Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Platforms: Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4
Tested on: PlayStation 4
F1 2018 – Review
The developers behind the Formula One games probably started their first elevator pitch with their initial idea of a Formula One racing simulation, which might have hooked some investors, but got all of them hooked when they dropped the ‘annual’ release at the end of it. This means that as long as there’s racing simulation fans, there’ll be a constant stream of gamers screaming: ‘Take my money’ which to be blunt is what every developer wants. Where most developers would state that isn’t the sole reason – though it really is, I’m looking at you Fifa -, Codemasters isn’t confirming or denying said allegation. They aren’t agreeing with it because the lack of aggressive monetization of the racing simulator known as F1 2018, but aren’t denying it by not giving it away for free.
Story
The main ‘story’ campaign revolves around you creating your own custom avatar and starting as a bottom of the barrel racer working your way up as you prove your salt to your team and the world out there. It’s not just about the races themselves, it’s everything to do with it. You have to build out an empire by being an awesome racer, but also a respectful one. So no lashing out at reporters or flipping off other teams/drivers by way of mean tweets. Social media are a thing integrated into video games now, better get used to it.
Most of the narration is done by the racing commenters, but there are some cutscenes where you are explained what’s what and just how things are progressing with your team and your career. In almost every Formula 1 racing game these people come across as immaculately groomed people, a constant keeping up appearances. No harsh accents or rowdy exclamations here. It feels weird, but because it’s been done so consistent in almost every Formula 1 game imaginable, having it any different would feel off.
Graphics
This is where there are some inconsistencies in F1 2018. The cutscenes are very much current gen, but give off a ‘Mass Effect’ vibe, where the eyes give away that the animated person isn’t more than just binary code. It’s in heavy conflict with the actual body language that’s being animated because the developers have that down pat. It’s almost like every person you talk to has their own quirk, like not being able to look you in the eye for more than a split second before looking away. Some characters sit in a certain manner, waving their hands around, gesticulating to make their point come across. These things matter to make the game come to life. If it weren’t for the stiffness of the characters’ cheeks and their hollow eyes, gamers wouldn’t be thrown out of their immersion.
The in-game graphics however are in stark contrast to the cutscenes. From the supporters on the sidelines to the trees, even the fences look jagged and unfinished like they aren’t a part of the scene but merely put on top of it like an extra layer. It’s only visible when the race starts and the camera whisks across the scenery. Luckily you won’t be paying it much mind as you race across maps. It’s not like you’d have the time to pay attention to it as there are races to be won and everything zooms by at quite high speeds.
Sound
The voice actors have done their best which shows because the characters sound life-like. The actual sounds the vehicles make are also on point. Then again, after making Formula 1 games nearly every single year since 1970 and the quality audio technology which is available today, it would be a shame if they couldn’t get that on point.
Gameplay
F1 2018 is a racing simulation game. It comes down to re-enacting the feeling of racing an actual Formula 1 car. The game doesn’t hold your hand, and if you are new to the experience, be ready for a very steep learning curve. It doesn’t do rubber banding at all, and even on the lowest difficulty setting, you’ll probably get your ass handed to you. It’s not so much about putting the petal to the metal and getting the corners just right, it’s about flawless driving, which is a skill that is mastered instead of handed to you. Because of this, however, the game is extremely satisfying. As you try again and again, the sense of accomplishment as you shave another second off your record time on a lap is akin to that of Dark Souls games, in the way that the feeling of actually getting better at it is tangible. So if you are into hard games and love racing simulations then don’t look any further.
In the Career mode, you won’t just be racing on the track, you’ll be doing so much more. You’ll be researching different parts and upgrading your set-up, checking up on the weather to see which tyres are best for the upcoming races,… It’s a lot of micromanaging, and overlooking one thing could mean missing out on that pole position. In this mode you can pick out a team based on your own preferences: do you want a team that pays more attention to your showmanship or more about sportsmanship? If you are new to this game you can just pick a team that is a ‘lower tier’ so you don’t get penalized for not racing the way the team would like you to.
The offline modes might not be your cup of tea if you’ve mastered every track. Then it’s up to you to race against something that’s not so binary and take on other players, though it’s recommended not to just dive into this because your saline levels might just spike and doing so might give you a one way ticket to the nearest hospital, after you’ve wrecked your gaming setup.
Conclusion
F1 2018 is a racing simulator pur sang, it doesn’t hold your hand while whispering sweet nothings in your ears, it tells you to sit down, pay attention and maybe, just maybe you might get out on top. So hold off on putting the petal to the metal and pay attention to the little things. There’s a lot of content to tide you over to the next installment, so even if you skip every other release for the rest of the year, this game both in offline and online content, won’t let you down on the things to do in the game department until Formula 1 2019 comes around.
F1 2018 - Review,
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