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F1 2010 Impressions (PS3, 360, PC)

11:54 AM - September 21, 2010 by bluengold34_OS

With today being the North American release date (and Steam ), lets use this topic for impressions for all 3 platforms. Please limit this to impressions and questions about the game.

UPDATE: Apparently the console version is not being released until tomorrow or even as late as Thursday for some. For those who purchased the PC version off of steam, it has been released and will be unlocked within 2.5 hours to play. I have the game already downloaded on my system, just waiting for the unlock. I will do my best with impressions as soon as the game is unlocked on my PC.

Game: F1 2010Reader Score: 8.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 6 - View All

F1 2010 Videos

Member Comments

# 161 Sundown2600 @ 09/23/10 10:18 PM

Has anyone noticed that there is not much difference in AI lap times when changing the AI difficulty level? There doesn't seem to be enough of a gap from amateur to legendary.

In Canada practice on Legendary Button lead the time sheets with a 1:18.791
At the same circuit on Amateur setting Vettel lead the time sheets with a 1:21.571

That's less than 3 seconds gap from easiest to hardest I'd like to see a bigger gap here.

# 162 NINJAK2 @ 09/23/10 10:26 PM

Thanks BC and sundown for the responses. I will have to check this game out. Since PGR 3 dropped I can't play any racing game that doesn't have a good/great cockpit view. Looking forward to checking it out.

# 163 Lakers 24 7 @ 09/23/10 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundown2600


	Has anyone noticed that there is not much difference in AI lap times when changing the AI difficulty level? There doesn't seem to be enough of a gap from amateur to legendary. In Canada practice on Legendary Button lead the time sheets with a 1:18.791 At the same circuit on Amateur setting Vettel lead the time sheets with a 1:21.571 That's less than 3 seconds gap from easiest to hardest I'd like to see a bigger gap here.

In racing 3 seconds is a lot, could easily be the difference between being lapped multiple times and actually staying with the pack. Also, what's more important than fast laps is consistency, I think you'll find the AI is far less consistent at the lower levels, so even they're getting a 1:18 it won't mean much of anything if they're only doing that type of speed for one or two laps.

# 164 Sundown2600 @ 09/23/10 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakers 24/7


	In racing 3 seconds is a lot, could easily be the difference between being lapped multiple times and actually staying with the pack. Also, what's more important than fast laps is consistency, I think you'll find the AI is far less consistent at the lower levels, so even they're getting a 1:18 it won't mean much of anything if they're only doing that type of speed for one or two laps.

Yeah that's very true but I've seen bigger gaps in other games depending on difficulty levels. I'm not complaining at all but it's something that will help the casual racer.

I've raced a few times from the onboard cam and I have to say the game looks better from this view. The rain puddles on the tarmac look amazing. It's a lot easier to drive smoothly from this view and that makes the game less of a challenge. I'll be back in the cockpit soon.

Has anyone seen an example of rain on one part of the circuit and dry on another? Take Spa for instance. I read where a dev said this would be represented in the game. The weather is amazing in this game much props for that.

OMG loving the dry racing line that gradually forms when the rain stops! You can see the times drops as the circuit drys as well. Very nice.

# 165 JRod @ 09/23/10 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakers 24/7


	In racing 3 seconds is a lot, could easily be the difference between being lapped multiple times and actually staying with the pack. Also, what's more important than fast laps is consistency, I think you'll find the AI is far less consistent at the lower levels, so even they're getting a 1:18 it won't mean much of anything if they're only doing that type of speed for one or two laps.

This year, the pole sitter Hamilton I believe, ran 1:15 and some change. I'm sure that's possible in this game but man that's fast.

# 166 Sundown2600 @ 09/23/10 11:33 PM

Noticed something else from the onboard cam view in morning practice. The reflection of the sun on the Mclaren almost gave the car a cell shaded look. Also guys what are your opinions on fuel loads? I'm still testing I'm gonna make my comments in my full impressions post later on.

# 167 hitch450 @ 09/24/10 01:28 AM

I've heard that slicks are faster in the wet than the intermediate tires or full wets, and that it doesn't feel any different or punish you for using slicks in wet weather. Has anyone tested this out? Really hope that isn't true.

# 168 lnin0 @ 09/24/10 01:49 AM

Its here!

Man, I almost cried at the intro - seeing the official F1 logo on a Microsoft console. It has been a long time coming. Thank you Codies.

So far I am having a blast.

I would say the physics take a nice middle ground. It has a good feel but doesn't venture all the way into the deep end. I think Race Pro is the closest thing to true sim physics on the 360 with Forza 3 being second. I don't think F1 is quite at that point with the physics but it does still have a good degree of difficulty. It is not going to make any arcade racers happy...at least not with assists off.

Graphically the game is very good looking. Probably not the best looking racer on a console but in the top 10-15%. Considering it is doing 23 AI cars, dynamic weather and some pretty good physics while rendering all these glorious real life F1 cars and tracks is pretty marvelous feat.

Where the game really shines though, is in its execution. Not since N09 has another console game really focused on racing as a sport like F1 does. I think that is what separates F1 2010 from the rest of the console racers.

F1 brings you an entire drivers career. Seasons. Agents. Engineers. Testing. Practices. Qualifying. Race Weekends. Teammates. Weather. Flags. Rules. Tires. Fuel. Sure, it might not get all the pieces perfect but it assembles more of the 'real' race stuff than any other console racer to date. The kind of 'real' stuff that everyone expects from their NHL and NBA games that is typically absent from console racer - even the so called 'sims'.

I used the controller and 360 wireless wheel. I set the environment effects to 8/10 and left everything else default. The wheel worked well and gives you much smoother control. I typically never used the wheel for Forza 3 because that game actually plays better with the controller but not F1. F1, RacePro and N09 are some of the few games that actually play much better with the wheel. The feedback is merely serviceable and something I hope Codies works on for future versions but overall the game is still better off with the wheel.

The damage is also another minor disappointment. It does not appear you can destroy your engine even if you over rev. The contact to damage your car also seems random - and then usually its a nose. Still, it is cool to pit and see them fixing it. I have not had a flat but did drive on some option tires a few laps past their prime and the lack of grip was very noticeable. When you get right in someone's dirty air and the car gets pretty skittish. I also ran the car down to empty to see what would happen. When you run out of gas you get a bad hesitating sputter for about half a lap. Then you slow to a crawl but don't come to a stop. You can always limp around to the pits.

I play with no assists so my taste run for the most extreme realism but I can understand why they didn't want to randomly make people suffer a blown engines or a suspension collapsing for no reason. Overall there is enough little stuff to make me happy about the damage and wear that it kind of balances out the shortcomings.

The last thing I will say is that I like the overall presentation. Getting around the trailer is odd at first but once you get used to it, it works well. I do also dig the fact you can just run time trial laps alone or in a party and compare that to a tt leaderboard. The one thing about the presentation that was annoying is the lack of info during the race. It is very hard to tell where you are in relation to the guy ahead/behind you if you can't see them. I would really love to see a TV style presentation option with stat overlays during the race.

Anyway, I'm not saying F1 2010 is perfect. But overall its a great experience that is rare to find on a console. We'll have to dig more into the other MP features sometime.

# 169 bjf1377 @ 09/24/10 02:36 AM

Took me about an hour to find a copy tonight, but I got one. I've been playing off and on (filling the breaks with watching season premiers on TV). I definitely have to play this game a lot so I can memorize the courses. I used to be a champ at Moto GP cause I had the tracks memorized. So far I suck at this, but partially cause I'm not familiar with the tracks

# 170 Alistair @ 09/24/10 03:13 AM

What view does everyone use?

In most racing games, I usually like the camera that displays as if it was attached to the front of your car (not sure of the name).

Although in F1 2010, I find this one to be too close to the ground and my visibility of upcoming corners is zero.

The cockpit camera is ok, but the constantly moving hands of the driver distract me too much. As such, I've settled on the slightly elevated cockpit camera where it feels you're sitting a bit higher.

I really hate chase cams.

Would be interested to hear what angle everyone else likes driving from.

# 171 Lakers 24 7 @ 09/24/10 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitch450


	I've heard that slicks are faster in the wet than the intermediate tires or full wets, and that it doesn't feel any different or punish you for using slicks in wet weather. Has anyone tested this out? Really hope that isn't true.

I haven't fully tested this out yet, as I've only ran a few laps in the wet on slicks. But, the reason why I only ran those few laps is because I just couldn't get around the track anymore. This was in a practice session where it started to rain half way through. I ended up spinning multiple times on the same lap and had to pit for the wets. This is on the PC with assists off. Unless someone posts a video doing this I wouldn't believe it. Sure, you can get around on the slicks, but I can't see anyone being able to push the car hard enough in order to set respectable laps consistently.

# 172 Chaos81 @ 09/24/10 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitch450


	I've heard that slicks are faster in the wet than the intermediate tires or full wets, and that it doesn't feel any different or punish you for using slicks in wet weather. Has anyone tested this out? Really hope that isn't true.

I had a qual session where I was able to grab pole by over a second (After being a second slower in practice) using slicks in the wet. It wasn't extremely wet, but it was wet enough to see spray come off the tires and all of the AI cars, at least the ones I could see, were on inters. That said, I also tried running slicks in both heavy rain and light rain and struggled like crazy.

Pretty strange and I don't know what to think as of yet.

# 173 T3B0W @ 09/24/10 04:05 AM

I just got home and have the game in front of me. I won't be able to play until later tonight and I will post my impressions from there.

From what I've read, sounds good thus far as expected.

# 174 hitch450 @ 09/24/10 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaos81


	I had a qual session where I was able to grab pole by over a second (After being a second slower in practice) using slicks in the wet. It wasn't extremely wet, but it was wet enough to see spray come off the tires and all of the AI cars, at least the ones I could see, were on inters. That said, I also tried running slicks in both heavy rain and light rain and struggled like crazy. Pretty strange and I don't know what to think as of yet.

Hmm that is kind of strange. But I've watched several F1 races where the softer of the slick tires were actually quicker than the inters when the track was just starting to become wet and there weren't any puddles or a lot of water down. As long as I'm not flying around the circuit on slicks with standing water and not spinning or oversteering at all, hopefully it won't be that bad.

I just ordered my copy off bestbuy.com and its ready for pickup at my local store. I'll pick it up in between my two jobs today and I'll be playing later tonight and this weekend. I'll post some of my thoughts about it after I've had some time with it. Can't wait!

# 175 BIG CAROLINA @ 09/24/10 11:07 AM

After putting in about 2.5 hours of just track time last night, I have fell in love with the game...using a controller. I have a wheel but I do not have a decent setup for the wheel so I just gave up on it and said let me see what I can do with the controller.

With all aids off including the driving line(for those who are not having a challenge) and AI on legend I had my hands full with the Lotus. I have heard some say that you can't lock your tires while breaking (not true) it happens and will happen if you use the breaks like an off/on switch.

Come out of a turn and slam on the gas and watch what happens (you will be on the F1 merry-go-round). You have to be gentle on the throttle when coming out of the turns to be fast.

The xbox 360 triggers are perfect as far as throttle/brake control goes, I am not so sure how this will translate to the PS3 controller though as it does not have true triggers(IMO).

I heard some say that you can go just as fast on the gravel/grass as the track (again, not true unless you are aided).

Online...... Well what can I say about online. Find yourself a good group of Non-Ex Need For Speed racers.

This game can be as Sim as you want it to be or as arcade as you want it to be IMO. Thank You CM.

Edit: The biggest problem that most will have have is trying to go fast without knowing the track. Give me someone who knows the track as opposed to someone with a fast setup without proper track knowledge any day of the week.

# 176 RunN1st @ 09/24/10 12:43 PM

Agreed, BigC!

Bob and I were on for a good 2.5 hours last night and absolutely enjoyed going from track to track on a mini tour/3 lap races! I like the fact that you can turn off the collisions on a public race since most folks are just plain inconsiderate. Also, the weather effects are unreal! I love how it can start off partly cloudy and by mid race you are dealing with a down pour only to finish the race under dry conditions. If you turn off all the HUDs you could really fool someone that it's a real race on TV!

All in all, I consider it a solid purchase and will certainly get my money's worth.

# 177 LingeringRegime @ 09/24/10 12:43 PM

Damn, BIGCAROLINA. I respect your skills. I am using a controller also, and tried it on hard. I was having some serious issues, lol. You inspire me though. I will keep practicing.

Question, where do you find the Legend Difficulty? The hardest difficulty I have found is expert.

# 178 BIG CAROLINA @ 09/24/10 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEFTFUNDAMENTALZ


	Damn, BIGCAROLINA. I respect your skills. I am using a controller also, and tried it on hard. I was having some serious issues, lol. You inspire me though. I will keep practicing. Question, where do you find the Legend Difficulty? The hardest difficulty I have found is expert.

Thanks Deft, but believe me I am still in the learning stage and would not call my self fast all, just trying to be smooth. I figure just taking my lumps now with aids off will only help me in the long run. Right now for me it's not about winning or losing just learning the limits of the cars.

Run man I wish that I could race with you PC guys, but oh well what can we do.

# 179 LingeringRegime @ 09/24/10 01:14 PM

BC, that is true about online. I played a Sprint game last night just to get my feet wet with about 8 other random racers. I ended up winning, because I was the only one who didn't get DQ'd.

# 180 bluengold34_OS @ 09/24/10 01:25 PM

Playing this game ( as Run Stated ) for almost 2.5 hours last night, I realized that this game keeps getting better and better. As I learn how to jump in and out of menu's, learn the tracks, and maintain a full understanding that to appreciate the game for what it is, you have to adhere to its learning curve.

We had a blastlast night, and it wasnt because we were winning every race, it was because of all the factors that Codemasters has included in this game. The weather, the tires, set-ups, how aggressive you can be, or not. All of these play such a huge factor, and thats why I enjoy this game so much.

While it may not be perfect, it's perfect for me!

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F1 2010 Impressions (PS3, 360, PC)