Last week I travelled to Codemasters HQ to try out the new F1 2015 game, before it is released in Europe on the 10th July.
It is the first title in the series for new-generation consoles, bringing Formula 1 to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as PC.
Back in April I sampled a very early version of F1 2015, with just one track to try out and last year’s machinery. It gave me a small taster of what the game could be like, but I was still unsure what to expect from a more finished and polished product.
After arriving in London and travelling across the city to Victoria Coach Station, I met up with Paul from Stature PR and Gareth from Bandai Namco before a group of us travelled in a mini bus to Codemasters’ base in Southam.
Once we arrived, the guys at Codemasters gave us a short presentation about the game, going over some of the basic details. They were keen to stress that with a new game engine, F1 2015 has been developed from the ground up, from scratch and whilst some things may look similar to previous releases, it is all new.
I had around three and a half/four hours playing the game, with only a brief pause for food. The first thing that struck me about the game was the improved graphics, you can instantly tell the difference and see that a good step forward has been made in this specific area. The detail is great, the lighting looks much better and the wet weather visuals are stunning. Overall I was quite impressed.
The first track that I tried out was Mexico, as it is the only new layout in F1 2015. Whilst some of the circuit’s challenging and famous corners have been changed for the sport’s return, I found it really fun to drive. It was still quite tricky to get the hang of, but it provided some good overtaking opportunities and has a mix of corner types. It’s made me even more excited for this year’s Mexican Grand Prix.
The cinematic and broadcast-style shots predominantly feature in the new Championship Season mode, but a few of them also appear in Quick Race – such as the pre-race track and post-race reaction clips (for example, spraying champagne on the podium if you finish in the top three). It all helps to add polish to the game. The CGI drivers look good and fairly recognisable but there is still some work to do in these areas.
The new menus are slick and the result graphics are more like the ones used in real life. Before races, you change set-up on the grid, with mechanics around you. Meanwhile in practice and qualifying, you have a better view of the pit garage and you change the set-up of the car via a tablet device handed to you by one of your engineers.
All these additional scenes and movement before and after playing the game add a lot of realism. Codemasters has put a lot of effort into representing the things that happen of track as well as on it, and this is evident in F1 2015. Of course, there is scope for more to be added and I am sure this is just the start for these new features.
I have a keen eye for detail and a lot of small features and improvements really impressed me – for example, the mirrors, the sparks that fly from the floors of the cars and the heat haze from the exhausts. David Croft provides the commentary. It is a little bit too loud and over-excitable for my taste, but still I appreciate it being included.
In terms of handling, it takes a bit of getting used to – and not in the way that I said about F1 2014. You have to be much more patient with the throttle and brakes, as the rear can easily step out at the exit of corners (even with full traction control, which I happily admit to using). The front end, however, does feel more responsive on corner entry, and it is easier to lock the brakes.
I’m not the greatest gamer when it comes to racing titles, and I do have a few assists on. I tested F1 2015 on the controller, for fairness, and I found that I got a lot more force feedback. Couple that with more noise and sounds while racing and it creates a more enjoyable racing experience, and one that makes you feel a lot more in control.
One of the developers said it is a much “tighter game experience” and I agree with that statement. I’d say on the arcade to simulator spectrum, it moves a step towards the latter, but it is still accessible for new players and that is what it needs to be. The game is targeted at a more broad audience, and that is why there are so many options when it comes to setting it up.
The cars sound better and all of the power units have a distinct noise, w. The Renault and McLaren-powered cars do suffer on the straights, no matter what set-up, while there is a big difference in terms of car handling between the Mercedes and Manor, as there should be.
Moving onto the subject of AI, I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement. The computer-controlled cars are more aggressive but they don’t cross the line. They don’t back off as much and do try overtakes if you make a mistake. Running side-by-side with a AI car through a series of corners is much more fun compared to F1 2014, when it would hit the brakes and drop several seconds behind if I got a bit close to the car.
Other features worth a mention include the voice command, which allows players to ask the race engineer for information, and the ability to switch cars during replays (which, again, are not to the standard I would like). I didn’t try out the former but others at Codemasters who did said it worked well, while I have been wanting the latter to appear for some time. It is great to see what is going on behind you in the race, rather than just having your own view the whole time.
I don’t think I will be trying out Pro Season, where you race in a full Grand Prix weekend with no assists or flashbacks, when I get the game, simply because I would fail massively and rage quit. However, I understand its addition and it will be interesting to hear what people think. Multiplayer gains practice sessions and you can even play a Quick Race while waiting online.
Overall, F1 2015 is, in my view, pretty promising. The new game engine means there is a lot more scope for future new-gen releases, but the latest title is definitely a good step forward in terms of visuals and handling. I played it for around four hours and didn't get bored at all. I really enjoyed it and that sums up my thoughts on it quite well.
 |
| © Codemasters |
Back in April I sampled a very early version of F1 2015, with just one track to try out and last year’s machinery. It gave me a small taster of what the game could be like, but I was still unsure what to expect from a more finished and polished product.
After arriving in London and travelling across the city to Victoria Coach Station, I met up with Paul from Stature PR and Gareth from Bandai Namco before a group of us travelled in a mini bus to Codemasters’ base in Southam.
Once we arrived, the guys at Codemasters gave us a short presentation about the game, going over some of the basic details. They were keen to stress that with a new game engine, F1 2015 has been developed from the ground up, from scratch and whilst some things may look similar to previous releases, it is all new.
 |
| © Codemasters |
I had around three and a half/four hours playing the game, with only a brief pause for food. The first thing that struck me about the game was the improved graphics, you can instantly tell the difference and see that a good step forward has been made in this specific area. The detail is great, the lighting looks much better and the wet weather visuals are stunning. Overall I was quite impressed.
The first track that I tried out was Mexico, as it is the only new layout in F1 2015. Whilst some of the circuit’s challenging and famous corners have been changed for the sport’s return, I found it really fun to drive. It was still quite tricky to get the hang of, but it provided some good overtaking opportunities and has a mix of corner types. It’s made me even more excited for this year’s Mexican Grand Prix.
The cinematic and broadcast-style shots predominantly feature in the new Championship Season mode, but a few of them also appear in Quick Race – such as the pre-race track and post-race reaction clips (for example, spraying champagne on the podium if you finish in the top three). It all helps to add polish to the game. The CGI drivers look good and fairly recognisable but there is still some work to do in these areas.
The new menus are slick and the result graphics are more like the ones used in real life. Before races, you change set-up on the grid, with mechanics around you. Meanwhile in practice and qualifying, you have a better view of the pit garage and you change the set-up of the car via a tablet device handed to you by one of your engineers.
All these additional scenes and movement before and after playing the game add a lot of realism. Codemasters has put a lot of effort into representing the things that happen of track as well as on it, and this is evident in F1 2015. Of course, there is scope for more to be added and I am sure this is just the start for these new features.
 |
| © Codemasters |
I have a keen eye for detail and a lot of small features and improvements really impressed me – for example, the mirrors, the sparks that fly from the floors of the cars and the heat haze from the exhausts. David Croft provides the commentary. It is a little bit too loud and over-excitable for my taste, but still I appreciate it being included.
In terms of handling, it takes a bit of getting used to – and not in the way that I said about F1 2014. You have to be much more patient with the throttle and brakes, as the rear can easily step out at the exit of corners (even with full traction control, which I happily admit to using). The front end, however, does feel more responsive on corner entry, and it is easier to lock the brakes.
I’m not the greatest gamer when it comes to racing titles, and I do have a few assists on. I tested F1 2015 on the controller, for fairness, and I found that I got a lot more force feedback. Couple that with more noise and sounds while racing and it creates a more enjoyable racing experience, and one that makes you feel a lot more in control.
One of the developers said it is a much “tighter game experience” and I agree with that statement. I’d say on the arcade to simulator spectrum, it moves a step towards the latter, but it is still accessible for new players and that is what it needs to be. The game is targeted at a more broad audience, and that is why there are so many options when it comes to setting it up.
 |
| © Codemasters |
The cars sound better and all of the power units have a distinct noise, w. The Renault and McLaren-powered cars do suffer on the straights, no matter what set-up, while there is a big difference in terms of car handling between the Mercedes and Manor, as there should be.
Moving onto the subject of AI, I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement. The computer-controlled cars are more aggressive but they don’t cross the line. They don’t back off as much and do try overtakes if you make a mistake. Running side-by-side with a AI car through a series of corners is much more fun compared to F1 2014, when it would hit the brakes and drop several seconds behind if I got a bit close to the car.
Other features worth a mention include the voice command, which allows players to ask the race engineer for information, and the ability to switch cars during replays (which, again, are not to the standard I would like). I didn’t try out the former but others at Codemasters who did said it worked well, while I have been wanting the latter to appear for some time. It is great to see what is going on behind you in the race, rather than just having your own view the whole time.
I don’t think I will be trying out Pro Season, where you race in a full Grand Prix weekend with no assists or flashbacks, when I get the game, simply because I would fail massively and rage quit. However, I understand its addition and it will be interesting to hear what people think. Multiplayer gains practice sessions and you can even play a Quick Race while waiting online.
Overall, F1 2015 is, in my view, pretty promising. The new game engine means there is a lot more scope for future new-gen releases, but the latest title is definitely a good step forward in terms of visuals and handling. I played it for around four hours and didn't get bored at all. I really enjoyed it and that sums up my thoughts on it quite well.
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