There are only a few laps to go, the battle is tight. The two contenders for the world title are head to head, the British driver Devon butler looking for an impossible overtaking, it is our front wing that falls to pieces at the expense. We return to the track in position 11, with new tires, but with the race compromised. The stewards, however, inflict a stop & go of 10 seconds on our rival. The race is still open. We have five laps to go and return the favor to our rival. This is the beginning of the career of this F1 2019, a sporting title that, thanks to its technical supremacy and almost total licenses, year after year adds something to an already tested product. The question we will try to answer is, is it worth replacing the old F1 2018, are there any weaknesses in this umpteenth chapter of the Codemaster saga?
F1 2019: LA callerION
Reviewing F1 2019 is a task that may seem easy on the surface, but in reality it is not at all. In fact, the title is the latest chapter in a very famous sports simulation saga. A title that over the years has found its equilibrium, its tested mechanics, its exact location and which can be clearly seen by upsetting them. Aware of having a perfect car in your hands, just to make a comparison of F1, let's say one Mercedes, undisputed leader of the world, the developers have decided to navigate in safe waters, implementing small changes and tweaking the details just enough to push us to buy the new chapter.
The result is a solid, fun, complete and well-finished game, but which, like the real Formula One, risks giving the impression of being excessively conservative. There are some news, even interesting ones, but the general impression is that of being in front of a great update of F1 2018, a graphic and technical restyling that perhaps, with a little more courage, could have become a memorable pearl. The time of philosophy is over, however, fasten your helmet well and prepare your steering wheels, because you are going on the track.
TRUE INNOVATION: FORMULA 2
The real novelty of this season, as anticipated in the opening of the piece, is linked to the introduction of the formula 2. This interesting category, forge of talent for F1, is in fact what in the NBA 2K series is “the prelude” or an introduction to our adventure in the top flight. We will no longer arrive in the top championship as complete strangers, but as drivers of one of the drive academy. This affiliation will allow us to have advantages with certain teams over others. A Ferrari academy driver, for example, will have natural outlets in Alfa Romeo, Haas and Ferrari. A Mercedes driver in Williams, Racing Point and the home of the three-pointed star. Obviously we will be able to choose to race for any team, but with different advantages in terms of development and visibility.
Formula 2 cars are all identical, and their physics are totally different from that of their bigger sisters. The result is fun and never predictable, with rules different from those you are used to. There is in fact a single practice and qualifying session, there is the Feature Race, a long race with mandatory pit stops and there is a Sprint Race, a race with overturned grid positions. Although in the career there are only short segments of Formula 2, useful to outline our driver profile and to make us familiar with the first rudiments of the game, in the menus we will be able to play an entire championship or single races, with a fun that is almost greater than what is proposed in the maximum championship.
CHALLENGES FOR ALL TASTES AND AN ALWAYS SATISFYING GAMEPLAY
As per tradition, F1 2019 also offers numerous game modes. There Career is obviously the queen of the title. In this mode you will have to make the climb to the world title, starting from Formula 2 and from the ranks in the minor teams, focusing on the development of the car, on relations with the press and with rivals, and becoming legends. There is also a large component mutliplayer, with the intention of involving the public in the reality of esports as is already the case for the Fifa series. It is possible to compete in individual GPs, timed timed trials, trying to climb the world rankings on the individual tracks. The historic cars available have been expanded and it is a pleasure to go from the racing cars of the 70s, 80s and 90s, to get your hands on the Ferrari that has enshrined Schumacher in the elite of the strongest drivers of all time.
The gameplay is solid, not too different, in terms of sensations, from what was achieved with F1 2018. The developers, and here we return to my introduction, have now found their perfect place in an ideal middle ground between simulation and arcade. The game has simulation elements that never result in maniacality. Playability and emotion are always the basis of the title, which in fact returns immediate feedback that can be used by all. The scalable help system allows experts and newbies alike to enjoy the title in equal measure. From this point of view it has been chosen, for some time now, to penalize purists and technicians, who obviously can turn to other shores, but to aim at the target of all those enthusiasts who want to immerse themselves in F1 enjoying its most spectacular aspects. . As for the controls, although the steering wheel is the best and recommended choice to enjoy this title to the fullest, it must be admitted that even with the simple joypad the sensations are satisfying and enjoyable. Feeling the vibrations increase in parallel with the deterioration of the tires is always damn exciting, as is controlling a car that is now unmanageable in the last laps of a tiring race.
THE TECHNICAL SECTOR AND OUR CRITICAL DUTIES
Technically speaking, the game is simply fantastic. The work done with theEGO Engine 3.0 it is remarkable, and gives us a graphically satisfying title without ever compromising the framerate. The liveries, the personalizations of the pilots and of every single element relating to the current and historical circus, is treated in a maniacal way and returns a truly amazing experience. Even the effects related to the weather, rain, dynamic weather are very well realized and I assure you that racing among the water clouds raised by F1 is extremely difficult and electrifying, giving a good idea of what the drivers are experiencing in those moments. Everything finds its sublimation in historic cars. Hearing the singing of a turbo engine or a Ferrari of the '70s, of Senna's McLaren Honda, of Nigel Mansell's Williams Renault, is a wonderful sensation that cannot fail to excite new and old F1 fans.
If F1 2019 were a game in its own right, we would only have to peel our hands for its beauty. Unfortunately it is not, and the judgment cannot ignore it. This title would indeed have aspects on which to be improved, but they have not been touched. As for the career story and the use of the media, the characters are always very "flat", there is no real empathy and stereotypes dominate. The real interactions between drivers are missing, all that contour that could make the title epic. Real pilots also lack recognition. Each driver has his own driving style, has peculiarities that make him different from the others. It is a pity, for example, not to have a Verstappen more combative and with a guide to the limit than the average, or a Raikkonen constant and conservative with tires or a Ricciardo strong in braking. The pilots, net of the dichotomy spectacular / sporty they are all the same, and all seem to be driven by an AI with kamikaze tendencies, even at the definitive level (110). Having opponents who systematically hit you in braking as soon as they see even a small crack is frustrating and undermines the beauty of the good things proposed. This criticism, perhaps too strong, is the result of the enormous expectations that this series has created over the years. A series in which, by now, we cannot be satisfied with anything other than excellence.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
F1 2019 remains a must have title for all F1 fans. The graphic and technical sector is sublime and the introduction of Formula 2 is a novelty that will be absolutely appreciated by all the fans. The simulation system with scalable aids, marked by immediacy and spectacularity, does its job very well and returns an exciting and satisfying title. Simulation purists know this will never be their title and this chapter is no exception. There is no lack of sore points, we would have preferred a greater recognition of the driving styles of the various drivers, more realistic interactions in the paddock and with the media, but on balance the game is solid and full of ways to spend pleasant hours. Historic cars are the icing on the cake of a title that cannot fail to be promoted to very high marks thanks to its consolidated maturity.
Version tested on PS4 pro, thanks to the complimentary press copy provided by: Codemasters
