10/10/2011
FEATURE BY MAT COCH
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Ploughing into the first turn with both front wheels locked and your eyes closed probably isn't how Sebastian Vettel does it, though it's about all I could manage short of hiding behind the sofa.
Normally I'm a dab hand when it comes to video games, especially racing games, but there was clearly something wrong here. I was slamming the brakes on hard, throwing the car at the apex and expecting it to stick like muck to a blanket like most games encourage you to, but suddenly I was sailing past the apex, getting a good look at the exit kerb before sliding off into the scenery having left most of my Pirelli rubber on the road behind me.
It's one of the first things that strikes you about F1 2011, the latest offering from Codemasters in its Formula One series. Rather than hurling the car about with brute force the game is more simulation based, meaning with that approach you'll be seeing more Armco than Ukyo Katayama. Instead a deftness of touch is required, a subtle correction here, perhaps a dab of opposite lock to control the slide there. The handling of the cars has changed markedly since F1 2010, the first game of the series. More nervous and racy this time around, you're clearly at the wheel of a thoroughbred racing car which needs accurate and deliberate input.
Clearly targeted at the hardened Formula One fan, the game has steered away from the crash and bash titles like the Need for Speed series. This is a proper simulation, which can be dialled up or down depending on your mood. Only the 24 cars from the 2011 Formula One teams are available, and just nineteen circuits, Bahrain having been omitted in the game as in real life.
On the face of it the game is therefore comparatively shallow and niche, throwing you in at the deep end rather than warming you up through junior categories with less powerful machinery. It proves a steep learning curve, one I must suggest is near vertical and therefore too alienating to new players. A range of driving assists can be turned on or off to tailor the difficulty, as well as simulation options like tyre wear, fuel effect, and even damage but it can make for some frustrating moments when, on a hot qualifying lap, you are a little too optimistic with the throttle and bury the nose of the car in the barrier. Or worse, you miss your braking marker and punt the Lotus ahead off into the weeds, demoting you 10 grid slots.
The penalty system employed is realistic if at times a little harsh. More than once as I recovered from a spin, well off the side of the circuit, I was penalised for dangerous driving and given a 10 second penalty. I was also warned about unfair blocking when the nearest car was exiting the pits well behind me. Is it coz I is Australian?
The bugs which plagued wheel-to-wheel racing in F1 2010 have therefore not been totally eliminated, but at least now drivers can bang wheels within reason without fear of being penalised. Go too far however and you'll be on the wrong end of the stewards judgement, first with a penalty and if you step over the line too far, disqualification. Reckless driving is therefore frowned upon, unless you turn the flag rules off and head in for a bit of demolition derby.
Large incidents, the sort that block the circuit or leave a car stranded, are now addressed with a Safety Car. It's been long called for and the subject of gamers complaints for years as a glaring omission from most, if not all, Formula One games. Papyrus managed it in the mind 1990's with their Indycar series, and EA Sports have managed it successfully with its NASCAR series, but it's always been missing from a Formula One title. That is until now, when the thundering Mercedes V8 neutralises the field in the case of a suitably sized shunt. The Safety Car won't come out and ruin your 3 lap sprint for the flag, the default 'short race' option. Instead you'll need to be competing in a 20% or greater distance event, races which tend to last about 15 minutes.
Like much of the finer details of the game, the race length is adjustable; from 3 lap sprints to a 100% distance Grand Prix, including all three practice sessions and your standard three-phase qualifying on Saturday afternoon. How you race is up to you too, with a number of options lending themselves to a pick up and play style game while allowing us to sit down with our little black books and keep track of all the technical changes we make to the car over the course of a weekend, season or career.
In single player the career is the most interesting mode. Beginning your first season at the bottom rung of the ladder you're offered a contract with Williams, Force India, Virgin, Lotus or HRT. From there, your on track performances dictate where you go, with the idea being that by the end of your five year career you'll be at the wheel of a Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull.
Perhaps the only drawback is that, despite being the sequel to F1 2010, the career mode from the original game doesn't carry through, forcing you to start from scratch once more. Having put in the hard work at HRT last year, you're set for another long, hard slog this year.
Codemasters have also come up with a particularly interesting co-op mode when playing online. You and a friend can sign on to be teammates over a season, with the task of claiming the constructors' title. As teammates you're also racing each other, instilling the same pressures, considerations and mentalities evident in the real world of Formula One.
Online racing is one of the game's strengths, and one can't help but feel where the game has intentionally been aimed. The Xbox 360 version we tested came with a VIP pass clearly with the sole intention of having us play online, where you can race up to 15 other gamers from around the world, with the remainder of the 24 car grid padded out with computer controlled cars.
Graphics-wise the game is top notch. While racing, the scenery is incredibly detailed, with reflections off the cars bodywork adding that extra sparkle, and around Monaco you can see marshals leaning over the guard rail with a yellow flag in hand. Most impressively is the subtle movement to the front wing as you bound carelessly over the kerbs, the carbon fibre flexing under the strain as it would in real life. This is more obvious with the Red Bulls, apparently. The detail allows you to immerse yourself in the game and be captivated as you pound around faithfully recreated circuits. Even India has been impressively detailed, despite the circuit not being complete yet, making for one of the biggest challenges as you struggle to remember which way to turn next. And if that doesn't keep you busy enough you've got both KERS and DRS at your fingertips, adding further spice to the already frenetic racing.
Radio chatter from your engineer is informative, adding to the sensation that you're really in the cockpit yourself. "Turn the engine down to mix one," he'll advise, or suggest waiting a moment in qualifying as there is too much traffic on the circuit. After the race the game mimics drivers pulling in to parc ferme. If you do well the video is of you dancing about on top of the car, like Seb and co. Alternatively, if you do poorly, it shows you having an angry discussion with your engineer, who proceeds to take the anger out on the camera man by manhandling him out of the garage.
There are still bugs however. I found cars simply appearing as if by magic as I rounded flat-out turns, making for some hair-raising moments. Also, too often drivers like Jamie Alguersuari and Sergio Perez dominate weekends. At Silverstone, Perez claimed pole and was running away with the race, followed by Massa, Barrichello and Paul di Resta. Vettel and Webber were back in the pack mixing it with the Renault's while Alonso was nowhere to be seen. It makes the game, which has angled itself so ferociously at being a simulation, somewhat less believable and does detract from the whole experience. It also means that if you're consistently at the front you will get the added bonus that your usual rivals fortunes will flag in the breeze at some events, when the Saubers become your biggest threat for the podium leaving Red Bull to scrape a points finish.
All that said however, I can say with some conviction that this is probably the most realistic Formula One game since Geoff Crammond's series for the computer some decade or so ago. It's far from perfect but it gives you enough of an insight in to how challenging a Formula One car is to drive on the ragged edge. To get the most out of it too you'll want a force feedback steering wheel. With the Xbox controller it's far more difficult to be accurate and precise with your input, while trying to operate DRS, KERS and change gear is best attempted only by the dexterous.
Initially frustrating but ultimately rewarding, F1 2011 is a notable improvement on its predecessor, but still doesn't grab the player's attention and hold it like other titles (the Forza or Gran Turismo series spring to mind). For hard nosed F1 fans this is a must have game, however, one can't help but feel it won't win the sport any new fans. If you can hold off for a few months it's likely you'll be able to pick the title up on the second hand shelf as casual players succumb to the early frustrations and trade it in for something else.
As for me, well I'm off to Germany to continue my run of five consecutive victories. Rubens Barrichello, on the other side of the garage, is beginning to feel the heat while my agent tells me other teams are interested in my services for next season. Now, if you'll excuse me, Ted Kravitz wants a word ahead of opening practice.
Check out our gallery of screengrabs from the game, here.
To check out previous features from Mat, click here