FORMULA 1 2017

EACH iteration of the Formula 1 series seems to be showing a steady incline in quality, with the exception of last years installment – Formula 1 2016 – which was a drastic improvement over the wholly disappointing Formula 1 2015.

This year’s Formula One season saw a massive change in car regulaations, which has resulted in bigger cars with wider tyres and improved aerodynamics. In absolute layman’s terms, this means that the cars are faster, but much heavier. Codemasters has immediately embraced this new standard, bringing all that extra mass, grip, speed and every other quirk and Formula One idiosyncracy into what is shaping up to be the best in the series so far - Formula 1 2017.

While this game is certainly a more iterative improvement over the previous – nothing like 2016’s dramatic improvement over its predecessor – there are a slew of minor and major changes that elevate the game to an even greater degree of realism and visceral fun. What is immediately apparent is that all the tracks appear more vibrant and realistic than ever, and the desaturated tones that have plagued Codemasters racing games for many years seem to have finally been trashed. The grass glows a rich, deep green, the skies an azure blue, and everything in between has taken on a more lifelike aesthetic than ever before. This is certainly a beautiful-looking racing game.

The research and development system has also seen a large overhall, with the RPG-like tree system being broadly expanded out across over 100 individual upgrades. You will always be trailing other teams in some aspects and beating them in others. Driving for Red Bull, you may focus almost exclusively on power unit upgrades to try and get back on a level with Mercedes and Ferrari. If this level of micro-management is too much, you can always ask for your engineer’s recommendations.

Reliability throughout the season is also a real issue now as we need to manage wear on key car components over the course of the year. The older a part is the more prone to failures it will be. Maybe your turbo will go on the fritz one day. Or perhaps you won’t be able to select lean fuel mode the next. The great thing is that it never really feels unfair, just authentic.

F1 2017 is certainly an improvement right across the board. I would even go as far to say that F1 game fans would be doing themselves a disservice by not picking this one up. A definite recommendation.