Codemasters Formula 1 2011 Reviewed

Written by Johnathan Bodily

Products - Reviews

Formula 1 2011

Codemaster Studios Formula 1 Reviewed

Formula 1 2011 by Codemaster Studios is on shelves now for the PC, PS3, and XBOX platforms with Nintendo and PlayStation Vita versions releasing soon. Formula 1 throws you into the cockpit of your very own F1 race car.

At boot up you are asked for some basic information, your name, team you'd like to be driving for etc... Your basic start up info for any racing title lately. You are then walked through the basics in your trailer. You've got your Calendar of events which is exactly what it sounds like, you've got a laptop where you get emails from your team, and you've got a helmet option. There are quite a few helmets to choose from, and most likely one to suit just about everyone's personal tastes.

So jump onto your laptop, check the weather, choose your helmet, then hit up the calendar. Choose the event you'd like to race in and fling yourself headlong into it!

So now we are in the paddock, sitting in our F1, we've already checked the weather and it is going to be wet out, so I adjust the F1 a bit, throw on some tires that are rated for a wet track and speak with my team engineer and get the F1 adjusted for the weather. I then head out onto the field for practice, and to complete the practice challenge.

You can run as many laps as you'd like in practice which gives you plenty of time to get comfortable with your F1, get it dialed in, etc... After you've got your practice done, you leave and go back to your trailer. At which point if you are ready to go qualify you just right back over to your calendar and jump into the qualification laps.

Qualification is a timed event, and you literally can keep driving and bettering your time until time has completely run out. I ran until I had about 1:40 left, or just enough time to run a lap and have a few seconds to spare.

After qualification is complete we move on to race day. So my very first race, my qualification was in 14th place. The AI drivers can give you a challenge and will block you given the opportunity. So the race begins, we head up and take a quick 4th place in the madness that is the first 20 to 30 seconds of the race, and is smooth sailing from there, or so I thought. The AI in 5th place is right on my tail the entire race and is keeping my on my toes, and throwing me off just enough to keep me in 4th the entire time.

The overall feel of the game is great, and you Formula 1 fans are going to completely love this title. I actually scored a "Have you tried DiRT 3" trophy in practice, so there is a nice jab there for those of us who wouldn't normally be on a Formula 1 sim.

Codemasters has done a great job with details, the cockpit looks great, and the overall look of the car is fantastic. I am not a big fan of the "people" in the game. They have an almost cartoonish feel about them, but hey it is a game right?

Game play is solid, steering can be a bit tricky but you will get used to it the more you play. It is much like any racing game, it takes a bit to get into the groove and get a good grasp on the feel of the car and the adjustments you make.

The down and dirty details on this game are that it is a great title that Formula 1 fans are going to have a great time with. While I am not a fan of F1 racing, I did enjoy the look, feel, and overall game play.

Looking for a rating for this title? My personal take is if you love racing, and you are a gamer you will enjoy Formula 1 2011 by Codemasters. My overall rating of this game is a solid 7 out of 10. Oh, and don't forget to keep an eye on your tires and your engine while you are out on the track! Wear those tires down and you'll be slipping and sliding the day away until you get into the pits!