 2015 early next year on new-generation consoles may cause some to give this season’s game a miss, but I certainly can’t wait to get my hands on it and explore the final version.
Like the sound of F1 2014? The game is now available to pre-order.
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