F1 2012 hit the UK stores on the 21st of
September and was met with mixed reviews. Being the fourth F1 game made by
Codemasters Birmingham, the third for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, the pressure was on
to better previous releases. The 2010 edition sold over 2.3 million units
worldwide and won a BAFTA for the best Sports game. I got my hands on the game
a day after the UK release (no thanks to Amazon) so check out my thoughts.
Also check out what the fans think below. Beware, this is an in depth review.
Annually released sports games face the same problems. The game creators have to trying to reinvent them, add something different and at the same time keep up with the sport it is based on. Overall F1 2012 has delivered, with some area’s progressing immensely. However in some ways, the game falls short thanks to a few poor moves on Codemasters part which distances it from the realism of F1 itself.
I will start with the opening of the game. Like 2011 they have the gameplay video, recreating the first 7 races of 2012. It all looks smart, the camera angles look great and the graphics look like they have improved. However the first thing I noticed was the contrast in the close up and long shot quality of the graphics. Close up the cars look great, they have put in a lot of effort to get those minor details sorted but from the distance cameras the game does not have that excitement or accuracy.
Next up is the new menu system, something that looks smart and is easy to use. Despite this, the game has lost the “"Be the Driver, Live the Life, Go Compete" feel of 2011. Yes, everything looks snazzy and dramatic. The cars look detailed and the colours chosen have been successful, the blue for the menu is a particularly nice shade. Despite this, some character is missing from the menu. In 2010 you felt like that was the life of the driver, you could see the paddock and feel closer to F1 in that respect. They moved away from that menu style in 2011, but kept the paddock theme and the career area was fantastic and felt really realistic so it is a shame that they have ditched that. They could have made the career mode into a whole new menu, like the drivers room in 2011 but on a grander scale.
One of the most important features for the game was the cars handling. Now obviously I have never driven an F1 car, but 2012 feels a lot better. The car has grip, the turn in is more responsive but the rear end is quite happy stepping out and sliding around. It makes you put more effort into the driving, braking at the right moment and not carrying too much speed into the corner. In 2010 the car felt too bolted and responsive, while in 2011 the under steer was too strong and car felt heavy. In 2012 they really have moved forward and created a closer simulation to the real thing. The DRS has also improved, you can feel the loss of grip when the rear wing slot opens. There are a few points which I don’t like, including the steering. Despite the better reaction and turn in, when there are quick direction changes I feel the car sways a bit, if that makes sense. The braking also seems to lack that realism, I can barely lock up the front tyres and there is no smoke if I do (but maybe it is just my driving). Other than that, the handling is better than it has ever been.
Let’s move away from the handling shall we? I’ll move on to
discussing the graphics of the game. This was a strong point in 2011, and
Codemasters have progressed further to make some stunning looking circuits and
cars. It’s in the details with this game, for example I love the lighting. The
sun glints off the chrome McLaren and also reflects of surfaces. Likewise the
grass and gravel look far better, along with the tarmac which sometimes has
tyre and lock up marks on. I was also pleasantly surprised with the sparks
flying off cars as they skimmed through Eau Rouge, good stuff. On the build-up
to racing on the circuits, we see a series of shots of the track. From what I
have seen, these all look great and the detail and realism has improved. This
is also shown in the replay cameras. As said before some graphics on the long
shots are iffy but the rest hit the sweet spot. We also see the debut of the
new Circuit of the Americas in Texas. It is hard to judge how close to the real
thing it is, seeing as the track is still being built, but I have immediately
fallen in love with it. This is partly due to the challenging nature, I
finished 17th in my first 3 lap race on the track, but also the
detail and look of it is tremendous. There are also changes to Korea and India,
which has seen a heavy makeover. This is partly thanks to changes to the track
being made after the release of F1 2011. Overall though, another big
improvement for Codemasters.
The opening event for the game is the Young Driver Test. Now some hard core gamers have used adjectives like “boring” to describe it, but I actually found it quite interesting. The car handling is significantly different when comparing it directly with the 2011 release, so it was nice to have some on track practice. Yes, most of it I already know but looking at the casual audience I can see it being very helpful, not all owners of the game will be F1 fans but may prefer other forms of racing. This moves me swiftly on to the cinematics of the game, which can be seen at their best during the Young Driver Test. First you choose the team, on the smart new menu. Then you are taken into the garage, you have no control it is purely a video sequence meant from your point of view. Your engineer talks to you before you get in the car, and overall it is all very snazzy. The people in the game look very realistic and when linking it to 2011, they have more detailed faces and they move in a more fluent way. The cinematics between races and reactions to targets are similar to 2011, but with some smartened up graphics.
Next up are the game modes, of which there are many. Unlike 2011, where the main focus was on the multiplayer mode, the Codemasters Birmingham crew have added some new arcade modes to appeal to more casual gamers, who prefer short bursts of gaming compared to racing a full 61 lap race around Singapore. The headline mode is “Champions mode”, where the game sets the player a series of scenario based challenges. There are 6 to complete, with each champion on the F1 2012 grid being the focus. You can try them on 3 levels, easy, medium and hard. The first see’s you chase down Kimi Raikkonen at the Spa circuit. Kimi is in 7th place but is struggling with tyre wear, while you have just pitted and have fresh rubber. The challenge is to hunt him down and finish in front of him. I found this very enjoyable and personally feel it adds an interesting new layer to the game. It is both fun and difficult, with the scenario’s being well thought out. However I would like more commentary on the challenge beforehand from Crofty, Sky’s F1 commentator. On the subject of David Croft, he does a great job doing the voice over for the game but I wish he would have more involvement in the career mode. Another game mode is seasons challenge. I have yet to try this one, but it looks fun and is an interesting concept.
Of course the main game mode for many is the career mode.
You can choose to race for Williams, Force India, Toro Rosso, Caterham,
Marussia and HRT. I chose the Toro Rosso and was thrown straight into practice
in Australia. Shockingly Codemasters have removed the 3 practice sessions,
replacing it with a sole hour of practice. Admittedly I never used the full
amount of practice time, but it detracts from the goal of being a “realistic
simulation” set. The new TV menu is smart and easy to use; I actually prefer it
to the 2011 version. I have already touched on the handling, so I will start
waffling on about the AI. In general they are very smart in comparison to 2011.
In the race they are bolder at overtaking me (yes I’m that slow) and defend
their line well when I challenge them. I have used the flashbacks to good
effect, thanks to the new penalty system. It is mostly fair, but some collision
penalties are harsh. It needs to be more consistent. As said earlier the career
menu is safe at best, though the more in depth email and press clippings are
improvements. The pit shots are improved for 2012. Instead of sitting in the
car, Steve Hood and the crew have added new camera angles like those from real
TV. The amount of helmet design options
is also very nice. There are loads and I had so many to choose from, which made
the eventual decision tough. Back to the racing, the engineer delivers more
information to you in the car, including cars on fuel strategies. You can also
alter your fuel strategy, which is a nice touch. The tyre degradation is off
unfortunately. Codemasters have removed tyre wear scaling which has hampered the
realism; they still degrade but not to the same level as the current Pirelli
tyres.
The replay aspect is still the same. They last longer during the race, but the demand for being able to view the race from different cars has not been met. The new camera angles are nice, but they need to last longer. Something that has not lasted longer when comparing the two games is the loading time. It is marginally shorter when loading up, but when returning to the menu page it is very short. This is important because it is never nice sitting at a loading screen, just waiting to play the game.
I know nothing of the multiplayer modes (I will have “live”
soon, I hope) but judging by Youtube videos by the likes of AlexZAfRo and
IntoTheBarrier there are a few bugs which need fixing.
Another talking point prior to the release was the weather system. Gone are the days of constant sun or constant rain, the weather now changes gradually. For example you could be racing on a bone dry Silverstone circuit, but a shower dampens the final sector of the lap. This is a great part of the game and is such an improvement. There are deeper puddles on track, and the circuit evolves when drying or when the rain starts. Impressive stuff from those clever guys at Codemasters.
 |
| (c) Codemasters |
Annually released sports games face the same problems. The game creators have to trying to reinvent them, add something different and at the same time keep up with the sport it is based on. Overall F1 2012 has delivered, with some area’s progressing immensely. However in some ways, the game falls short thanks to a few poor moves on Codemasters part which distances it from the realism of F1 itself.
I will start with the opening of the game. Like 2011 they have the gameplay video, recreating the first 7 races of 2012. It all looks smart, the camera angles look great and the graphics look like they have improved. However the first thing I noticed was the contrast in the close up and long shot quality of the graphics. Close up the cars look great, they have put in a lot of effort to get those minor details sorted but from the distance cameras the game does not have that excitement or accuracy.
Next up is the new menu system, something that looks smart and is easy to use. Despite this, the game has lost the “"Be the Driver, Live the Life, Go Compete" feel of 2011. Yes, everything looks snazzy and dramatic. The cars look detailed and the colours chosen have been successful, the blue for the menu is a particularly nice shade. Despite this, some character is missing from the menu. In 2010 you felt like that was the life of the driver, you could see the paddock and feel closer to F1 in that respect. They moved away from that menu style in 2011, but kept the paddock theme and the career area was fantastic and felt really realistic so it is a shame that they have ditched that. They could have made the career mode into a whole new menu, like the drivers room in 2011 but on a grander scale.
One of the most important features for the game was the cars handling. Now obviously I have never driven an F1 car, but 2012 feels a lot better. The car has grip, the turn in is more responsive but the rear end is quite happy stepping out and sliding around. It makes you put more effort into the driving, braking at the right moment and not carrying too much speed into the corner. In 2010 the car felt too bolted and responsive, while in 2011 the under steer was too strong and car felt heavy. In 2012 they really have moved forward and created a closer simulation to the real thing. The DRS has also improved, you can feel the loss of grip when the rear wing slot opens. There are a few points which I don’t like, including the steering. Despite the better reaction and turn in, when there are quick direction changes I feel the car sways a bit, if that makes sense. The braking also seems to lack that realism, I can barely lock up the front tyres and there is no smoke if I do (but maybe it is just my driving). Other than that, the handling is better than it has ever been.
 |
| (c) Codemasters |
The opening event for the game is the Young Driver Test. Now some hard core gamers have used adjectives like “boring” to describe it, but I actually found it quite interesting. The car handling is significantly different when comparing it directly with the 2011 release, so it was nice to have some on track practice. Yes, most of it I already know but looking at the casual audience I can see it being very helpful, not all owners of the game will be F1 fans but may prefer other forms of racing. This moves me swiftly on to the cinematics of the game, which can be seen at their best during the Young Driver Test. First you choose the team, on the smart new menu. Then you are taken into the garage, you have no control it is purely a video sequence meant from your point of view. Your engineer talks to you before you get in the car, and overall it is all very snazzy. The people in the game look very realistic and when linking it to 2011, they have more detailed faces and they move in a more fluent way. The cinematics between races and reactions to targets are similar to 2011, but with some smartened up graphics.
Next up are the game modes, of which there are many. Unlike 2011, where the main focus was on the multiplayer mode, the Codemasters Birmingham crew have added some new arcade modes to appeal to more casual gamers, who prefer short bursts of gaming compared to racing a full 61 lap race around Singapore. The headline mode is “Champions mode”, where the game sets the player a series of scenario based challenges. There are 6 to complete, with each champion on the F1 2012 grid being the focus. You can try them on 3 levels, easy, medium and hard. The first see’s you chase down Kimi Raikkonen at the Spa circuit. Kimi is in 7th place but is struggling with tyre wear, while you have just pitted and have fresh rubber. The challenge is to hunt him down and finish in front of him. I found this very enjoyable and personally feel it adds an interesting new layer to the game. It is both fun and difficult, with the scenario’s being well thought out. However I would like more commentary on the challenge beforehand from Crofty, Sky’s F1 commentator. On the subject of David Croft, he does a great job doing the voice over for the game but I wish he would have more involvement in the career mode. Another game mode is seasons challenge. I have yet to try this one, but it looks fun and is an interesting concept.
 |
| (c) Codemasters |
The replay aspect is still the same. They last longer during the race, but the demand for being able to view the race from different cars has not been met. The new camera angles are nice, but they need to last longer. Something that has not lasted longer when comparing the two games is the loading time. It is marginally shorter when loading up, but when returning to the menu page it is very short. This is important because it is never nice sitting at a loading screen, just waiting to play the game.
Another talking point prior to the release was the weather system. Gone are the days of constant sun or constant rain, the weather now changes gradually. For example you could be racing on a bone dry Silverstone circuit, but a shower dampens the final sector of the lap. This is a great part of the game and is such an improvement. There are deeper puddles on track, and the circuit evolves when drying or when the rain starts. Impressive stuff from those clever guys at Codemasters.
So there you have it, my (very) in depth review of the F1
2012 game by Codemasters. In conclusion, the game has improved massively in
some areas but the removal of some features has meant that small steps have
been made, instead of the big steps that were intended. The new game modes are
fun, while the career and grand prix modes are hard core and realistic. The
handling has improved, as have the graphics, but the game just falls short of
the high expectations. Well worth buying if you enjoy racing games, but if you
are a casual F1 fan the money is better spent elsewhere.
What you think:
F1 Game Youtuber Alex (@AlexZAfRo) shared his thoughts on the game, saying "Firstly F1 2012 is a great addition to the series. The updates in the those small areas like car physics and game colors add a lot for me. It makes it feel a little more realistic and still having the factor of letting new players enjoy the game. Lots are saying the AI are too hard but in my opinion they got it right! Legend is suppose to be hard and 2011's was very easy! They may have not got the settings right for all but a great overall game!"
Fellow F1 game Youtuber Scott (@IntoTheBarrier) said "I think the game is a definite improvement from the F1 2011 version. It is more difficult than that one but I find it's still very enjoyable. The multiplayer is as crazy and fun as the previous 2 games. The new tracks, especially Texas, are great to drive and look fantastic. Some criticism I would say is that they could have done more to multiplayer, despite it being very fun it is very similar to F1 2011 apart from the 2012 cars and tracks. Another is that there are quite a few glitches, like cars occasionally getting stuck in barriers when you hit them etc.
Fellow F1 game Youtuber Scott (@IntoTheBarrier) said "I think the game is a definite improvement from the F1 2011 version. It is more difficult than that one but I find it's still very enjoyable. The multiplayer is as crazy and fun as the previous 2 games. The new tracks, especially Texas, are great to drive and look fantastic. Some criticism I would say is that they could have done more to multiplayer, despite it being very fun it is very similar to F1 2011 apart from the 2012 cars and tracks. Another is that there are quite a few glitches, like cars occasionally getting stuck in barriers when you hit them etc.
I think new things like the Young Driver Test are great not only to teach new players the basicssingle player modes like Champions Mode are great fun to play around on. Overall, it is fantastic and great fun to play but could/should they have done more to improve it from F1 2011? I think so."
While some of you on twitter got in touch. @ConMcDonaghF1 said "More realistic handling, with a great weather system, new game modes which will suit all types of player, best F1 game by them" while @F1Britalian22 said "Takes the best of the two that went before it and it makes it the greatest F1 instalment of its time".
Meanwhile Technical F1 nut @SomersF1 said "Massive leap forward, great to see you can't just drive on any surface now and cheat a great lap time", but @DanielPerkin disagreed saying "there isn't enough tyre degradation and the brakes and very poor, but overall a good game, Austin track is amazing!"
1 comment:
Nice review! Here's mine: http://www.f1shift.net/2012/09/f1-2012-first-impressions.html
Also, if you use a steering wheel, here is the setup I use and it works great: http://www.f1shift.net/2012/09/f1-2012-ps3-steering-wheel-settings.html
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