F1 2015

Formula 1 as a sport is going through a bit of a rough patch: Mercedes' dominance has driven spectators away, and focus on hybrid engine power at the expense of the noise and spectacle has further alienated fans.

 

F1F1 2015

From: Codemasters
For: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Four stars (out of five)

 

But there is one bright spark to come of this season, and that is the F1 2015 video game.

To say my expectations of this game were low would be a gross understatement.

F1 2014 was a rehashed version of 13 minus arguably the most interesting bits.

Then it emerged that F1 2015 would effectively be a stopgap while Codemasters worked on a new engine for the next iteration, and my hopes sank.

But you know what?

Codemasters has done well with this.

There are some glaring omissions that strike me as sacrifices to meet deadlines, but this is an overall solid package that hits the mark in several key areas.

A racing simulator lives and dies on its handling model.

F1 2015 has really stepped it up.

It's satisfying, yet challenging.

Easy to get the grip of, but tough to master.

The cars feel like they're going fast and can be a real handful in lower gears as the massive amounts of torque are generated, just like the real thing.

When you hit the accelerator, the car squirms out of the corner, which is brilliant.

In past games, the car felt glued to the road and it ruined the immersion.

The AI is challenging but fair, giving you racing room but equally giving you an actual race, which some games such as Gran Turismo fall short in.

What use is a racing simulator if the AI is a pushover?

It would be like playing a shooter in which the enemies didn't shoot back.

Graphically it's a significant step up, especially in terms of frame rate.

Previous games were blockier than Lego in some parts; this time around, everything looks very nice, especially at speed.

The cars themselves, as you'd expect, look immaculate.

Cars from both the 2014 and 2015 season are included, which is a bonus in a sense, but there is one down side as a result of this.

And that down side comes when you decide to try to play the game online.

Now, Codemasters should be commended for trying something new with its online system.

It's ''hopper'' system allows you to search for online matches and then carry on playing other modes of the game.

Great idea, in theory.

The hopper system is also subdivided into three categories based on skill level: beginner, normal and hard-core.

Also a good idea in theory.

Then each category has a further two categories adjusting for race length.

So now the player base is split over six potential lobbies to search in ... then you add in the 2014 season cars and now it's 12.

Twelve separate places to search for a game that are all independent of each other.

It's impossible to find people playing this.

I've been trying every day since launch to play any mode online and have succeeded only twice, both after midnight.

They've spread the player base so thin it's just impossible to find anybody.

I really hope they adjust this, as playing online is fun but I dare say most will give up searching long before they find anybody.

Another oversight is the removal of career mode, arguably the most popular mode in the entire game.

In its place is a new ''Pro Season'' mode where you are forced to race in helmet cam, with no aids, against drivers on Legend skill level, for full-length races.

For fans like me, that's heaven. For your average Joe Bloggs, that's alienating.

I thought this game would be a train wreck, but it actually turned out to be a real surprise.

If you're a fan of F1 then it's a no-brainer, especially if you've suffered through the last season and a-half of watching it on TV.

- Simon Bishop 

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