Lights out and away they go! With the 2015 F1 series recently underway, it’s time to look forward to getting behind the wheel for some high octane, hyper-realistic Formula 1 racing action yourself, and with the latest announcements from developers Codemasters it’s looking like we won’t have too long to wait. The F1 2015 game details are starting to take shape, so here’s our preview to give you everything you need to know about the potential of the release.
A number of other games have tried their hand at including elements of F1 racing into the mix, but few have actually come close to delivering anything that really gives a sense of being a part of the drama of the biggest series in motorsport racing. Forza 5, for example, included the modern day Lotus E21, James Hunt’s 1976 McLaren M23 and Niki Lauda’s Ferarri 313-2 in their cars roster, along with a few tracks from the circuit and dedicated F1 racing competition and while they’re a lot of fun they don’t quite capture the essence of Formula 1 driving. It’s for this reason that there’s the weight of expectation on the shoulders of the F1 2015 game to deliver the kind of experience fans have been hoping for, especially after the poor reviews for F1 2014.
Release date
The latest title in Codemasters’ long-standing series is going to be hitting the shelves in June 2015 according to the latest blog post for the developers. The ambiguity about a specific day is probably designed to buy them a little wriggle room if they end up running behind schedule to avoid the kind of gamer disappointment that Project Cars experienced following the push back of their release date in the run up to their launch.
The big news though is that this will be the first dedicated F1 game to be available on new generation devices, which is a step up on the last game, which only made its way to previous generation consoles, Xbox 360 and PS3, and PC. This time around it’s the old consoles that have been frozen out in favour of developing the game solely for the most up to date technology of PC gaming, Xbox ONE and PlayStation 4.
Cars
All of the drivers and cars from the current season will be available to race in F1 2015, so you’ll be able to choose to take to the tarmac with your favourite driver or the best cars on the track, which will put Hamilton and Vettel high up on the race roster in their flying Mercedes and Ferarri engines, which appear to be leading the pack this year. Alternatively, you can go for an underdog challenge with one of the rookie drivers like the 17-year-old wonder kid, Max Verstappen, or the troubled team Manor Marussia team.
In addition to all of the drivers and cars from the 2015 season, Codemasters has also announced that they will be including the 2014 roster as a tip to new gen gamers who missed out on the 2014 action. This will throw in all of the drivers, cars and tracks from 2014, giving you a chance to relive the rise of Mercedes to the pinnacle of motor racing in advance of the oncoming challenge of Ferrari that we’re seeing this year. It also means that you will still get to race in Germany, despite the fact that the track is no longer in the 2015 season schedule.
Gameplay
With the capabilities of new generation gaming, the gameplay has had a significant overhaul in F1 2015, using a whole new version of the EGO engine, which they’ve announced will give the game a significant update to its physics-based handling system. Essentially, what this means is that we might be in for the most realistic Formula 1 racing experience in the history of gaming. Alternatively, it may be the hype before another slight let down, so there’s a lot riding on how the game plays.
There’s a raft of changes in the wings in the latest installment of the game with the engine dynamics, transmission, aerodynamics, fuel, suspension and tyres getting an overhaul in terms of the physics that underpin them. In the new system you should be able to get much more of a sense of the impact of tyre grip as a result of differences in temperature, wear, car set-up, debris on the track and weather conditions.
Other areas of significant change include updates to the force feedback within the game, which should give you much more sensation through your controller as you race. There’s also the addition of voice activated controls for the Xbox ONE and PlayStation 4 versions to take charge of race engineer commands to find out info about the race and weather forecasts, plus ordering tyres and nose replacements in pit stops.
There will be the classic Championship Season mode to contend with, but for seasoned racers there’s a new super tough Pro Season mode to provide a lot more challenge in addition to the Quick Race and Multiplayer options. It’s clear that Codemasters are working hard to make the game as realistic in terms of the gameplay as possible, but a part of the problem is that they’ve only got two races to go on in terms of the driving capabilities of this year’s cars, so they’ve still got a fair bit to do before the game’s release in June. Hopefully, they’ll be able to pull it off, because it will be one of the best ways to feel like you’re in the action yourself if it’s as true-to-life as they’re indicating it might be.
Graphics
As the first F1 game to be created solely for the latest console technology, it’s undoubtedly going to be the best looking Formula 1 game ever released. You can also see from the work in progress stills that this has got the potential of being as beautiful as other big hitting racing games like Forza 5 and Project Cars. However, we won’t know for sure until the first gameplay trailers are released, which will show just how good things look in full flow.
First impressions
It’s far too early to tell just how F1 2015 is going to play, but there’s more than enough to keep your fingers crossed about. If the new physics dynamics and updates to the Grand Prix racing experience are as impressive as Codemasters are talking about in their recent announcement then we could be in for a cool simulation of Formula 1 racing in just a few months time. With BBC F1 coverage 2015 already underway and the development of a two horse constructor race between Mercedes and Ferrari, the season’s already hotting up, so there’s going to be a big win for the game if it can get in on the action with exceptional gameplay and graphics.
