In the United States, Formula One racing (usually
called F1 racing by us Yanks) has never really achieved a mainstream following
the way that NASCAR has. However, Sony seems to be making strides to rectify
this with their upcoming PS3 F1 racing game, titled Formula One Championship
Edition. Offering a bit
more of an arcade styled experience than dedicated simulation, Formula One is
looking to bring gameplay that people unfamiliar to the sport will be able to
get into. And with a ton of customizable features and driving assists that will
allow you to gear the game to your own personal driving preferences, Formula One
could give the sport a push with American audiences.
Formula One lets you race as one of 22 different
professional drivers from 11 teams. You’ll race through several real-world
courses like Shanghai and Monte Carlo, and experience different weather and
track conditions along the way.
Aside from a hefty career mode, Formula One will
introduce the Grand Prix Weekend. Grand Prix Weekend allows you to tune and
tweak your car for the race ahead, so you’ll be able to own the track when the
time comes.
The game also utilizes a race path as a driving
aid. It’s very similar to the one used in Forza Motorsport, as it will basically
present you with the best line to take and is color coded to let you know when
to hit or let off of the gas or use the brake. Of course, if you’re too good for
that sort of thing you can turn it off along with most of the driving assists.
The driving assists do make a very noticeable
difference in the driving mechanics. For example, you can change the brakes and
how they affect your driving, and the turn assist will actually pull your car
onto the road if your driving gets rough, definitely helping F1 noobs (like me)
stay on track.
Graphically, Formula One looks very sharp, with
extremely detailed cars and courses. One thing that stood out in the preview
build was the weather effects. One track had the rain effects turned on full
blast, and the way the raindrops would bead and roll off of the screen was very
impressive.
Formula One is a customizable racing game that
will appeal to a broad audience of racing gamers, and should be one to check
out. It just may bring about a new audience for F1 racing.
