F1 2016 Review - The best in the series so far

It's go go go! - 4.6 / 5

The annual release of a Formula 1 game usually comes with high expectations. On release, these expectations quickly crash and burn as fast as I would if I actually jumped into a real F1 car and tried to drive it.

Unfortunately, unlike many other sports, F1 hasn’t had a decent representation in video gaming thus far, so, you’d be forgiven for thinking that F1 2016 might be another entry in the mediocre F1 series. However, I’m pleased to say that isn’t the case at all. F1 2016 has broken the mould and is an essential purchase for any gamer who is a Formula 1 fan and anyone who loves racing games in general.

*You can get a more comprehensive look at F1 2016 by visiting Impulse Gamer*

“It’s go go go”!

F1 2016 has several game modes to choose from, with the option to play through single, online and multiplayer races or customise your own tournaments. This year’s offering even gives you the opportunity to race up to 22 other players in an online championship mode. However, F1 2016 is all about creating your own legend and this year’s offering includes the most detailed and extensive career mode to date.

Career mode has a host of options where you can evaluate race strategies and alter or tweak the general set up of your car. For instance, you can decide what tyres to use by having your team analyse data, including your driving tendencies, as you race some laps through three thirty-minute practice sessions. The information provided in the practice sessions gives your team the statistics they need to determine how long each tyre will last and at what point in the race they’ll need changing.

Additionally, the practice sessions give you the chance to familiarise yourself with the track and optimise your braking and accelerating through certain stages of the circuit. Also, by outperforming during qualifying or race day, you acquire points which you can use to upgrade your car such as decreasing its fuel consumption or reducing its weight. Now, for newbies of the series, it may seem a little daunting having so many options put in front of you, but there are tutorial videos to watch if you get stuck.

Overall, I enjoyed the career mode, especially as I made new rivalries with fellow racers which required me to beat them in qualifying or lap times. Although creating my legend was fun, in between races, I was stuck in front of a laptop listening to my agent saying the same things via voicemail. This part of the career mode felt generic and repetitive, but overall, F1 2016's campaign is a significant improvement on earlier F1 instalments.

In regards to how F1 2016 technically handles, it is challenging at first. My recommendation would be to familiarise yourself with each circuit on a more comfortable difficulty setting with driving assists such as the traction control switched on. Once you are pleased with the controls or layout of a particular track, try disabling traction control or at least switching it to medium. Reason being if you keep all the driving assists on full, each race becomes too easy.

That said, as you fly through each track at the insane speeds these machines can go, crashing into another racer or taking a corner a little fast are easy mistakes to make. Thankfully, the Flashback system allows you to go back in time and rectify any severe errors. For the most part, the AI performs well and rarely does something bizarre, though, if you decide to race the full amount of laps per track, deployment of the safety car is a regular occurrence. Seeing the safety car for the first time in the F1 series is cool, but quickly becomes tiresome, especially when stuck with it for a long time.

Graphics / Audio

From the tight corners of the Monaco GP to the bright lights of Singapore, all 21 circuits look marvellous with Codemasters also nailing the pre-race build ups, presenting them in style. The dynamic weather system adds to the realism by consistently changing. Sure, unexpected weather turns are a nuisance, though it makes each race feel unique and unpredictable. Lastly, while the sound design is superb overall, I recommend using surround headphones as the engines roaring in unison with radio chatter as you fly down each straight at nearly 200 mph is a complete joy to experience.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a lover of all things Formula 1 or just a fan of racing games in general, F1 2016 deserves a place in your collection.

Gameplay - 5

Graphics - 4.5

Audio - 5

Value - 5

Overall - 4.6

Game Details

Primary Format – Games – PlayStation 4 (reviewed)
Game Genre – Racing
Rating – G
Game Developer – Codemasters
Game Publisher – Codemasters