At a glance...

F1 2011 review

Last year was a big test for Codemasters Birmingham. After years of neglect of the Formula One licence they needed to do something special get us all interested again, make us believe that a video game based on the world's premiere motorsport was worth getting excited about once more. Thankfully they delivered, but it was only the first test because now, just one year on, they need to demonstrate why we should buy it all over again.

It was clear from the outset that Codemasters didn't want this to be a by-the-number upgrade, something even FIFA - which had a bad reputation for this in the past - has aimed to avoid in recent years. Of course, it was hard for them to do a simple update anyway due to the number of changes to the sport this year. There's KERS, the electric motor which charges up under braking and provides a video game-inspired boost button, and DRS - or the Drag Reduction System - which let's cars reach higher top speeds to aid overtaking, but only on specified parts of the track, and when you're close enough to the opponent in front. There's a brand new circuit in India, and due to sharing the duties of the German Grand Prix, the Nürburgring track takes over from Hockenheim this time around.

And then there's the switch to the Pirelli tyres. They've probably had the biggest impact on the sport itself this year, delivering more dramatic racing, even if a certain energy drink-sponsored whizzkid had the title wrapped up all too easily. This year's racing, particularly in China and Canada, has been some of the most exciting in years, putting in even more pressure on Codemasters to get the new tyres right. On the whole they have succeeded, with tyre type choices being more meaningful this year due to a noticeable difference in performance between the 'Option' and 'Prime' compounds. It makes your pit stops more important, allowing you to come up with innovative strategies to outwit your more conservative AI opponents. Tyre performance will noticeably drop off in longer racers; in a race run at 50% of the regular distance I could barely keep my car with its overused option tyres on the track in the final lap, sacrificing my podium position in the process. The infamous 'marbles' - bits of rubber that have come off the tyres as they degrade over the course of the race - are present and correct, and you'll certain notice an impact on handling if you go off the racing line and pick some up.

So the tyres are there, and have the desired impact on your driving, but do they actually make the races more exciting? Well, to be fair, the races in F1 2010 weren't exactly boring, and a human player’s ability to out-think the computer controlled cars allowed you to create opportunities not seen in the real races. But putting together KERS, DRS and the new tyres there's definitely more chance of making progress later in the races, or to losing positions too, where previously it was just a matter of not messing up right at the end. To allow you to get the most out of the developing situations the engineer has become more important this year and will not only advise you of when to pit, or remind you for the 100th time that you can't overtake under a yellow flag, but also to tell you when a car in front is on slower tyres so you know you can make a last minute push and dial up the engine a bit. The new 'swipe' overlay that you can toggle on and off the right-hand side of the screen also makes it easier to assess strategy; it'll tell you how warm your tyres are, where you car might be damaged, or what position you would likely come back out in if you were to pit at that moment. As Formula 1 has become more strategic, so has F1 2011, and these additions should keep the more hardcore fans happy.

There's also been a bit of an overhaul in the handling, which seems to make the feeling of driving around the track more enjoyable, and encourages you to push and take risks. It's easier to find where the edge of the grip is and to recover when you feel the car about to spin. Last time you could hit the curbs and find yourself the wrong way round, now there is more opportunity for matching the almost-but-not-quite corner cutting we see the drivers perform in real life. All these factors make longer races more appealing, and I'd certainly encourage giving a few 50% races a go. A 100% distance race is still something for the most hardcore, not least because you need at least an hour and a half of continuous free time (and that's assuming you don't restart!), but it certainly won't be a lonely and boring slog if you are brave enough to try it.

For those with only a casual interest in racing games, or possibly even the sport itself, things like matching the tyre performance might not mean all that much. After all, if you're not putting in laps which are fairly consistent, then a few tenths shaved off here or there with fresh tyres, KERS or DRS isn't going to mean an awful lot to you. Neither are changes in handling or better engineer communication. Keeping the experience authentic, with the 2011 track and drivers, you probably do care about, but what you will be interested in are the improvements to the multiplayer which are something that everyone can enjoy. Following its addition to the EGO Engine in Dirt 3 we have the return of split-screen racing in F1 2011, which means you can now have two player battles in your living room. There's also a new co-op campaign mode which allows two people to race together as team-mates through the course of the season, aiming to win the constructors' title together as well as battling for their own drivers' championship. It's only playable online, but it is a great addition that allows friends who are fans to share the experience.

The regular multiplayer experience has been given a big boost this time around too. Last year there were 12 player races, but this year it has moved up to 16 players, and if it's a full Grand Prix then there will be a further 8 AI drivers to give you the full grid of 24 cars. That makes for some hectic online action, especially if you just join a random lobby with a range of skill levels; race starts are completely mad (and fun) when people don't really know what they're doing! Thankfully the skill gap doesn't hinder your ability to get anything out of multiplayer; as in single player there are objectives based on your rank and the car you're driving. Beat these and you'll move forward, so getting a podium in a Team Lotus car is much better rewarded than getting a second place in a Ferrari. Custom Grand Prix allow you to set up races how you want to, if you're looking for a less chaotic and more realistic experience I suggest hooking up with some friends, or at least some similarly-skilled players. In the Quick Join options the Sprint (3 lap race), Pole Position (just qualifying), Endurance (20% length race), and Grand Prix (15 minutes qualifying followed by a 7 lap race) modes also return.

Of course, Time Trial and online leaderboards are present and correct, but there's also a new Time Attack mode which gives you a challenge across 6 tracks. Each one is set up in certain conditions (including Montreal in the wet, Button fans), and you can earn Gold, Silver and Bronze medals on each, with the time combined and then compared online. This means you don't have to excel at every single track to be better than your friends - if you can nail Spa but not Monza, then you might still be on top.

One of the most requested features by the game's community (and us) after playing F1 2010 was the inclusion of the safety car, so it was very pleasing to see it's inclusion in this year's edition. It plays such an important part in race strategy, and now if you race with a distance of 20% or more, the safety car can appear when a major pile-up occurs on track. Or if the safety car can't get round then a red flag might be waved, suspending the race, also a new addition for this year. The current implementation is a little bit limited as it will always only last for a couple of laps, and it's unfortunately a little hard to make a jump at the restart as the game automatically slows you down if you're getting too close to the guy in front while the safety car is out. That said, it will still bunch up the field which can make a big difference in some of the longer tracks, and while you may not be able to make an immediate jump, you might be able to do it across the course of the next lap, especially if you manage to keep your tyres warm. You won't get safety cars coming out if it gets too wet, only if there is an incident blocking the way, although we're not sure that bringing it out for the weather would really work in a video game.

Still missing, unfortunately, are the podiums, but at least the parc ferme celebrations are now present, so getting a Top 3 finish actually gives you something more than simple results screen. Seeing your virtual representation celebrating along with big name drivers such as Vettel and Hamilton gives you a great thrill, so we hope that next year we'll get to go up in front of the crowd, mount that top step and hear the national anthem.

The A.I. has improved this time around, so simply putting the car in front and braking early at corners to scare them off isn't going to work any more. They will attack in to the corners, and push you aside (and not just the virtual Lewis Hamilton, either) without actually breaking the rules. And that's one thing that could do with more work; at the moment the A.I. don't feel quite aggressive enough to cause real trouble. If there's a major incident on track, such as a crash that brings out the safety car, or two drivers knocking their front wings off, it probably involves you. It would be good to take advantage of more fighting between drivers as we've seen on track this season. However, as stated before, the A.I. is gunning for it a lot more now, and feel like more of a challenge for reasons other than lap times. The start of the race is particularly exciting as all the drivers jostle for position, and the A.I. drivers will sometimes make mistakes and fly off the track, particularly when caught out by the weather.

Talking of the weather (as we British often do), brings us nicely on to, well, the weather, which looks particularly stunning this year. When the rain is streaming down, the game is at its closest to looking like real-life, but even in the dry the changes to lighting and the colours make it appear noticeably better than F1 2010. Car and track detail was already high, but it's good to see small additions in things such as the tyre marbles as the tyres break up, a more obvious dry line forming on track when the rain stops, and accurately modelled steering wheels for each team. These things might not mean much to the casual player, but for those of us who watch Formula 1 week in, week out, those little things can make all the difference. And F1 2011 is full of them.

Those who bought F1 2010 will be wondering if it's worth shelling out for a new edition each year. We can't vouch for future editions, but F1 2011 has certainly taken a step up which should make it worthwhile. Bugs have been squashed, multiplayer has been expanded, and the racing feels even better. But it's also the addition of KERS and DRS and the new tyres that makes the game a significantly different offering, and it's hard to go back to the previous game once you've sampled these new features.

With all those changes and additions to the sport, the difficulty of the game seems to have gone up a bit this year. While the races themselves have been altered by the changing tyres, it's the practice and qualifying which has changed more considerably. Trying to get a fast lap-time requires you to make the most of KERS and DRS, and so some will struggle at difficulty levels they were comfortable with last year. We come back to asking whether F1 2011 is a game for those with a casual interest in the sport, and we think it most certainly is. Partly because as with all Codemasters racing games, the difficulty level is highly customisable - you can have the most challenging A.I. drivers but still keep traction control and automatic gears turned on. But also because while qualfying is more difficult, all you really need to do is practice. F1 2011, like the sport, is a game that requires you to put in the time in order to succeed, but the end result is always worthwhile, and the journey along the way is highly enjoyable.

Ratings

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