Australian Gamer Review :: Formula One CE

australiangamer.com | gamersevents.com | vurp.com

Formula One CE

Reviewed on: Playstation 3
Available on: Playstation 3

Even though it would be easy to say it�s the same as any other racing game, there is something about Formula 1 that makes it a genre to itself. Few racing genres require the same degree of concentration and precision driving.

Players: 1 - 2 Players
Genre:
Release: 2007-03-23

Developer: SCE Studio Liverpool
Distributor: SCEA

Discuss in official forum

View Screenshots

Purchase this game online

view profile

I�ve always loved Formula 1 racing simulators. From way back to Pole Position and Microprose�s Formula 1 Grand Prix, I�ve played a lot of them. I�m not entirely sure what attracts me to Formula 1 racing. It could be that it is considered the pinnacle of racing, or that it is the most challenging and exciting form of racing. Even though it would be easy to say it�s the same as any other racing game, there is something about Formula 1 that makes it a genre to itself. Few racing genres require the same degree of concentration and precision driving. Probably the only type of racing that requires a similar level of precision would be Moto GP. This can, of course, be a huge negative if you�re just in for some fun. On the other hand, if you�re after a truly gruelling challenge, then playing the full career mode of Formula 1 CE with the full race distance (or even half) will certainly meet your requirements.

The one common feature that has always existing in Formula 1 racing games is the very flexible difficulty settings. Developers recognise that not all of us are out to become the next Michael Schumacher, and often provide a large array of options to tune just how much pain you wish to experience. The first option most gamers will reach for is the damage setting. This single setting in Formula 1 CE is both a saviour and a curse. Turn damage on and you�ll crash out of more races than you�ll finish, but if you turn damage off then you�ll likely ruin your own Formula 1 experience. The reason why this is the case is the reason why this game is so enjoyable. Every time you corner, every time your brake, every time you pass you are risking your race. A good move could gain you a win, a bad move will have you nose first into a tire wall. Unlike most racing games which will let you rejoin the race, in Formula 1 your race will be over. Whether it be lap 1 or lap 20, the end result is the same. This is what makes Formula 1 CE a great game. Not losing a race, but the risk of losing a race. The effects of this are amplified towards the end of each race, and even more so towards the end of the season. Your own time investment becomes a serious motivator for taking that last corner a little more easily than you would in most games.

Taking all of this into account, Formula 1 CE does a great job of balancing the game to your own skill level. There are the standard quick race, grand prix and season modes. But there is also a full career mode. The latter is best kept to the real F1 lovers, because it is pretty full on. If you�re just after some fun, you�d best stick to the more basic modes. The main reason for this is that career mode starts you off without a team. You have to prove your stuff as a test driver before you�re even offered a spot in a team. Even then, you�ll spend the first half of your first season as a test driver. Being a test driver isn�t the most rewarding of jobs, but it does give you an opportunity to get some practice in.

Eventually, if you do well enough, you will be offered a second driver position in one of the lowly F1 teams. From there you can finally get into your first Grand Prix. Unlike most games which will have you jump straight to the grid, Formula 1 CE will have you go through the full pre-race schedule. Testing, practice, and all the qualifying sessions. If you�re one of those who are tempted to just skip to the race and make up the time on the track, think again. Assuming you have damage turned on, you will find it almost impossible to claw your way to a podium position from the back of the grid. This isn�t a bad thing, it forces the reality on to you. You have to qualify, and you have to qualify well to even have a remote chance of making the podium. But the challenge in career mode isn�t to get a podium spot in every race, the main challenge in the beginning is just to finish each race. Eventually you will get a deal with a better team, and then you can start eyeing off the podium and eventually a season win.

It is always tempting to turn down the difficulty after failing to qualify in the top 10. It is hard to continually find yourself out of the points. But the worst thing you can do in this game is reach for the �easy� settings. This game is about effort and reward. Putting laps down in practice, and making the most of qualifying DOES improve your chances of winning, but it takes concentration and dedication. This game is about improving laptimes by fractions of a second. It is a thrill of its own to beat your best lap time 20 laps into a race, just to feel that you�ve gotten into the groove. It is one thing that a lot of gamers won�t bother spending time on though, so it is lucky that Formula 1 CE looks after those guys as well. Of course this makes pit stops a bit of a joke. Here you are spending hours trying to whittle down your lap time but when it comes time to pit you�re faced with an almost ridiculous set of button presses which are supposed to represent the pit crew changing your tyres and fuel. This essentially involves pushing Triangle, Square, and X in the right sequence to turn the stop sign, lift the jack and start the fuel, followed by all 4 triggers to take the tyres off and again to put new ones on, and then another arbitrary set of button pushes to get your car going again. It is a jarring experience that is not only unrealistic, but can cost you precious seconds just because you can�t remember which button triangle is. In what is supposed to be a career simulator, I don�t see how controlling the pit crew is relevant to the experience. It only detracts from the realism.

Both the quick race and grand prix modes allow for a more immediate thrill than the more drawn out �hardcore� career mode. In these modes you assume the role of an existing driver and you�re just out there to race. No need for practice, no testing, no qualifying (if you don�t want to), just turn off the damage and drive your way to a podium. This form of the game is far less rewarding if you believe the effort=reward equation, but is also a lot more accessible and involves much less time and patience. Personally I think that if your after something low key and easy to get into like that, then you�re better off looking at another title. Formula 1 CE is as unforgiving as the real deal, and that is the way I like it.

Graphically, Formula 1 CE is a very nice game to look at. Like most racing games, it is hard to get a full appreciation of the level of detail in the game, as you�re spending most of your time with your eyes glued to the guy in front of your nose or that next apex approaching at 250km/h. But if you do happen to put it into the wall, take a moment to enjoy the nice clouds and sunshine. Of course, there aren�t a lot of fancy crash effects and fancy realistic looking damage, you just lose a wheel or two and the race is over. It�s not something you want to be doing too often anyway. But the realistic weather patterns, sun glare and rain are all very realistic and all genuinely add to the difficulty of the game. A classic example is racing a tree lined track like Albert Park late in the afternoon. The city end of the course become very dark and with the occasional splash of bright sunlight, it provides a very realistic feel to the game.

There are plenty of real world tracks to hone your skills on, and there is also an online component if you�ve had enough of the single player modes. As with many games of this style, the online modes are only as good as the opposition allow it to be. All too often you will have some complete tool run you off the road and send you out of the race. It�s not the fault of the game, it is the fault of dickheads.

I didn�t even need to write this review. It really doesn�t matter what I write. Unless you�re a serious fan of Formula 1, this game is going to be a tough sell. It�s actually not too dissimilar to selling Ghost Recon to a Quake fan. If you are a fan of Formula 1 and are after a serious racing simulator, then Formula 1 CE is a challenging and rewarding game which will challenge even the most experienced of racers. If, on the other hand, you�re after an arcade racer, you�re better off with Ridge Racer. One thing worth mentioning before I finish here, is that Sony own the exclusive rights to Formula 1, so you won�t be seeing any competing titles on other consoles. If you want Formula 1, this is the only place you�ll get it.

Discuss in official forum

View Screenshots

Purchase this game online

Final Verdict

Formula 1 CE is a championship simulator. It sounds dull, and if you�re not a fan of the sport then it probably will be dull. Doing test laps over and over isn�t everyone�s idea of a good time, but for the serious F1 enthusiast, it�s a great taste of reality. Whilst there is the flexibility to make the game more �arcade�, it isn�t really in the spirit of the genre.

Pros
Full career mode is a great challenge. Flexible difficulty settings. Great race realism.
Cons
Pit stops ruin the immersion. Not for the casual racer. Online is sucky.