F1 2011 Game Review

F1 2011 Game Review

The release of the F1 2011 game was highly anticipated. After such strong reviews and even an award, a BAFTA for best sport game, for the 2010 version, the pressure for Codemasters was on.

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After playing the game numerous times, reading numerous reviews and paying close attention to detail, I have the review here at TalkFromJackLeslieF1.

The Safety Car was one of the most demanded aspects if the game, and after some major accidents or bad weather, the silver Mercedes Benz SLS AMG rolls into view.  I found it took quite a long time to pick up all the field, but the AI are impressive as they weaved to warm up their tyres, and I imitated. Restarts were also well timed, and presented the challenge of driving flat out on cold tyres.

The graphics and physics of the game are much improved, the colours are brighter and the attention to detail is far better, even having marshals waving flags by the side of the track, and team members on the pit wall. The car’s handling is a big step forward. The handling feels heavier due to KERS and the new weight rules, with a more planted feel. You can definitely feel the added mechanical grip while also being more challenging to wrestle the car. The back end frequently breaks out creating dramatic slides and spins. However the steering is more responsive, as are the brakes. The damage to the cars is much more realistic, now smaller pieces of debris break off. I still feel it is a little bit too easy as usually in the real world hitting a wheel would break suspension, but in F1 2011 you get a free pass. The cars also roll easily now in gravel traps, which can be a pain, especially when you flip back over with no damage at all.

KERS and DRS are a big aspect to racing, and they have incorporated it well. The AI are very intelligent using these devices. You can definitely feel the difference with DRS as you get into the tow of the car in front, and it really does aid overtaking in the race as well as giving you more speed during qualifying too. KERS is a great feature, giving an unnoticed boost but also making you think due to how you use it, bringing a new strategic feel to not only practice but qualifying too. I would however have liked the button for DRS on the controller to have been along side the KERS one, as that would make it easier.

I am extremely impressed with the pit and paddock area for Career mode; it’s a big step up and takes the game to a whole new level. The laptop and email idea is clever, and creates a more realistic feel while also clearly giving you your targets and the weather predictions are helpful too. The garages are very similar to the ones the teams use which is very impressive as the details are very comparable but the smaller teams garages are extremely small, but I was a little disappointed with the amount of helmets on offer. Career mode is very similar to F1 2010, but with enhanced visual elements creating a more modern feel. The new visual elements throughout the game make it look more modern, detailed and boost an already user friendly game.

The added cinematics of the game are a welcome addition, the congratulations in the pit garage, or an unhappy driver give the player a feel of what f1 drivers expect in that car while also highlighting what goals you have achieved. My favourite is when the driver shoves the camera away, always makes me giggle. Also the interviewing section is improved, with a wide range of questions and answers available and David Croft welcomed back, looking much better than in 2010, which all add up to the press clippings you get before the next race; which are insightful and exciting.

The multiplayer additions have been very successful, adding an element of fun to the game as you share experiences with the masses. It has highly boosted the games appeal and has been received well. Not only has the aspect been on creating a realistic experience Codemasters have also aimed their development at the multi-player aspects with extended features giving people the chance to play with people from all over the world whether its in co-op championship or on live.

Some of the down sides however are letting the game down, the AI are quite difficult, especially for a novice, and there are still problems with the game. For instance I had what looked like water coming out of my car for the whole race.

It’s also noticeable that the replay time is a lot shorter, giving you less time to see an incident that I have often missed. Also many people have complained yet again that you can not view the race from other drivers views, maybe a hint for next years game that the aspect of viewing different cars need to be seen to, maybe even just on the full race replay at the end.

All in all the game emphasises its phrase "Be the Driver, Live the Life, Go Compete" with all aspects of those sections improved. The driving aspect is very impressive with the handling taking quite a few steps forward in realism and feel, while the live the life sector has also been increased with new pit area and the addition of press clippings. The most improved is the go compete as you can go on a variety of different types, Career, Grand Prix, time trials, Live races, co-op championship and split screen. It has all the right ingredients to make an amazing game, but with the feedback coming back to the Codemasters team I am sure 2012 will be even better.

What do you guys think? Comment below or Rate your reaction

Here is my F1 2011 game preview

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