Codemasters has put out their best F1 racing game overall to date with the release of this year's F1 2015 but there are also some absences that you may or may not care about it. Unlike previous years, F1 2015 does not have a career mode which means you can't create your own racer and there is also no co-op mode in this year's version. Other than those two absences and the impact they had in the game's overall presentation, F1 2015 is a well polished game with some of the most impressive physics I've seen in a racer to date.
Right off the bat the audio of the cars themselves sets the tone in the game's opening cinematic. I don't think there is a racer fan around that doesn't love that high pitch sound of an Indy racer and F1 2015 delivers that and the rest of its audio perfectly. Since we reviewed this year's version on Xbox One, we had the chance to check out some of the Kinect capabilities as well. Hitting LB on the Xbox One controller brings up a quick menu of Kinect commands you can use in the middle of the race. Phrases such as "Inform Teammate” are useful while you are in one of the qualifying races as it lets you know how you are performing in respect to them and your team overall. As cars pass you or vice versa, you hear that standard “whooosh” of the wind that gets louder or softer depending on the speed of the vehicle. In addition to your own, your fellow racers and opponents in the game are able to be heard perfectly and the distance of how far they are from you is directly reflected in the volume of their car. All these and other details add to the realism in F1 2015 that really makes you feel part of the game. If you're a Kinect owner, you'll have to get used to using your peripheral vision. The pop up menu shows up on the right side of the screen which you can see without averting your eyes from the vehicle. This is beneficial as any little hitch in the brake or accelerator will cause you some headache with the responsive physics.
The audio is just the beginning, however. With this year’s version of F1 being the most realistic when it comes to physics based gameplay, you really need to utilize some skill while driving. Unlike other racers, you can’t just hold RT all the way in order to drive full speed the entire race. Need for Speed racing does in no way work in F1 2015. Just like in real F1 cars, you’ll spin right out if you floor the accelerator. Success is determined in how well you are able to feather and tap the gas until you get to full speed. To win a race and get the fastest lap time, you’ll need to hone these skills as Codemasters built this year’s game for a more realistic approach than an arcade racer. It’s a welcome change and a challenging one as well. There isn’t too much conversation on the radio between you and your crew chief and the repetitiveness can get old quickly, but using the Kinect definitely helps if you’re not hearing anything and breaks up the silence a little bit as well. Your crew chief is a must use tool as he updates you on your tire condition and strategies to help improve your time based directly on how you are currently driving in the game.
As far as game modes go, F1 2015 lacks some modes that its predecessors had. Career and co-op modes are gone as mentioned, but they did add in a Pro Seasons mode. In Pro, you can choose to take part in full race weekends with the length of the race automatically set to full. All assists and the HUD are off by default while you are forced to race from helmet view with tougher AI opponents. It is definitely more challenging at first, especially if you are not used to the timing difference needed for turning if helmet mode is not your normal camera view of choice. It does take a bit of getting used to, but is by all means worth it as finally winning a race is rewarding at the highest competition. Last year’s 2014 season has moments that you can choose to play as well. These are similar to Madden moments where you will have to race in recreated moments from the 2014 F1 season. For those interested in pure speed, you can also jump into the time attack mode and see just how fast you really are.
As usual, Quick race gives you the ability to instantly play as any one of your favorite racers in any track for a single race. The standard seasons mode is similar to the Pro Season, but you have the option of adjusting your camera view as well as having access to the HUD and other assists. Although the amount of game modes is lacking compared to other years of F1, what is there works beautifully. Full 1080P and 60 fps makes for a realistic racer that we haven’t really seen yet. Simple details like your pit repairs show why. You are able to switch camera views and view your laptop from your crew chief while in the pits. If you switch to the rear view, the mechanic in the back actually ducks so you can see everything in the rear. Little things like this make a huge difference and adds to the realism and immersion that F1 2015 and Codemasters were aiming for in development. It’s not just the cars themselves either. Environmental views such as trees, track barriers all have a realistic approach to them. From far away, yes, the trees look less real than up close, I believe this is by design though because crashes into trees or other barriers leave impact marks on them which remain for the duration of the race as a reminder of your mess up. One odd thing I did notice is related to crashes on the track. Honestly, I crashed more than I would have liked, especially in Pro Seasons. On the other hand, there is no racing under caution. As cool as six cars crashing into each other looks in F1 2015, the race continues as normal with no caution lap or safety car until the crash is cleared. All in all it’s not necessary to have it, but it does detract from the bit of realism that the other additions provide and I found it odd not having it as such a standard inclusion considering how things like the above mentioned mechanics in the pits react.
Another thing I found odd is the crashes themselves. Seeing all the car parts and tires fly all over the track was awesome, but at 150+ mph, even the slightest bump of another car is going to cause some damage. In F1 2015 it was hit or miss and caused either no damage at all or completely decimated the part of my vehicle involved in the collision. While F1 2015 is a simulator first and foremost, it does blend some slightly arcade mechanics fairly well. On the other hand, the inconsistencies like this did impact the realism slightly and left me scratching my head.
The online multiplayer flowed well as far as server crashes go and didn’t really have any exploits that many online racers do. There is the ability to jump the track on turns which allows you to cut off other racers, but that’s about it. You also don’t have to worry about opponents bumping you on a turn if you’re in front of them to spin you out, because the collision has just as much chance to mess up their car as it does yours thanks to the improved physics engine in this year’s installment. Of course, we found some people taking chances and others just out to cause havoc, but for the most part the players involved in the race were seemingly attempting to use skill to win which made for a much more intense experience. You can also race with a friend online in its own mode to ensure you are both in the same race. I found this to be helpful on some of the harder tracks as you can team up against other drivers and leapfrog your way to victory. Screen tearing and lag was non existent in our time playing online and we left with a good impression as the servers seemed to hold up very well.
F1 2015 does suffer from a lack of game modes, but makes up for it with realism of the gameplay that is there. If you're more of a racer that just likes to go full speed all the time, you'll be frustrated pretty quickly and F1 is probably not your game. It’s the best overall F1 game so far and Codemasters was true to its word when they said the new experience was built from the ground up for current generation consoles. Although not revolutionary, it’s a fun and challenging game that will have you both frustrated and excited at the same time with its detail and immersion. F1 2015 is a game for all racing who appreciate the realistic challenges a racing game can present and would recommend you check it out when you get the chance. F1 2015 is available now on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
*Online play was tested prior to the game's launch
