➤ F1 2018: the review 🎮

Speed is a fascination that is difficult to resist, from an early age. It is no coincidence that there are many cartoons that see the protagonists of cars, just as it is no coincidence that over the years films and television series dedicated to the myth of two and four wheels have entered the collective imagination. The videogame industry has long since succumbed to this temptation, of which the driving simulations: if we try to think of the video games of the past that we remember with greater affection, it is difficult that there is not at least one similar to the racing genre. The coexistence between titles with an arcade soul and other more simulative ones has always satisfied all kinds of palates, including those of lovers of formula 1, emblem of four-wheeled speed. Old institutions like 2 Grand Prix have given way to what is currently the F1 series in the hands of Codemasters, now at work on it for almost a decade. While the real championship is experiencing its moment of summer break, the virtual one starts right now: we just have to get back on track, to see if F1 2018 manages to get to the finish line.

The modalities: an increasingly important career

Having now put aside the misstep made with the 2015 edition, F1 2018 presents itself with the ambition to enrich and improve the scaffolding built with its predecessors. We had the opportunity to take a look at the various news already a few weeks ago, but at this point it is necessary to put order in this year's proposal by Codemasters. So let's start from the modalities, among which the Career has now assumed a central role: without making any changes, the developers have worked both on the role of the experience and on the technical one, in particular on the research and development section. As usual, we start with the selection of the physical appearance of our driver among some predefined models, and then choose the team to be part of: the choice remains free from the beginning, thus allowing our rookie to immediately enter the teams of points, but taking into account the ambitions of Mercedes and Ferrari very different from those of those who do not fight for the title.

The pressure is bound to increase with the introduction of the journalist Clear, present in the paddock to ask us questions between one session and another of the race weekend. Our response, to be provided within one time limit, must be well thought out as it can influence the relationship we have with our team. Taking all the credit for a win without giving due credit to those behind the scenes can, for example, upset a specific part of the team, which will make things more complicated when we need it to improve the car. Taking a sporty attitude or a grumpy star can also determine the relationship we have with the other teams, thus making them more or less willing towards us when we go knocking on their door. Additional pepper is added by being able to choose your own rival among the drivers present in the championship, thus making a sort of declaration of war on the chosen one. Moving on to the research and development part, the setting based on experience points remains, which can be accumulated by hitting certain objectives driving our car. The dynamics governing technological updates have been revised to respond to the diversity of each team, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of each of them in the real world. An aura of uncertainty about progress has been added with the introduction of the so-called "fog of war" on research specialization trees, but above all by the changes in regulations which have now become an essential aspect even in reality. At a certain point in the season and in the development of the car, it will be possible that some of the work done will become prohibited in the following season, so it will be necessary to decide whether to spend resources to adapt it in view of the changes or not. The tactic to build your prestige therefore also passes from here, bearing in mind that in order to meet the demands of players Codemasters has decided to provide a general mode of execution of the updates faster. Going to take a look at the other modes, we find the Time Trial, the Championships, the Events and the online multiplayer. The latter has been enriched with the modality "Super License", where the most experienced players will be able to compete with each other by finding opponents who come close to their driving skills. The classification system should also ensure that you compete with people of similar conduct to ours. Given that the release of F1 2018 in stores has not yet taken place, it has unfortunately not been possible for us to test the sector online.

The driving gameplay

The racer soul of F1 2018 requires that all the contours mentioned so far be supported by a driving system capable of satisfying the player properly. Starting from an initial arcade vocation, over time Codemasters has been able to make its series suitable for all needs, shining in this sense for its scalability. Driving aids can be chosen from a series of pre-configured levels, which can still be modified to your liking to determine whether to get more or less help when braking and so on. The protection system Halo, placed in front of the cockpit of each single-seater since 2018, it can be partially deactivated in order to prevent its vertical element from obstructing the player's view. As for the driving sensations, the most important changes concern the physics of suspension and chassis, able now to react in a more complex way than in the past. The work of Codemasters was in fact aimed at giving every curb and every solicitation a tangible feedback on the player's guide, particularly appreciable if you have a steering wheel for playing. The normal controller continues to do its job, but to fully enjoy the high identification factor of F1 2018 it is necessary to have a seat that simulates the real driving system as much as possible. For the most demanding players in terms of contact with reality, the developers have also changed the parameters that regulate the temperature of the tires, opening up to different tactics for their use in the race. Finally, let's not forget the possibility of manually managing the sistema ERS, using the special menu available in the race: on the one hand this adds to F1 2018 a further contact with reality, allowing at the same time to count on another element that makes the races more varied and exciting. As in the previous edition, the artificial intelligence behaves quite well, being combative at the right point as long as there is a possibility of maintaining the position but still being careful not to end everything in a game of Destruction Derby.

The graphics: like on television

Following the same philosophy applied to the other aspects of the game, the developers have also contributed to the technical sector of F1 2018 tangible improvements, but not particularly revolutionary. The impression you get at a glance is that of a EGO Engine pushed to the maximum of his abilities, or at least close to them, obtaining a remarkable visual impact even when the weather conditions are bad and fog appears. The available views are so many, suitable with their characteristics to satisfy every type of player: with the use of the anti-Halo remedy already mentioned, even the very first person is pleasant, always giving the player a way to maintain control of the car. even at high speeds. On PlayStation 4 Pro we did not find the tearing defects and slowdowns of a year ago, but in the presentation phases of the tenders we have witnessed in some cases a loading textures happened a little late. Generally speaking, the impression is that Codemasters wanted to give F1 2018 a more identity film, enriching it with elements intended to introduce us to the interior of the paddock and to contribute to the presentation of each race. It goes without saying that the detail for each car that makes up the current championship has been maniacally recreated, updating the appearance of the cars and circuits to the most recent ones. The increase in races and the alternation of the championship tracks make us lose the Malaysian GP, returning instead to France at the Paul Ricard Circuit and in Germany in that of Hockenheim. The sound effects of the single-seaters are as we expect them from a title that focuses on driving identification. Finally, for lovers of the past, the fleet of historic single-seaters has been enriched with some new features, including Niki Lauda's Ferrari 312T.

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store Price 54,99 € / 69,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

9.0

Readers (33)

9.1

Your vote

F1 2018 continues the excellent work started by Codemasters after the not so brilliant F1 2015, continuing to put bricks on a foundation that has in the meantime become more than solid. The additional details introduced in the Career mode promise to keep the player even more glued to the seat, while the gameplay changes give further depth to a driving system that is now able to satisfy both those looking for an immediate experience, and those who want to focus on the simulation. The excellent graphic rendering helps make F1 2018 a simply unmissable game for all Formula 1 fans.