F1 25 is the 23rd instalment in the official F1-branded games published by EA Sports.

For those familiar with the franchise, F1 25 takes all the elements that have made previous versions popular – and heightens them to an even greater level of realism, immersion, and thrilling gameplay. However, for those who are not into racing games, this does little to reach across the aisle of the gaming community.

2025 feels like the year in which Formula 1 racing is evolving beyond its dedicated base and even further into the mainstream population – especially with the release of the F1 film alongside this game.

To begin with, the game is visually stunning. The cars look and feel sleek to drive – and it brilliantly re-creates world-famous courses with realistic environmental changes depending on the time of day and weather.

From the moment you are thrust into your first race, you can feel the vibrations of the car, the adrenaline of speeding around the track, and the minute details around the courses. It has reached a level of immersion that feels difficult to top. The realistic physics also create an intoxicating experience that makes the player want to master the course to achieve the best times and secure first place.

The level of customisation is expansive, and with several difficulty settings and assists to choose from, the experience will vary significantly from player to player. It can be rather simple – where much of the braking is done for you – or there can be an entirely hands-off approach.

The My Team mode has seen some much-needed changes from previous instalments. In it, you jump in as the owner of a new team and grow it from the ground up to glory.

Developers Codemasters have dubbed this My Team 2.0 due to changes in the management and driver system. Previously, the owner character also took the driver’s seat. This time, you get the option to drive as either of the two drivers you’ve hired.

Research and development have also been tweaked – meaning you now make changes to each car individually to develop every aspect of your team’s strategy and performance.

The game expands on these new features and intertwines them with the return of the story mode, naturally named Braking Point 3. It continues the story-based mode introduced in F1 23, in which you take charge of the fictional Konnersport team – its owners, managers, and racers – to compete against the teams we’re all too familiar with.

It also includes additional features outside of racing, which elevate the realism and provide a unique look into the world of Formula 1. These include making managerial decisions about sponsorships, team activities, and media events. All of this can impact team morale as well as your public perception.

The well-acted cutscenes also provide some much-needed breathing room between each race.

If racing games or Formula 1 are your thing – brilliant. This will offer everything you’re hoping for and more. If they’re not, I can’t see this changing your mind. While it includes much-needed revamps to features from previous instalments, it doesn’t offer much for those who don’t get a kick out of sports-style games.

As with all sports games, there’s only so much deviation possible from their core rules – and this game has masterfully added as much imagination, customisation, and immersion as possible within those bounds.

Would I pick this up at its current $120 NZD price? Personally, no. But I have zero doubt this will strike a major chord with the fandoms it serves. For the rest, it may be best to pick it up when it’s on sale.

The post F1 25 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Is there a more iconic brand than LEGO?

I doubt it, and as an adult they are still so much fun to play with. One of the issues is the branded Lego is usually really pricey, even if they look so cool. F1 fans are very lucky with the more reasonably priced LEGO Speed Champions: Formula 1 range.

How do they look?

The cheaper smaller kits always make me nervous as the blockiness can distort the image too much.  Well not the case here! These cars may be small, but they are impressively detailed. This is thanks to them consisting of over 250 smaller LEGO pieces. This means they keep their iconic LEGO look, while being impressively detailed.

Each of them also come with a LEGO character in the full driver outfit of the relevant brand, which just adds the touch of awesome to them when they sit on your shelf. Whether they are in the cockpit or standing by the car looking cool, it looks awesome.

What are they like to build?

I played with the BWT Alpine F1 Team A524, the Aston Martin Aramco F1 AMR24, and the KICK Sauber F1 Team C44 play sets. Well, my son and I played with them. The BWT is 258 pieces, the Aston Martin is 269 pieces, and the Sauber is 259 pieces. That’s a lot of pieces in a small car. Despite that, putting them together is fun as ever thanks to the really well designed booklets that come with them.

My 11 year old and I got them built reasonably easily. He only just beat me when we had a little race, but don’t tell him I said that. Like most LEGO sets, it’s really relaxing and cathartic just following the instructions and making them.

The hardest part, as always, is the stickers. God I wish LEGO would just print it on the pieces because I can not get the things straight to save my life. But that’s very much a me issue. If you are a normal human, I’m sure it is piece of cake to build.

One really amazing little detail is the front of the book has a fun fact about the actual car, and they vary from car to car. The Alpine compared the number of parts in the actual car to the models parts.  The Sauber mentions the time to build from the car to the model. The Aramco mentions the length of the actual car to the length of the model in studs. It’s just a fun little detail that my son was always super excited to share with me.

Should you pick them up?

Do you like F1? Well, these are super cool collectables to put together.

Are you a LEGO fan? If yes, these are a lot of fun to put together, and look dope as hell.

Or are you just wanting something to get a teenager for a present? With F1’s massive explosion in popularity you really can’t go wrong here.  Best of all the kit sets are surprisingly reasonable for a fully licensed property.

The post LEGO Speed Champions Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

So far, the Formula One 2023 season has been entirely predictable.

Max Verstappen takes pole in qualifying, then races off into the sunset leaving a trail of cars in his wake. So while the masterful Dutch driver has made the World Driver and World Constructor Championship something of a non-event before the season is halfway done, the F1 23 game by series veterans Codemasters is anything but a non-event.

A significant upgrade over the maligned F1 22, F1 23 rectifies nearly everything that made that game unloved while introducing new concepts and modes to keep players better engaged.

The improvements over last year’s entry starts with the story mode, Braking Point. Braking Point is back this year as Braking point 2 after a conspicuous absence from the 2022 release. As a direct sequel to the 2021 entry, it covers not only the 2023 season but also a large portion of the 2022 one as well. And it’s better than I thought, with its Drive to Survive-inspired dramatic narrative pairing well with getting you into interesting race scenarios.

A pitstop gone wrong, or a recovery drive after damage between teammates for example keep this mode more interesting than a simple “race to win” type of progression. There’s even a dose of F2 racing thrown in there for good measure (I still hate downshifts in those cars, and nothing has changed this year in that regard).

My only real complaint with this mode is that the “normal” difficulty setting is insultingly easy. I could pull multiple second gaps per lap on my rivals, making goals such as “finish the race in 8th place or higher” meaningless as I was finishing first more often than not.

For me, F1 World was the more interesting of the modes. It subsumes some of the more standard modes such as time trials and the standalone Grand Prix session, and adds a wrapper of challenges and upgrades designed to keep you more engaged. Like with Braking Point 2, I enjoyed the various challenges it threw up, and moreso than the main narrative, made me feel like I could improve my driving skills overall. Challenges are not usually very long, so if I logged on to the game and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, then F1 World was where I ended up more often than not.

But what about the racing itself?

It is no secret that F1 22 was generally unfavoured for its on-track handling, particularly with traction around corners. I’m pleased to say that developers Codemasters have fully taken on board the concerns of players and overhauled the previous system with a new one that provides much more grip. This lets you take corners with far more confidence and at higher speeds. There are trade offs however, with additional changes to how tyre works and other alterations to the driving experience to the extent that it took me quite a while to adapt to the new game. Going back to F1 22 feels far more like a foreign country than I expected. But soon I was getting back to my own (mediocre) track times and overall feel like this is many steps forward compared to the previous entry.

One thing that is unfathomable for me for the F1 23 release is the lack of PSVR2 support for the PlayStation 5 version of the game. The PSVR2 is an extremely capable headset and it seems eminently possible that the PlayStation 5 has the grunt to run the game at a decent frame rate and resolution within the headset. Why this feature continues to be locked to the PC release remains a mystery to me – this could be a killer feature for deciding between each console release (perhaps this is the explanation).

Gran Turismo 7’s VR mode is truly excellent, and has quickly become the only way to play that game for me, and the potential is there for F1 23 too.

On PC, the bevy of ray tracing features from previous entries has been expanded to include direct global illumination. Turning all these features on dramatically improves the quality of the game experience, though I did experience some bugs with ray-traced shadows not working correctly that I hope are fixed soon. On PC, with all the dials cranked on a 4K screen alongside the improvements to visual quality make this version quite the experience, and a step above even the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions, which see their own improvements to visuals over F1 22.

On consoles you do get a performance and graphics mode, targeting 120FPS and 60FPS respectively. 120FPS for a fast-paced racing game is excellent, and is my recommendation for anyone playing with a compatible TV – the hit to native resolution is well worth it.

There are improvements to racing with a controller too, with attention paid to making this a better-feeling experience for those unable or unwilling to use a wheel. And while this is welcome, I still felt like using a controller was like trying to write with the top end of a pen – technically possible but ultimately not the optimal way to play the game. I highly suggest even an entry level wheel for those diving into the game for the first time or those wanting to get a bit more serious.

F1 23 is a solid release with serious year-on-year upgrades that consciously corrects the mistakes of last year’s game. While it continues to be festooned with fundamentally unnecessary battle passes, cosmetics and supercar modes, the core experience of the game has received an uplift that makes it standalone as a worthy upgrade to last year’s entry or those before the ground effect regulations came into effect. The new story mode is decent and F1 World is a surprise delight. Now, I’m just waiting for an update that brings Ricciardo back into Nyck de Vries’ newly-vacated AlphaTauri seat…

The post F1 23 (Xbox Series S | X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN will field a driver line-up full of stars in this weekend’s esports events. Antonio Giovinazzi will perform double duty as he takes on the Veloce “Not the GP” Series alongside Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, before racing in Formula One’s Virtual Grand Prix in pairing with Juan Manuel Correa.

Antonio will be looking forward to the race, aiming to bounce back from the disappointment of two weeks ago, when a good result was nullified by a network issue. By doubling up on this weekend’s races, the Italian ace will bring his talent to the extremely competitive scene of the Veloce Series. Having finished fifth in his first F1 Virtual Grand Prix, he will be expecting to compete at the front.

Courtois, part of the Belgium team which finished in third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is an accomplished simracer and has starred in both the Veloce Series and the F1 Virtual GPs. The Belgian makes his debut in an official Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN entry and, with some very positive results in his first outings, can be a force to be reckoned with in one of the strongest team line-ups on the grid.

After making his first appearance for Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN in the Chinese Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Correa will return to partner Giovinazzi in the F1 Virtual Grand Prix. The talented Ecuadorian-American is on a steady improvement curve in the F1 2019 game and will certainly fight for a place in the top 10 on Sunday.

The Veloce “Not the GP” race will take place on Saturday, May 2nd, starting at 8pm BST, while the F1 Virtual Grand Prix will be broadcasted live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 6:00pm BST on Sunday May 3, 2020.

In addition to these stars, the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Esports regulars will be in action in the F1 Esports Pro Exhibition race, which will precede the Virtual Grand Prix and is set to begin at 5:00pm BST. Ace driver Daniel Bereznay will aim to improve on his third-place finish in China, going for the win in Interlagos. He will race alongside a debutant team-mate, 17-year-old racer Bardia Broumand from Iran.

The broadcasts will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels as well as selected TV broadcasters and is expected to run for 1 hour.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and it’s contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post A weekend full of stars w. Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Codemasters and Koch Media today announced that F1 2019, the official videogame of the 2019 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, will ship a full two months earlier into the F1 season. The game will be released during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and, unlike previous iterations, ahead of the British, German and Hungarian Grands Prix. F1 2019 has been in development for nearly two years, making it the most ambitious release in franchise history and launches on PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam).

Working in partnership with F1, for the first time ever, players will be able to get behind the wheel of a 2019 regulation car specifically designed in collaboration with F1’s technical team, headed up by Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds. The car, which will be available in Multiplayer, adheres to the 2019 regulations and comes with a range of livery designs offering players a new level of personalisation. The 2019 F1 Team liveries will also feature on the car in early marketing materials, but will be replaced by the final Team cars ahead of the games release.

Having established itself as one of the highest rated racing franchises of all time, F1 2019 will build on the success of previous iterations and deliver an experience that rivals the quality and production values of its real-life race counterpart and includes several new game features which will be revealed in the coming months. To whet the appetite Codemasters has today released the F1 2019 Teaser Trailer (above), which showcases some of the game’s brand new look and feel.

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to release F1 2019 earlier in the Formula 1 Season, so that the game can be played and enjoyed at the same time that the real-world championship picture is starting to form,” said Paul Jeal, F1 Franchise Director at Codemasters. “Our close relationship with Formula 1 has played a major part in achieving this key objective for the franchise. That in addition to our near two-year development cycle, has allowed us to develop some exciting new features and other firsts for the franchise that we can’t wait to share with our community in the coming months.”

“The exciting collaboration with Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds has created new levels of player personalisation in F1 2019 through the inclusion of the new regulation car,” said Lee Mather, F1 2019 Game Director at Codemasters. “With the continued growth of the F1 series, it’s great to give players more control and new levels of car and driver customisation and we can’t wait to talk more about this alongside the new multiplayer features in the coming months.”

F1 2019 will release on all platforms worldwide on Friday 28th of June 2019.

The post DEFEAT YOUR RIVALS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Codemasters has today released the first gameplay footage for F1 2018, the official videogame of the 2018 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, with Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team’s Charles Leclerc driving a lap of his home track, the iconic Circuit de Monaco, ahead of this weekend’s race there.

F1 2018 will release onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox One X aswell as Windows PC (via Steam) worldwide on Friday the 24th of August 2018.

Showcasing F1 2018’s enhanced visuals the trailer (above) takes us on a lap of Monaco narrated by the 20 year old Monégasque Sauber driver, who was filmed playing the new game in Baku, Azerbaijan recently, and who is also a keen gamer.

F1 2017

Speaking about F1 2018, Charles said: “I love playing the F1 game! As soon as I get out of the car, I miss racing. So, when I am back home, I play for fun. This is the closest I can get to driving a Formula 1 car outside of the track, so it is always very enjoyable to play.”

On the recreation of Monaco in F1 2018 Charles added: “First of all, I was amazed at how realistic the scenery was. Being born in Monaco, I know the circuit very well. Well done for visualising the track so nicely in the game. My favourite part is the last sector because there is a great rhythm to the drive there.”

With regards to the visuals unveiled today in the new Monaco footage, Stuart Campbell, the new Art Director on F1 2018 said, “One of the biggest visual uplifts for F1 2018 are our revised lighting, sky, clouds and atmospherics systems. These systems work hand-in-hand and affect all aspects of the game rendering, making it more believable than ever before. Our new cloud tech more accurately represents the real world with improved cloud formations and response to light through the various weather scenarios that are a huge part of F1. Even on a clear day, the sky looks interesting with high level cloud detail and jet trails, while the new atmospherics system gives a true sense of depth in the scene and connects the sky and terrain in a more cohesive manner, making for some stunning vistas.”

F1 2017

One of several key improvements to the car physics system is also revealed briefly in the Monaco footage. Lee Mather, Game Director on the F1 Games, explained: “The inclusion of a player-managed Energy Recovery System (ERS) has been added to vehicle physics for F1 2018 as we always strive to give as authentic recreation of the sport as possible. Augmenting the powerful internal combustion engine, the player will have multiple deployment modes to choose from. The inclusion of the ERS will not only give the player an even more authentic Formula 1 experience, but will serve to create even more varied and exciting races”.

As well as a strong visual uplift this year and the inclusion of player-managed ERS; F1 2018 boasts a number of other new features and improvements. There are more classic cars for the player to drive and the much heralded Career mode has been expanded to further immerse the player into the world of Formula 1. F1 2018 will feature all of the official drivers, teams and circuits from the enthralling 2018 season. This year sees the return of the French Grand Prix for the first time since 2008, at the Circuit Paul Ricard, and also the return of the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring.

The post First Gameplay Footage of F1 2018 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Codemasters have today released the latest gameplay trailer for F1 2017 (Which you can check out HERE), the official videogame of the 2017 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, showcasing the extensive Career Mode that makes it the most complete game in the franchise’s history.  

F1 2017 has a massively expanded Career Mode that introduces invitational events at key points during the regular F1 season, where you will get to drive 12 classic F1 cars in a host of different events including overtake challenges, pursuit events, checkpoint, and time attack challenges. The classic cars are also playable in all other areas of the game, and can be raced as both single and multi-class races.

In addition to the invitational events, the Career Mode offers a huge amount of extra depth with 115 possible Research and Development upgrades (over 4 ½ times as many as in F1 2016), new practice programmes to master, as well as increased importance being given to the management and reliability of your car’s engine and gearbox elements.

As well as the 20 official circuits from the current season, F1 2017 introduces four new shortened circuits at Britain, Bahrain, USA and Japan, while also allowing players to take on the iconic Monaco street circuit at night, complete with stunning visuals.

Lee Mather, Creative Director, says: “The Career Mode was a big hit last year and we are building on those incredibly strong foundations to create an even deeper, more rounded experience for F1 2017. We have added female driver avatars, new paddock locations and a new character as well as greatly increasing the scope for developing your team and car. All of this, we feel, combined with the addition of the iconic classic cars this year, means that F1 2017 offers gamers the ultimate F1 experience yet.”

F1 2017 releases onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam) worldwide on August the 25th 2017.

Those who pre-order or purchase ‘Day One’ copies of F1 2017 will have access to the iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4, as part of the ‘F1 2017 Special Edition’. Alternatively, the McLaren MP4/4 car will be available to be purchased at a later date. The eleven other classic cars are available in all editions of the game.

The post THE MOST COMPLETE FORMULA ONE GAME EVER appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

ICONIC CARS FROM THE HISTORY OF F1 RETURN TO COMPLEMENT THE 2017 SEASON

Codemasters has announced that F1 2017, the official videogame of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, will include the return of classic F1 cars to the series, as well as an even deeper career mode, numerous multiplayer enhancements, and a brand new ‘Championships’ game mode. F1 2017 will release onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (via Steam) worldwide on August the 25th, 2017.

To mark the announcement, Codemasters has released a trailer (above), showcasing three of the historic F1 cars that will feature in the game; the 1988 McLaren MP4 /4 as driven by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, the 1992 Williams FW14B that was raced by Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese and the 2002 Ferrari F2002 of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher.

Further classic cars will be revealed in the coming weeks.

“After an extremely successful year with the highly acclaimed F1 2016, we are delighted to be announcing F1 2017 and re-introducing classic F1 cars back to the series” said Paul Jeal, Game Director at Codemasters. “Classics were incredibly well received when we included them in F1 2013, and in F1 2017 they are back and better than ever. With so many great cars to choose from, it was hard to decide on the final twelve, but we are delighted with our selection of some of the most successful and iconic fan favourites from the past 30 years.”

“For the first time ever F1 2017 fully integrates the classic experience into the main career mode,” said Lee Mather, Creative Director at Codemasters. “As part of your career you will be invited to race in modern day, invitational events in the different classic F1 cars throughout the season. We’re also adding to the variety in F1 2017 with the inclusion of four alternative circuit layouts, as well as numerous new gameplay types. The classic cars will also be available to play in a range of other game modes, including online multiplayer modes and time trial.”

The 2017 season has seen a huge number of changes to the sport itself, with the stunning new car designs not only looking great, but having lap record breaking performance levels to match. The opening races of the season have further thrilled fans with the increased competition on the grid, as Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel battle it out at the top of the Championship, and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen continuing to excite fans around the world.

Consumers who pre-order or purchase ‘Day One’ copies of F1 2017 will have exclusive access to the iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4, as part of the ‘F1 2017 Special Edition.’ Alternatively, the McLaren MP4 / 4 car will be available to be purchased at a later date. The eleven other classic cars are available in all editions of the game.

The post MAKE HISTORY IN F1 2017! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

F1 2016, the only official mobile game of the 2016 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, is now available on the Google Play Store, allowing Android users the chance to recreate the whole season, including the tense finale at the 2016 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Following the recent chart-topping release for iPhone, iPad and AppleTV, F1 2016 is now available on the Android platform, and features all of the official content, stunning visuals, multiple game modes and pick up and play controls, perfect for gaming on the move or at home.

All 21 of the official Formula One circuits from the 2016 season, including the thrilling new Baku City Circuit and icons of the sport such as Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps, Circuit De Monaco and Silverstone Circuit, are faithfully recreated in unprecedented detail on a mobile device, and are all available in quick race, full season, custom season or time trial.

Race as one of the world’s best drivers including Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s Lewis Hamilton, Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, McLaren-Honda’s Fernando Alonso, Sahara Force India F1 Team’s Sergio Perez and many more, with 22 of the world’s greatest drivers and all of the 11 teams from the 2016 season represented.

Ian Flatt, Executive Producer of the Formula One videogames at Codemasters, commented: “Following the great success of F1 2016 on the iOS and tvOS platforms, both in terms of user feedback and chart position, we are delighted to be bringing the same fantastic experience to Android users. This version of F1 2016 has been developed specifically for mobile devices but continues to deliver a console quality experience in terms of gameplay and graphics. Every car model and every circuit has been optimised from the full console game to ensure the highest quality experience, and we have pushed the technology to the absolute limits. Whether you want a quick race on your favourite circuit or an entire season of races containing practice sessions, qualifying and full length race sessions, it has been designed for playing on the go with flexible game modes that allow you to get straight into the action. The F1 2016 mobile game is great to play whether you are commuting, waiting for friends or sat at home on the sofa.

“There are four different control schemes as well as a full suite of driver assists and in game options that let you create the experience that suits you,” continued Ian. “Whether you are new to racing games or have been playing them for years, you can find your ideal gameplay experience in F1 2016.”

F1 2016 is now released and downloadable for Android and Apple smart devices.

Keep StG Independent and (mostly) Advertising Free with a Donation

The post F1 2016 Comes to Smart Devices appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

What does it mean to enter into a franchise for the first time well into its maturity?

That’s the question I continued to ask myself while reviewing F1 2016. Let’s be clear – while I have enjoyed racing games for many years, I am not a connoisseur of the finer details of traction control nor aerodynamics. So this review won’t be about the fine differences between F1 2016 and its predecessor from last year. Instead it will be more of an impressions piece from someone who is utterly new to the franchise.

And what I it feels like is something special, albeit one that feels somewhat foreign. F1 2016 is a true tour de force, with a huge raft of small details that give you the impression that the developers Codemasters both recognised what an F1 racing game should have, and actually implemented it.

If you were looking at the game at your local store, one of the first questions that would need answering is where the game falls on the spectrum between arcade racers and immersive simulation? I had always thought that Gran Turismo and the Forza series were simulation-like games. But playing and experiencing everything in F1 2016 has completely redefined what that means to me. The simulation off and on the track is impressive and fully featured, at least to my eyes. An entirely faithful recreation of the entire F1 experience is here – teams, logos, race tracks, the minutiae of how the garage works, an impressive achievement.

For example, you have to carefully manage the clutch manually to ensure you get off the line quickly – there’s no simply holding A to go forward. For those looking for a quick and simple race in five minutes, F1 2016 won’t be the game for you. Yes, you can do a short three lap race, but in this game every second is a do or die moment. But once you start learning the tracks, which you will fairly quickly, it all becomes familiar. It’s not like, for example, a platformer, where you must not only master the core mechanics of jumping around, but also have to be adept at facing new challenges in new environments each Level. In F1 2016, you come to know both the car (the mechanics) and the tracks (the environment) intimately. The limited number of tracks in the whole of the F1 sport is an advantage in that regard.

The flipside of that is small mistakes, small deviations from the ideal path are punishing. That’s because F1s don’t handle like a normal car, and the game is intensely aware of all the variables which make that so and the extreme speeds at which you drive. F1 2016 is one of the few games that truly makes it feel like you are moving at the speed the speedometer says you are.

This is the type of game that you buy extremely expensive accessories for. Very quickly you come up against the hard limitations of driving by game controller, especially I found in terms of acceleration. The gamepad simply doesn’t have the nuance required to play F1 with ease. For a quick blast around a track it’s fine, but if you plan on spending a great deal of time with the game then I would strongly suggest investigating a wheel and pedals. And if you’re playing on PC and only have a keyboard and mouse – best rectify that. Being able to have analogue control over the acceleration is a must, and the binary on/off nature of keys are not well suited to the task.

Not all is peaches and cream though, especially for newcomers to F1 racing and this series. There is a large amount of assumed knowledge and familiarity with the hugely complex rules of F1 racing. I appreciate the tutorials, but they are lacklustre, non-interactive and hard to find. There is a fair amount of waiting around at times, such as coming back into the pit, waiting for animations to play out. While I appreciate the dedication to accuracy, a skip button would have been nice.

I also would have liked to see Codemasters play with the whole sport a little more – it doesn’t really verge off the serious track. Perhaps it is not the game for it, but I would have liked to see some “fun” modes or even a bit of humour in the commentary.

If you want an F1 game, you have no need to wait to buy F1. It’s everything you could want and probably more. If you are at all interested in racing sims, F1 2016 should be on your radar. And if you’ve found other racing games too easy, or you’re looking to stretch out of your comfort zone, then I also recommend this game. It will test you, no doubt, but at the end is a huge sense of achievement and reward in managing to aptly handle such powerful and wild machines.

F1 2016 requires much of you, but in return delivers much back in ways that will impress and delight any and all F1 racing fans. That said, if you wanted a more casual or laid back game, this one is probably not for you. Fortunately, there has been a virtual renaissance of quality racing games recently and you have plenty of options to choose from all along the arcade to simulation spectrum.

F1 2016 is not for everyone, and I’m fine with that. It has a clear vision, perfectly and exactingly executed.