The F1 2013 game has just been officially announced by developers, Codemasters, and with the real season hotting up at the half way point and the upcoming release of Ron Howard’s F1 biopic, Rush, there’s a lot of attention on the glamorous and high speed world of motor sport. This ties in well with the news that the game doesn’t just feature this year’s race calendar, it also includes classic drivers and cars from legendary seasons past.
It’s currently due for release on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PS3 on the 21st September 2013, but there’s no word on anything for the Xbox ONE, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Wii U as of yet. However, with the ONE and the PS4 out this November you’ve got to imagine that the game will be getting a port eventually, but it’s looking a bit depressing for Nintendo owning Formula 1 fans.
F1 2013 will be available in a standard edition and a classic edition, which seems like a bizarre move on the part of Codemasters, until you find out that there’s an extra tenner to pay for the bigger version of the game. Both feature content from 80s F1 including iconic drivers, historic cars, Brands Hatch and the Circuito De Jerez, but the classic edition comes replete with a 90s expansion that adds the decade’s legendary drivers and cars into the mix, as well as getting to race at Imola and Estoril.
The classic content will be introduced by the commentating genius of Murray Walker, which in itself holds a lot of nostalgia value. Some of the drivers you’ll get to race as include Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti and Gerhard Berger from the 80s, although it’s doubtful that Ayerton Senna will be amongst the roster considering the presence of Imola as a playable track. In the 90s content David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Eddie Irvine and Alain Prost have all been confirmed as playable racers.
The main game centres around the 2013 F1 race calendar with Championship Mode a clear contender for everyone’s favourite part of the game. All 19 circuits are playable and there’s going to be a pretty good number of race modes to take on, including customised championships, time trials and multiplayer action. You also get to pit your racing skills against the rest of the world with the online multiplayer competition provided by Codemasters’ RaceNet.
They’re also promising improved handling and AI, but the real question is whether or not the game will follow the Pirelli tyre-gate controversy that has dominated the season. The upgraded handling and artificial intelligence will really come into it’s own for the differing styles of racing required as you switch between the generations of racing cars and drivers. There’s a huge difference between the way that F1 racing was back in the 80s and 90s and the modern cars, so you’ll get a chance to feel that difference to a certain extent from the comfort of your living room.
The F1 2013 game looks like it’s going to be a bit of a hit with race fans, as they look to the heroes of the past as well as the present. It’s not the only recent racing game announced to feature classic content in this way with Forza Motorsport 5, an Xbox ONE exclusive release, bringing the 1976 McLaren M23 that James Hunt drove to win the championship, and Niki Lauda’s 1976 Ferrari 312-2, building on the Hollywood focus of Rush.
While Sebastian Vettell is running away with the championship in the real world 2013 season, the video game will let you take your favourite driver to the edge of their limits and take the checkered flag. Plus you’ll get to pitch them against the greats of the past, making F1 2013 potentially one of the most exciting installations of the game in its history.
