F1 2010 - REALISM - AT LAST - Dazraz's Blog

Dazraz's Blog

F1 2010 - REALISM - AT LAST

Posted on September 23, 2010 at 04:54 PM.

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Got my copy of F1 2010 today for the PS3. First up, if there are any racing fans out there hesitating on buying this game, worry not.

F1 2010 isn't the greatest looking racing game, nor is it the most revolutionary despite it's interactive career mode. Where F1 2010 succeeds is in the accuracy of representing the sport of Formula 1. There have been many great racing games through the years. No one can argue that the Gran Turismo series is exceptional in it's visuals & the simulation of driving a variety of cars. However when it comes to simulating a specific form of motorsport realism has rarely been achieved.

Sure you have the all the F1 tracks, teams & drivers. Yes you can be a budding race engineer by tinkering with the usual vast array of car set up options & race strategies. But it's out on the track where this game comes into it's own. Not with how your own car handles. Indeed when playing without a steering wheel the controls are pretty twitchy. The real pleasure of this game is in the behaviour of the AI controlled cars. Codemasters have at last made an F1 game with F1 logic.

I have lost count of how many formula one games down the years I have played in which collisions happened at nearly every overtaking opportunity. Even when passing back markers. In F1 2010 you really get a sense that there is a true logic in the behaviour of all the cars on the circuit.

I have always played F1 based games at 50% race distance in a effort to bring the strategy of the sport into play. However I have never been able to have the damage mode switched on because no matter how careful I drove in a race there would be numerous collision causing endless visits to the pits. Collisions caused by dumb AI cars behaving in an erratic & totally inappropriate way. I have completed 2 races in F1 2010 without sustaining any damage. That says more about the game than my driving skill. Trust me.

I can't comment on the career mode as I don't really have the time to plough through such an extensive mode. I tend to do just one off races. No doubt the career mode is full of some lovely features. Because of the emphasis on the career mode the single Grand Prix option comes without any fancy dressing. It would be nice for more pre & post race presentation sequences. You don't even get a podium celebration on winning a race. Also Codemasters have obviously made the game to be played with a steering wheel. As I've mentioned, with a standard controller, car handling is a bit sensitive. A slider to adjust controller sensitivity would of been nice.

Another gripe is the lack of retirements. I have done 2 races without a single DNF. That never happens in F1. This is a gripe with most racing games.

All in all this is a stellar first effort at Formaula 1 by Codemasters & is superior to Sony's previous effort. Hopefully this is the platform of a long & successful series of F1 games from Codemasters. A message to the developers. Don't take the F1 franchise down the same arcade road you took the Dirt series.

Comments

# 1 DJDReW3102 @ Sep 23

i can't wait to get this game. been waiting for a quality F1 title for a while now!

# 2 KINGOFTHAKUSH @ Sep 24

need 4 speed

# 3 Adzs K2 @ Sep 24

Looking forward to visiting my local game store on sunday and picking this up...even if it will get minimal playing time (with college work/Sixth piling up and 2k11 coming out on the 8th October

) the game looks great and for that reason i MUST have it loool

# 4 Dazraz @ Sep 24

Quote:


	# 3Adzs K2 @ Sep 24 (2 Hours Ago) Looking forward to visiting my local game store on sunday and picking this up...even if it will get minimal playing time (with college work/Sixth piling up and 2k11 coming out on the 8th October ) the game looks great and for that reason i MUST have it loool

The stress of education. Brings back the memories. Gets no easier mate. Married with a daughter. Getting NBA 2K11 myself. Looks very impressive once again.