F1 2019 Review

Developer: Codemasters

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Reviewed), PC

Genre: Racing, Simulation, Sports

Publisher: Codemasters

If you are a fan of simulation racing games then you are in for a treat with F1 2019. Codemasters has pulled out all the stops to deliver the world of F1 ( and F2) with that real-world feel. This game is close as possible replicable to the real-life experience of F1 driving, I assume. This is the officially licenced game for F1 World Championship.

Layouts, visual and the sound struck me first as I took my car around the Melbourne Grand Prix for a time trial lap. I tried to keep up with ghost car and the race line but I failed awfully, the realisation dawned that I would need to invest some hours to get F1 ready. First impressions were fantastic, from the detail of the car, track and just the sense of speed while driving in the cockpit. The sense of immersion is hard to explain but these come close to the real thing. Tracks are unforgiving and expect a high degree of competence to navigate them. All the Grand Prix tracks from the world are ready to play straight off. Pick your favourite and give it a bash. You can just put the foot down and hope for the best, you have to drive like an F1 driver to compete at any level in this game. It took me a few laps to realise a gung-ho approach wouldn’t work. It took a few hours before I could get a grip of any car I used, to be honest, the slightest mistake is punished. It was relentless and the learning curve is steep but well worth the effort. The gameplay is stunning, I’m not a massive fan of F1 but I enjoyed getting in and trying to be number 1 in each race. This game delivers an experience so well.

The small things – you can tune every detail of your car which is probably more than I would ever do. If you are so inclined, you can customise to the nth degree or just go with the normal setting. I went with the default in the majority of cases. The huds and cockpit display the complex car data in that’s easily understandable and actually useful. Voice commands from your pit, the sound and ambience from the crowd give a real-world feel, it’s hard to feel you are not racing the real thing. Graphics are stunning and every bit of the game is extremely well polished and slick. This gives the authentic feel of being a driver. I don’t have pedals and steering wheel but I’d say they would further enhance the spectacle. Crash damage and collisions affect your performance, 

Careers modes are available where you can pick a team and progress with them throughout grand Prix and title challenges if you want to build a dynasty.  Grand Prix and the single-player modes are where I played most of the game. There are online, solo modes, just play any track you love.

F1 2019 is an immersive and thrilling experience that tries to replicate and succeeds mostly, the teams, licences, tracks and amazing visuals give a real F1 car racing experience. In-depth detail from the car set up to driving styles and the ability to tweak almost everything on the car is mind-boggling. Overall, a real F1 experience backed with everything you expect from a racing simulation game.

Overall: 8/10