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    F1 2012

    Game » consists of 7 releases. Released Sep 18, 2012

    The third annual F1 game from Codemasters.

    johnthegoat's F1 2012 (Xbox 360) review

    Avatar image for johnthegoat

    F1 2012 Review

    Annual game franchises are a curious beast. As with all sequels, players want a game different enough to warrant our hard earned cash and time, but similar enough that it still bears the hallmarks that made the older game so enjoyable. With annual franchises though, consumers expect these contradictory yet true statements to be repeated year on year, honing and improving upon components of the previous game in just twelve short months development time. Sticking to this established and contradictory expectation, F1 2012 manages to improve yet remain exactly the same as last years game.

    The biggest addition to the F1 series is the young driver school. What this looks to do is take new players through the basic mechanics of the game and allow them to get to grips with the rules of the sport and the way the cars handle. This is a particularly welcome and useful addition to the series as newcomers will likely find the way vehicles handle in F1 2012 very different to that of racing games they are accustomed to. For returning players, the young driver school may also offer a degree of aid. As fans of the sport will know, the governing body is constantly fiddling with the rules in an effort to make Formula 1 a more competitive and enjoyable sport to play, so players will have to be inducted into the use of DRS and also Kers, depending on the last time they played a Formula 1 game. This will take between an hour and an hour an a half to get through, but is well worth the investment moving into career mode.

    The main issue with previous F1 games was that career mode failed in almost every way to make ayers feel as if they were part of the F1 universe. Races felt static an unattached to the larger picture, and it wouldn’t have surprised players to find that they were the only driver on the track with any interest as to what was going on in the league standings. Attempting to combat this, players have access to a sort of hub world that contains press clippings, emails and interactions between you and your agent, as well as the odd cameo appearance from another driver around the paddock. This helps to an extent, however it still fails to create a sense of a world existing outwith your own, leading to an enjoyable but largely stale experience. Players will largely find that their chief source of progression and achievement will come as they increase their stature within their team and receive contract offers to move to more illustrious and prevalent teams within the F1 world. This is fun, but probably only the more ardent F1 fans will be prepared to invest the time it takes to get to one of the big teams like Ferrari or Red Bull.

    Another addition to the series is a type of challenge mode that allows players to relive events taken from the real life F1 season. Players will compete as racers such as Lewis Hamilton as they attempt to climb the ranking and race to victory. This is a brilliant addition to the game, and adds an extra layer to the game that gives ayers another reason to play they game on top of the standard career mode.

    It is almost certain that players who get the most out of the experience will be the ones who have friends that also own the game. F1 2012 supports full season multiplayer mode, meaning that players can compete against their friends in a full length season and battle it out for glory on the podium. Perhaps it goes without saying, but the more friends you have willing to play this with you on a regular basis, the more enjoyment will be had from this quite frankly fantastic aspect of the game. From my own perspective there were moments filled with such tension towards the back end of a race, that I was forced to take a break because I was shaking from the adrenaline pumping tension. In short, if you get this game make damn sure you have someone to play it with.

    As a complete package, F1 2012 is a solid piece of work. Unimproved but reasonably good, the visual aesthetics will do enough to allow players to get lost in the moment, but won’t blow anyone away. The career and challenge modes while fun, are in general unremarkable, and players should definitely find a friend to enjoy a multiplayer season with. Basically what I’m trying to say is that F1 2012 is a good game that will excite fans, but probably fail to convert anyone with no attachment to the professional sport.

    3 Good Points

    + The tension created in multiplayer.

    + Updated rules and mechanics from the real sport.

    + Playing through a season in multiplayer.

    3 Bad Points

    - Not being able to retire from a race that’s going badly.

    - Lack of life in single player.

    - Races can feel on the long side.

    BreakdownScore
    Graphics:
    Decent, but uninspiring. The game definitely looks at its best in the rain.
    7/10
    Gameplay:
    Basically, the more you put into it, the more you will get from it. Players should remember though that F1 cars don’t handle like regular cars, and a relatively steep learning curves awaits new players as a result
    8/10
    Story:
    Big fat meh in all honesty. Never really feel like you are part of a vibrant and bustling world.
    5/10
    Replayability:
    The added modes give the game a new dynamic, but you will still, essentially be doing the same thing over and over again. Then again, you should expect that from a racing game.
    7/10
    Value For Money At:
    If you liked any of the previous games you will like this, if you like F1 this will be good. Otherwise, maybe have a think about your purchase, and if anything else is coming your way in the near future.
    £30
    Overall:
    An improvement on last year, but only incrementally. Career mode still feels stale, and it can be very frustrating to spin out on a corner because that is your race done for. Making it worse is that they have inexplicably removed the retire from race option that previously allowed you to put yourself out of your misery and maintain a season without cheating.
    7/10
    GOOD

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