Control is both tight and smooth and the game plays beautifully with the controller. Codemasters Racing has continued to refine how the cars handle.
There is a difference between racing games and driving games and F1 is a racing game in every sense of the word.
This mode is a nice diversion for sure, but my greatest enjoyment of this game comes from replicating the full F1 season.Īs for the racing itself, it is fantastic. Each challenge features a different set of conditions that you must overcome in order to be successful and move on to the next. In this mode you are faced with six sequential challenges against popular drivers. If you need a break from your season/career mode, there is also a new Champions Mode this year. Sure, you can skip sessions and go right to the racing, but with just 10 races and a simpler, more finite set of goals, the Season Challenge makes it significantly easier to just pick up and get right into the racing. As I mentioned earlier, playing 20 full race weekends is a lot.
Probably more impactful toward accessibility than the Young Drivers Test is the new Season Challenge.
I could give or take these license test-like challenges but this mode should appease both hardcore fans of the sport in bringing more of the F1 experience into the living room while helping more casual players come to grips with the different elements of F1. It also serves as a tutorial with various tests that teach not just driving techniques but some of the more complex elements of F1 such as DRS and KERS. Its’ goal is to develop their skills in an F1 car. This mode replicates actual off-season testing for young drivers that have not yet taken part in an actual grand prix. The very first thing you do the first time you boot up the game is participate in the Young Drivers Test. This year’s game introduces a number of new game modes to help ease newcomers, or more casual players, into the game. This can be a bit intimidating for those new to the game or who are looking to just experience race day. Depending on just how deep you want to go you may very well spend more time in practice and qualifying tweaking your set up than you do in the actual race. Race weekends are faithfully represented in every detail from practice sessions, qualifying and on to race day.
As a series rookie you begin the game on one of the smaller F1 teams and must work your way through F1’s 20 race season by outperforming your teammate and rivals in order to eventually move up and drive for the top tier F1 teams like Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull.
F1’s trademark career mode returns intact.
Still, there are plenty of ways to improve your vehicle and blaze past the competition to become the number one F1 driver in the world.Fans of the sport and series need not worry. However, as a result, they removed an internalized rank up system that was important in other games. On the surface, this is a good decision because it allows players a lot of freedom in customizing their experience. Previous F1 games had a progression/rank up system where you would only be able to play with a certain team after winning enough races. In theory, this is a good addition because it doesn’t limit you if you want to play for a specific team throughout your career. Rise to the TopĪnother new feature that is simultaneously good and ‘meh’ is that you are immediately able to choose what team you want to race for from the beginning. Again, this is not a feature that sets players back necessarily, but not including that makes it that much more difficult to become immersed in the gameplay. Other F1 titles included a short press conference sequence where you got to answer questions after races about your performance. There isn’t a huge desire to have a story driven campaign in a game like this, but there is generally a major lack of impact from winning or losing in the game aside from setting you back a bit. In terms of story gameplay, that’s about it. There are also new driver evaluation tests that can be completed on various difficulties to give yourself an extra challenge. 2014 still has a fleshed-out career mode, accurate details and turbo cars from the year, impressive graphics, and enough tracks to keep you busy for quite a while. The controls can be a bit stiff when trying to turn at first, but this is closer to a mechanic you have to get used to than a flaw. In fact, it is actually decently fun to race on the various tracks and craft your career as an F1 driver throughout the game. F1 2014 benefits greatly from the steps forward of titles that came before it, making it more than just an acceptable game.