F1 2010 By Codemasters

F1 2010 is the new official Formula 1 game by Codemasters and the first of the next (current) gen Formula 1 racing titles to come to the Xbox 360. The first thing you will come across the first time you play the game is the “Live the Life” side of the game where you have to create your driver through a series of questions you are able to enter your first and last name your nationality how many seasons you wish to take part in during your career and which team you start your first season with and how difficult the races are.

That is just a taste of the level of choices you can make and once complete you are taken away to the main menu which is a very similar system to dirt 2 it is a dynamic 3d environment inside your team trailer and the paddock outside. It includes your agent inside the trailer where you manage all aspects of your career and outside you have the choice of grand prix weekend, time trial and multiplayer.



Next you are obviously going to want to go racing next and using a reworked version of Codemasters famed ego engine (which was the engine used to fuel the action in Dirt, Racedriver Grid and Dirt 2) F1 2010 should have a very strong starting point. Adding to that the amount of time spent developing the handling physics, Aerodynamics, differences in Tires and Dynamic weather system just to mention a few of the highly polished features that make the game feel very well put together and also make it one of the most realistic racing game to come to any console.

F1 2010 has one of the most unique driving experiences I have come across the level of assists can be customized to suit all level of players and different combinations totally change the way the car handling feels out on track. That having been said no matter how may assists you start off with it the first few hours will be spent just learning how to drive the car, the braking points and how to attack the corners. You can also see the amount of time and care that has been taken to accurately model each teams cars which has been done extremely well as you can tell a lot of the cars apart just by their shape and you can also see that the tracks have received the same attention to detail both with on track detail and off track scenery.

As you progress through you career things should hopefully be going to plan but then one race it will start raining and you have a dilemma it is light but constant the track is getting wetter do you go in early change your tires and play it safe but risk come out in the middle of the pack or get caught out in the pit stop, or do you push your luck try to stay out and ensure you have a good gap before pitting but then might just put it in the wall as you loss more and more traction. The weather simulation is in a class of its own with so many ways it can affect a race and how realistic the cars and water react to each other on the track. The weather system makes this game special on its own it’s just that good.



While the team is always giving you new targets the “Live the Life” side of the game feels slightly under developed and some of the voice acting and character animation feels a bit wooden. It does feel like they have tried to do something quite different and Codemasters have admitted they didn’t have the time to develop that side the game to the level they wanted before the deadline and that it will be greatly improved upon in the next installment.

The other single player modes are as to be expected the Grand Prix option lets you go and do a single race weekend which can be helpful with a couple of achievements like the ones for winning in Germany with Mercedes or in Italy with Ferrari. Next is the time trial mode in which you can pit yourself against your friend’s ghosts in an attempt to set the fastest lap time which is great for the more competitive players. The multiplayer aspect is well put together from quick races to fully customizable lobbies for you and your friends it can lead to some very fun sessions and level of option is excellent you go from having a 3 lap race with a random start grid to a full length race with qualifying and a lot of other options in between. The biggest drawback with multiplayer side of most racing games can be other users online but in general I haven’t had that many problems with other users in F1 2010.

The achievements are fairly well rounded in all with the majority fairly east to earn within the first season however anyone after the full 1000 could have their patience tested with 2 in particular. The first one being complete 7 seasons however that is just a matter of time and everyone should be able to get that one. The final achievement most people will have to really work for will be to “Win the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship on the Expert Difficulty setting” and I can see this one taking some considerable time, patience and most likely a lot of restarts



Summary

The game is very well thought out has excellent graphics and audio, the handling takes a little bit to get used to but is very good once you do the “Live the Life” aspect is slightly flawed but still good enough to give it some focus and the damage simulation is not up to the level I was expecting however the dynamic weather system more than makes up for it. Overall the game play is fun but the achievements could become a bit of a grind towards the end.

GSA Rating 8/10

nice review Riled

I know you are a keen 360 racer mate and if you think its good then thats a very fine seal of approval.

Sad to read the ach might be a bit tough/grindy though. This is an area where the Codies seem to fall down on release after release. Shame as their driving engine certainly deserves better. Still based on your review I have added it to my list of must buy games.

Well reviewed sir and can haz some rep

ive never given f1 games a seond glance in the stores, but after reading this and seeing the screen shots posted i might just give it a go, are there any silly achievements on this, you know like win 500 online ranked races and the like??

Good review.I have had the game for a few days,and agree with Riled.
Its great fun to play,and the weather effects are superb.I did a ten lap race in the rain after qualifying in pole and had to fend off Alonso for the whole race,very tricky.

Good review mate, would have liked to read about some of the other game modes and more on the achievements though.

Great work mate, very good review

great review m8 it has a hard game especially cheevo wise. i have only played a little online but looks like it could be good as the cheats and crashers get thrown out