F1 2012 Review
F1 2012 is the third title in the F1 series by Codemasters Racing. The new game includes all the tracks, teams and drivers of the current F1 season (2012). As well as this the new instalment introduces a ton of new features and game modes. Including the community based stat collector Racenet. (Released alongside Dirt Showdown) Let’s see how all these new games modes have been incorporated and whether the title can stand up to its predecessors.
Once you’ve undergone the installation and setup process you are greeted with the Young Drivers Test team choice screen. Players of the F1 2012 Demo will be familiar with this. You’re able to choose from three top teams, including McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. Once a choice has been made the game takes you straight to the Abu Dhabi race circuit, in which you have to drive around completing challenges and tasks. We’ve already covered Day 1 and what the Young Drivers Test is all about in our Demo Preview. Click here to read it, if you haven’t already. Day 2 of the Young Drivers test is where you really learn the important facts of racing. DRS and KERS testing comes up on the list, as does wet weather racing and the all-important Qualifying lap around the entire circuit. Dry and Wet runs around the circuit, with unlimited time or laps is also available. This new feature seems a great way of introducing and teaching the novice the basics of F1 racing. It can also be used as a tool for practice, before you get into your career.
Once you’ve completed the Young Drivers Test the game grants you access to the main menu. This is where you’ll notice the first big difference over previous titles. Instead of going with the paddock and interview style layout we’ve become so used to. Codemasters have opted for a more stylish, glossy and overall faster approach. This is a major improvement and will most certainly have impact on not just future F1 games to come, but other Codemasters Racing titles as well. First up on the main menu is Quick Race. This game mode is almost exactly the same as last year instalment; however there are some new features that have been introduced into the mode. One shot qualifying is one of these. It’s fairly self-explanatory, you set up your car, select Go To Track and you get one lap to put in the best time possible. This is perfect for the person who is limited on time, yet does not like where he/she is put on the grid for the race. 5 lap races are also new, these are just races with 5 laps. Nothing more, nothing less. These generally occur after a one shot qualifying session. The main difference though is the removal of the ability to create a full race season. With whatever driver, team and track order you want. This isn’t a massive shame though. It just means you have to keep going back into the menu, setting up the race regulations and driver, track choice. After a while you get used to it and it becomes natural.
Next up on the main menu is Multiplayer. This is also very similar to previous titles. Online, Split Screen and LAN can all be found inside this option. LAN is pretty simple. All that is required are two systems on one network connected to different screens. This means that you’re able to race your friend or family member under the same roof, yet on different screens, and most probably different rooms. Split Screen is fairly self-explanatory. This means that there are two controllers, two people, one system all playing on the same screen. Hence the name Split Screen. Both these options allow the player to race all 24 drivers on all 20 tracks of the 2012 season. Online includes various different game modes. These include:
Overall the Multiplayer feature hasn’t changed that much, but improvements have been made to the design and overall performance of the game mode.
Career is where the game is really focused. The overall concept hasn’t changed that much, however new features have been added to cater for every type of player. It’s also where you’ll find the Young Drivers Test. If you so wish to revisit and go through it again. Career challenge is one of the newest features. It consists of 10, 5 lap races in which the player is able to move up or challenge for a seat change every 2-3 races. The feature is ideal for the person who has little time but wants to fulfil a full Formula 1 experience.
The third feature, aptly given the name career is where you’ll be spending most of your time. It includes all 20 races of the F1 2012 season, and allows you to start off in either the Caterham, Marussia, HRT, Force India or Williams team. You will start off as the second driver, however team mate challenge allows you to advance to a similar or higher level than your fellow driver.
Proving Grounds is where you’ll find all the time trial modes. Most of these have been seen in previous games, however Champions Mode is one of the newer features. You are given seven scenarios to beat or overcome the 6 six world champions on the grid this year. The last is where you take them all on in a 5 lap race around Austin in a Williams. To see if you really have what it takes. This mode is great fun, suit’s every type of player and is a definite alternative to the focused career.
Racenet is the last gameplay feature on the main menu. This is completely internet linked so won’t apply to those who don’t have it. Otherwise, this is where you’ll find weekly challenges posted by Codemasters that you’re able to complete and be compared with friends. It’s highly competitive but also a lot of fun.
There are also a whole lot of new gameplay features that have been added to the franchise. We mentioned some of these in our Demo Preview, so we won’t repeat ourselves. Click here to view some of the features that were discovered in the demo, then check back for any added in the full game.
Pit stop camera: Previous games have let you sit in the cockpit while your team changes the tyres or front wing. However this year’s instalment allows you to watch a panoramic animation of the team while they fulfil their individual tasks.
Communication with Engineer: This has feature has also changed. Not only does the voice sound as though it actually is coming through a radio, your engineer gives you more information, and tips about how to win the race. A handy feature for the novices of the series
Let’s go to the Pros and Cons
Cons:
Pros:
Conclusion
Overall the latest instalment is worthy of the F1 brand. It features great game modes that account for hours of fun and the in game racing has been tweaked so that the experience is now the best ever. There are some minor error that do spoil the experience a little, however they are nothing that a patch couldn’t fix. It’s often thought that the third title in the sequence is always the worst, however Codemasters have broken the trend and have spoiled F1 fans and newcomers to the sport with a great racing game. We definitely recommend a buy, but if you’re still not sure why not download the demo available on all platforms.
Once you’ve undergone the installation and setup process you are greeted with the Young Drivers Test team choice screen. Players of the F1 2012 Demo will be familiar with this. You’re able to choose from three top teams, including McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. Once a choice has been made the game takes you straight to the Abu Dhabi race circuit, in which you have to drive around completing challenges and tasks. We’ve already covered Day 1 and what the Young Drivers Test is all about in our Demo Preview. Click here to read it, if you haven’t already. Day 2 of the Young Drivers test is where you really learn the important facts of racing. DRS and KERS testing comes up on the list, as does wet weather racing and the all-important Qualifying lap around the entire circuit. Dry and Wet runs around the circuit, with unlimited time or laps is also available. This new feature seems a great way of introducing and teaching the novice the basics of F1 racing. It can also be used as a tool for practice, before you get into your career.
Once you’ve completed the Young Drivers Test the game grants you access to the main menu. This is where you’ll notice the first big difference over previous titles. Instead of going with the paddock and interview style layout we’ve become so used to. Codemasters have opted for a more stylish, glossy and overall faster approach. This is a major improvement and will most certainly have impact on not just future F1 games to come, but other Codemasters Racing titles as well. First up on the main menu is Quick Race. This game mode is almost exactly the same as last year instalment; however there are some new features that have been introduced into the mode. One shot qualifying is one of these. It’s fairly self-explanatory, you set up your car, select Go To Track and you get one lap to put in the best time possible. This is perfect for the person who is limited on time, yet does not like where he/she is put on the grid for the race. 5 lap races are also new, these are just races with 5 laps. Nothing more, nothing less. These generally occur after a one shot qualifying session. The main difference though is the removal of the ability to create a full race season. With whatever driver, team and track order you want. This isn’t a massive shame though. It just means you have to keep going back into the menu, setting up the race regulations and driver, track choice. After a while you get used to it and it becomes natural.
Next up on the main menu is Multiplayer. This is also very similar to previous titles. Online, Split Screen and LAN can all be found inside this option. LAN is pretty simple. All that is required are two systems on one network connected to different screens. This means that you’re able to race your friend or family member under the same roof, yet on different screens, and most probably different rooms. Split Screen is fairly self-explanatory. This means that there are two controllers, two people, one system all playing on the same screen. Hence the name Split Screen. Both these options allow the player to race all 24 drivers on all 20 tracks of the 2012 season. Online includes various different game modes. These include:
- Quick Match: Where you’re put into a server with 15 other people to compete in a dry 3 lap race around any circuit, in any car from the current season. The performance of the different teams is kept the same and all cars are equipped with KERS and DRS. This is best for the people who want to be crashed out or, crash out.
- Custom Race: You can either create or join a custom lobby with altered regulations, driving aids, race distance, weekend length, track conditions and track selection. This is better for the person who wants a more serious yet relaxed experience.
- Co-op Championship: This was introduced last year and is very similar to that of LAN and Split Screen. However instead of being on the same network in the same house, you’re able to play with a friend over the online service of your chosen console. You’re able to choose the team and complete a full race season with the option to pause and resume whenever it’s convenient. The aim is to work towards the constructors championship, that obviously involves both of you. However when it comes to the drivers world championship, only one can win. It’s great for serious racing and great rivalry between friends.
- Leaderboards: This is obviously where you’re able to view the leaderboards for the various different challenges available.
- View Invites: Where you’re able to view any outstanding invites to join a lobby or session.
Overall the Multiplayer feature hasn’t changed that much, but improvements have been made to the design and overall performance of the game mode.
Career is where the game is really focused. The overall concept hasn’t changed that much, however new features have been added to cater for every type of player. It’s also where you’ll find the Young Drivers Test. If you so wish to revisit and go through it again. Career challenge is one of the newest features. It consists of 10, 5 lap races in which the player is able to move up or challenge for a seat change every 2-3 races. The feature is ideal for the person who has little time but wants to fulfil a full Formula 1 experience.
The third feature, aptly given the name career is where you’ll be spending most of your time. It includes all 20 races of the F1 2012 season, and allows you to start off in either the Caterham, Marussia, HRT, Force India or Williams team. You will start off as the second driver, however team mate challenge allows you to advance to a similar or higher level than your fellow driver.
Proving Grounds is where you’ll find all the time trial modes. Most of these have been seen in previous games, however Champions Mode is one of the newer features. You are given seven scenarios to beat or overcome the 6 six world champions on the grid this year. The last is where you take them all on in a 5 lap race around Austin in a Williams. To see if you really have what it takes. This mode is great fun, suit’s every type of player and is a definite alternative to the focused career.
Racenet is the last gameplay feature on the main menu. This is completely internet linked so won’t apply to those who don’t have it. Otherwise, this is where you’ll find weekly challenges posted by Codemasters that you’re able to complete and be compared with friends. It’s highly competitive but also a lot of fun.
There are also a whole lot of new gameplay features that have been added to the franchise. We mentioned some of these in our Demo Preview, so we won’t repeat ourselves. Click here to view some of the features that were discovered in the demo, then check back for any added in the full game.
Pit stop camera: Previous games have let you sit in the cockpit while your team changes the tyres or front wing. However this year’s instalment allows you to watch a panoramic animation of the team while they fulfil their individual tasks.
Communication with Engineer: This has feature has also changed. Not only does the voice sound as though it actually is coming through a radio, your engineer gives you more information, and tips about how to win the race. A handy feature for the novices of the series
Let’s go to the Pros and Cons
Cons:
- No Data From Demo: Most modern game developers release a demo on the different platform stores before the actual release of the title. Codemasters Racing is no stranger to this and has already released a trial of F1 2012. However the save data from the demo does not transfer onto the full game. This means that you have to repeat the Young Drivers Test, even though you’ve actually done it. Annoying as its gets in the way of the career.
- FPS issue on PS3 and Minor Errors: Even though the developers state that they had been working to crush the errors of the PS3 system it seems as though there still not quite there. The Frame Rate issue is obvious and can often put you off in the middle of racing. These errors are generally at the start or when an accident occurs, so the majority of the racing is fine. However it’s never nice when the picture is juddery and you often crash because of it. There are also a ton of minor errors that you won’t notice when first playing the title. But discover them when played more regularly. These are of course minor and are nothing that a patch couldn’t sort out.
Pros:
- Handling: In the 2010 game, whenever the back came out it was impossible to save. You could in no way attack the curbs and had stay clear of them completely. In the 2011 game whenever the back came out it was almost too easy to save. Attacking the curbs was no problem and cutting the corner would often occur. Codemasters however, have taken the best bits out of the two titles to create one immense handling system. Certain corners are able to be attacked, however the tighter slower ones will just spin your car. There is no more corner cutting, as a new feature will slow the car down and penalise you for driving off track. The feeling of the car is much more solid. You can feel the car sliding and are often able to control it. However if it gets too far, there is no way you’ll be able to stop it. This accounts for fun and fair racing.
- Realistic Race Incidents: If you play with one of the top teams you won’t notice this as much. However if you play as a Caterham, HRT or Marussia you’ll see that there are plenty of realistic race incidents going into the first string of corners. Front wings will be removed and sometimes full blown crashes will take place. This means that the safety car also comes out on its own, and you don’t have to provoke an accident as much.
- Weather: Codemasters have often been praised for their various weather systems. Well this year they’ve gone even further by introducing Dynamic Weather. This means that it might be raining on one part of the track but not the other. Tyre choice is therefore key and it really keeps you on your toes. As always the visuals are fantastic and the weather affects the handling of the car. Again making enjoyable racing.
Conclusion
Overall the latest instalment is worthy of the F1 brand. It features great game modes that account for hours of fun and the in game racing has been tweaked so that the experience is now the best ever. There are some minor error that do spoil the experience a little, however they are nothing that a patch couldn’t fix. It’s often thought that the third title in the sequence is always the worst, however Codemasters have broken the trend and have spoiled F1 fans and newcomers to the sport with a great racing game. We definitely recommend a buy, but if you’re still not sure why not download the demo available on all platforms.
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