F1 2015 Hands-On Previews, Cover Art Revealed, Screenshots and More

...As we dart left for the first corner, we see our teammate make a move for the inside – showing off the game’s improved AI. Covering off our line, we brake just about late enough to keep him behind, and after stepping on the gas, the Thrustmaster rumbles as we drift over a trackside kerb.

...Codemasters doesn't have the budget of EA, of course, and that's something evident in the more low-key offerings in F1 2015 itself, its key new feature being a broadcast mode that prefaces each race with commentary from Sky Sports F1's team of David Croft and Anthony Davidson as they set the scene over images of your chosen driver chatting to their race engineers. It's all a little static, starring likenesses that seem half-baked, though it's an appreciated attempt to embed you further into the action.

...Switching out to a behind-car view mid-race was the true test of this realism, though, and where I feel the game truly shines. You will get a sense of it in the driver’s seat, but when you get to play, just take a moment to get outside the car for a race or two.

You can see the tread on the tires as you slow into the corners, watch the spray fly up from your wheels, and marvel at the bodywork on these powerful vehicles.

...Onto the handling and this is the core area where many gamers have been anticipating changes: would the new F1 titles lean more towards arcade or simulation, everyone would ask? I’m pleased to announce they have targeted the latter, and with outstanding results. All round improvements to tyre and suspension modelling are evident: you feel the car leaning on the tyres while exiting corners, while the feeling of weight carried through the car gives ample opportunity for naturally correcting power or steering. In short, it’s all very intuitive.

...The cars now feel really planted, even in the rain, and much more eager to communicate information about grip levels. The force-feedback, even via an Xbox One gamepad, felt an order of magnitude more realistic than that of previous iterations of the game – somehow, for example, it was able to replicate the sensation of sticking a wheel onto a low kerb, rather than the random grating of yore.

...Having said that, I still found it rather easy to bottle up the AI behind me, as those in front scampered off into the distance – something which was all to familiar from previous games. The AI is still be refined and tuned to deal with the new physics and car handling, not to mention how hard it is to pass around Singapore at the best of times, but I would hope to see improvements to the AI manifest themselves better in the final game.

...Speaking of communication, you'll also get regular audio updates from the pit crew during races, talking you through lap times, fuel levels, tyre condition and other info, as well as offering helpful tips and tactics. It's a neat touch that's benefits greatly from more recorded lines of dialogue than in previous F1 games.