F1 2019 Review: Even Better Than the Real ThingF1 2019

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

F1 2019 Review: Even Better Than the Real Thing

This article was published by Kyle Patrick (@SlipZtrEm) on June 24th, 2019 in the F1 2019 category.

 

[Corsa]

So we think it's on par with Assetto Corsa Competizione regarding physics and sound as both reviews give 4 stars here?

Interesting.
I will have to head to steam this weekend and give it a try.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

So we think it's on par with Assetto Corsa Competizione regarding physics and sound as both reviews give 4 stars here?

No. Here's how our review system works.

 

[neddyie118]

Got my copy ordered today great review by the way

 

[scotwildcat]

Any review that doesn't involve playing two or three full seasons to see if the upgrade paths are broken again this year, and playing the massively popular online modes in real lobbies under real network conditions to see if they're broken again this year, is kind of premature is it not?

 

[JR98]

Any review that doesn't involve playing two or three full seasons to see if the upgrade paths are broken again this year, and playing the massively popular online modes in real lobbies under real network conditions to see if they're broken again this year, is kind of premature is it not?

I think that’s kind of hard to do when the game isn’t even out yet

 

[Northstar]

is kind of premature is it not?

That would be why they do one year later reviews. Although I'm not sure if they will do it for F1 2019 since it's a yearly title.

 

[ThruxtonGT]

Decent, balanced review. The series has been around for a fair while now so the majority of people will know what to expect physics wise. Codemasters do a decent job in my opinion making a game that appeals to a wide spectrum of players.
This however, will probably be the first year that I don’t buy it. Not because of anything that Codemasters did or didn’t do but because I’m losing interest in F1.

There is almost no TV coverage in the UK now on the traditional free to air channels and it’s not exciting enough to warrant paying for a subscription service.
Shame really.

 

[Aaron Lean]

So we think it's on par with Assetto Corsa Competizione regarding physics and sound as both reviews give 4 stars here?

Interesting.
I will have to head to steam this weekend and give it a try.

Both different different games and different motorsports. How can you say one game is more or less realistic than the other unless you drive those vehicles in real life.

 

[Slapped]

So we think it's on par with Assetto Corsa Competizione regarding physics and sound as both reviews give 4 stars here?

Interesting.
I will have to head to steam this weekend and give it a try.

I think the take away here is that the F1 games offer enough physics and feeling to immerse you and make you feel like you're driving an F1 car, but without making the cars overly challenging to drive - after all if you're doing a full 90 minute race you don't want to be binning it every 5 laps.

Having driven all of the main driving sims on PS4 I have to say that while the physics is arguably more accurate in the likes of PC2 and AC, the AI in the F1 series really does the best job of all of convincing you that you are in a race. If there's one thing that Codemasters excels at it's the AI. If you get that AI slider set right for your ability then you'll be going wheel to wheel with the AI and getting almost real world results for the car that you're driving. Plus the AI actually races itself rather than simply forming a polite queue at half second intervals.

Overall I've found that the F1 series offers a damned good balance between driving and racing.

 

[MarcoM]

Will get it this weekend.

I think the AI in Codie's F1 games is rather excellent.

 

[Interstellar9]

There’s the cars of course, with the big-bore F2s sounding quite different in tone to the main acts

Sorry for asking (English isn't my mother tongue) what does that mean? That the F2 cars' engine sounds boring?

 

[evldave333]

Got it pre-ordered, I know im a sucker... but its a fun franchise. I like doing races the same weekend as the season unfolds in real life.

 

[dQuim]

The F2 cars are really great fun to drive. And they are significantly more challenging than the F1 cars. You've really got to be gentle on the throttle or else you'll be over-steering off the track.

 

[Bush_Killa-73]

Surprised nobody is complaining about lack of VR support? Sounds great otherwise though!

 

[evldave333]

The F2 cars are really great fun to drive. And they are significantly more challenging than the F1 cars. You've really got to be gentle on the throttle or else you'll be over-steering off the track.

As a pad user I think I will increase the deadzone slightly to counter this, it really helped with wheel spin on the starts in F1 2018 & RWD in Dirt2 (quite hard to be subtle with the throttle on a pad compared to a foot pedal's amount of travel)

 

[Slapped]

Surprised nobody is complaining about lack of VR support? Sounds great otherwise though!

I could complain, but there's no point really as it was never expected.

Codemasters stock answer in the past has been that "Nobody is interested in VR". I guess they didn't sell as many Dirt Rally VR DLCs as they'd hoped. Also Codemasters business model is to go after the low hanging fruit - they definitely are not an innovative "Build it and they will come" outfit.

The only time we'll see Codemasters get serious about VR is when they have no choice but to include it.

 

[JR98]

Sorry for asking (English isn't my mother tongue) what does that mean? That the F2 cars' engine sounds boring?

I think it basically means the F2 engines are bigger than F1 engines

 

[evldave333]

I could complain, but there's no point really as it was never expected.

Codemasters stock answer in the past has been that "Nobody is interested in VR". I guess they didn't sell as many Dirt Rally VR DLCs as they'd hoped. Also Codemasters business model is to go after the low hanging fruit - they definitely are not an innovative "Build it and they will come" outfit.

The only time we'll see Codemasters get serious about VR is when they have no choice but to include it.

To be fair there have been 4 million vr units sold to date and 90million + ps4 consoles sold, if its only 3% uptake and of that not every vr user will like f1 its understandable... hopefully every game will support it eventually and that will be a tipping point... high price, being tethered and having a limited low def game selection is keeping it niche for now...

 

[slidinsidewayz]

Had it had vr on it i honestly would have gotten then special edition just to have it earlier. Dirt rally vr was by far the most immersive racing ive done on the g29. Ive tried a few other vr games but they just didn't have that feel. Really hoping codemasters does decide to atleast have it as a add-on in future games

 

[Slapped]

Had it had vr on it i honestly would have gotten then special edition just to have it earlier. Dirt rally vr was by far the most immersive racing ive done on the g29. Ive tried a few other vr games but they just didn't have that feel. Really hoping codemasters does decide to atleast have it as a add-on in future games

When it comes to the PS4 I definitely think Sony are holding VR back, despite attempting to push it forward, with their publishing rules - It has to work not only on the PS4 Pro, but also just as well on the woefully outdated original PS4 and that crappy little PS4 Slim which honestly should cost closer to $80 given the ancient tech inside it.

As a result stuff that would easily work in VR on the PS4 Pro can't be published because it simply won't work on the original or slim models. Sony really should relax those rules and allow developers the option to develop VR games or modes specifically for the Pro model.

 

[Simon Balk]

I've played all versions of Codemaster's F1 game upto 2017. Last year I decided not to buy it anymore because I felt like buying the same game over and over again without big improvements/changes. I haven't missed F1 2018 for a second and although 2019 introduces F1 now, I think I'll skip this game for now. Maybe pick it up on the fall.

 

[PzR Slim]

Sorry for asking (English isn't my mother tongue) what does that mean? That the F2 cars' engine sounds boring?

It's an engineering term which means the size of a pipe or hole, usually it's diameter. In this context Slip is using it to say the F2 cars have big exhausts.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

It's an engineering term which means the size of a pipe or hole, usually it's diameter. In this context Slip is using it to say the F2 cars have big exhausts.

Not quite: I'm referring to the bore of the engine.

Though I suppose given that F2 engines are over double the displacement of F1, they're both big-bore and long-stroke in comparison.

 

[Interstellar9]

I think it basically means the F2 engines are bigger than F1 engines

It's an engineering term which means the size of a pipe or hole, usually it's diameter. In this context Slip is using it to say the F2 cars have big exhausts.

I thank you both! That was helpful! 👍

Not quite: I'm referring to the bore of the engine.

Though I suppose given that F2 engines are over double the displacement of F1, they're both big-bore and long-stroke in comparison.

Thank you too! Never thought that it has something to do with the engine!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Great review and I wholeheartedly agree with it. The racing action is some of the best of any racing game experience, and the subtle tweaks to the AI from 2018 are definitely noticeable, I find drivers are a lot more aggressive with attacking and defending slipstreams and aren't afraid of a late brake up the inside. It just seems to nail that edge of the seat racing excitement that disappointingly few games are able to achieve.

I've seen a lot of people unhappy at only getting 3 scenarios in career for F2 at the start. Worth remembering that not everyone who will buy the game, cares or watches F2, so forcing people into a full championship with difficult to drive cars they don't have interest in might be off-putting. That being said I certainly don't thing it would have hurt to have an option of doing it ala WRC games. And the hardcore among us could just do a full F2 championship to appease ourselves at anytime. Which will be worth doing with the full rules, the cars sound amazing and drive brilliantly. I'd go as far as to say one of the best single seat cars I've driven in a racing game.

It still bugs me there isn't a low traction control setting, just goes high, medium and then off. So pad users like me who want more of a challenge but struggle with off have to make do with the slightly too aggressive medium. And ABS is either on or off when other racing games have many settings to make it feel comfortable and with a game like F1, more adjustability there would be good.

But those minor things aside, this is, in my opinion, definitely enough of an improvement over 2018 to justify purchasing. And possibly one of the best racing games of this generation.

 

[lancia delta hf]

Decent, balanced review. The series has been around for a fair while now so the majority of people will know what to expect physics wise. Codemasters do a decent job in my opinion making a game that appeals to a wide spectrum of players.
This however, will probably be the first year that I don’t buy it. Not because of anything that Codemasters did or didn’t do but because I’m losing interest in F1.

There is almost no TV coverage in the UK now on the traditional free to air channels and it’s not exciting enough to warrant paying for a subscription service.
Shame really.

This is why I see F1 dieing and becoming as niche as any other motorsport, how can it attract a new generation of followers with no free TV coverage ? I'm an F1 fan and wont even pay for it. Haven't bought an F1 game since 97 either iirc. I dont get why people buy this every year. Imagine GTS being released every year, people wouldn't buy into it I reckon.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Great review and I wholeheartedly agree with it. The racing action is some of the best of any racing game experience, and the subtle tweaks to the AI from 2018 are definitely noticeable, I find drivers are a lot more aggressive with attacking and defending slipstreams and aren't afraid of a late brake up the inside. It just seems to nail that edge of the seat racing excitement that disappointingly few games are able to achieve.

Yeah, the natural nature of the AI is the unsung hero of this year's game. I've watched Vettel sling it up the inside a few times this season -- and without spinning! One thing that seems to happen in all games is AI freaks out if you cut it off, backing off and opening up a huge gap. Not so here. The sly adjusting up close is very realistic too.

I've seen a lot of people unhappy at only getting 3 scenarios in career for F2 at the start. Worth remembering that not everyone who will buy the game, cares or watches F2, so forcing people into a full championship with difficult to drive cars they don't have interest in might be off-putting. That being said I certainly don't thing it would have hurt to have an option of doing it ala WRC games. And the hardcore among us could just do a full F2 championship to appease ourselves at anytime. Which will be worth doing with the full rules, the cars sound amazing and drive brilliantly. I'd go as far as to say one of the best single seat cars I've driven in a racing game.

I love the F2, but it's a handful on pad (more on that below). On a wheel I'd be inclined to agree with you: its grip is more mechanical than aero like the F1s, and that engine has such character despite being comparatively low-revving.

I didn't want to mention it in the review as it was already quite long, but that was in an earlier draft: the suggestion that there be options to Career Mode's start this year. A "traditional" approach bypassing F2 would satisfy, well, traditionalists, but I could see how that'd also mean a good chunk of the player base might never even try them (and that'd be a shame). A full F2 season could scare people off. The current approach is a nice balance. Ideally the option for all three could exist, but from a game design perspective, I see why Codies stuck with just the one approach, to "force" players to experience the new content.

It still bugs me there isn't a low traction control setting, just goes high, medium and then off. So pad users like me who want more of a challenge but struggle with off have to make do with the slightly too aggressive medium. And ABS is either on or off when other racing games have many settings to make it feel comfortable and with a game like F1, more adjustability there would be good.

But those minor things aside, this is, in my opinion, definitely enough of an improvement over 2018 to justify purchasing. And possibly one of the best racing games of this generation.

Yeah, what's with the lack of low? Medium does make it a little too easy on pad. ABS on or off bothers me less, at least on Xbox, where the rumble triggers make it pretty easy to gauge.

And absolutely agree with the final comment. I'm one of those people that overlooked the F1 games for years because of their perceived narrow focus, but as a racing game 2019 is right there at the top of all titles. It's so engrossing.

 

[MarcoM]

I didn't want to mention it in the review as it was already quite long, but that was in an earlier draft: the suggestion that there be options to Career Mode's start this year. A "traditional" approach bypassing F2 would satisfy, well, traditionalists, but I could see how that'd also mean a good chunk of the player base might never even try them (and that'd be a shame). A full F2 season could scare people off. The current approach is a nice balance. Ideally the option for all three could exist, but from a game design perspective, I see why Codies stuck with just the one approach, to "force" players to experience the new content.

Can you do full championchip in F2, or just single races and timetrials?

 

[Bush_Killa-73]

I could complain, but there's no point really as it was never expected.

Codemasters stock answer in the past has been that "Nobody is interested in VR". I guess they didn't sell as many Dirt Rally VR DLCs as they'd hoped. Also Codemasters business model is to go after the low hanging fruit - they definitely are not an innovative "Build it and they will come" outfit.

The only time we'll see Codemasters get serious about VR is when they have no choice but to include it.

If you speak to enthusiasts on PC it's a different story and it does seem like a stick on feature to at least add post release if not built in for launch. Its more for people with wheels I'd imagine but there's no doubt a lot of people feel they can't go back to boring old 2D flat screens after racing games in VR.

I think I heard someone say they planned adding VR for Dirt 2.0 but I think it's just for PC as current consoles can't handle the improved graphics. If that's the case with a single car rally game then something like this would really struggle.

Hopefully next gen we'll see a proper uptake of VR as it becomes more popular. This gen with PSVR etc the party is really just getting started. But already PC SIM enthusiasts are saying no VR no buy. I'm not one of them but just acknowledging their existence!