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F1 2011
By Tristan Tancredi
Intense. That's the first word that comes to mind
when playing Codemaster's F1 2011.
Whether
it be screaming down the straights of Malaysia, or mastering the narrow
streets of Monaco, F1 2011 is an intense, brutal kind of game.
Codemasters
has developed on the BAFTA winning Formula One Video Game and delivered
fans of the racing genre an even bigger and an even better 2011 version.
Featuring
all the official drivers, teams and circuits of the FIA Formula One
World Championship, F1 2011 makes for the most realistic racing game we
have ever played.
Let loose on all 19 circuits in the 2011 F1
Championship, including the Buddh International Circuit, the first F1
GP of India.
So whack on your customised helmet, get into your
Scuderria Ferrari and let the G-Forces knock you out.
There
are Career, GP Weekend and Multiplayer modes availables. Need practice?
Head to the Proving Ground and attack the 'Time trials' or 'Time
Attack' scenarios.
Get to know every track and every corner so
eventually you play the game as it should be played, with no driving
aids.
Driving
aids are available and make it a hell of alot easier to win races.
However this takes the realism and the fun out of the game.
Cornering
is tricky. Very tricky. If you brake a fraction late you end up in the
gravel, if you brake a fraction early, oppostion cars will fly past
you.
These challenges are what makes this game
enjoyable. What fun would it be if everything was always so easy?
Once you have found a challenging enough
level have a crack at Career mode.
Work
your way up the F1 championship by completing race objectives and
earning XP points. Monitor your tyres, race strategies and track info
from your garage or exit the garage to the frenzy of the media.
As
you progress throughout the Career more lucrative offers are put on the
table. Move up from a rookie driver to a powerhouse in the Formula One.
All
of the teams are there: Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes,
Force India, Mercedes GP, Lotus-Renault, AT&T Williams, Sauber,
Scuderia Torro Rosso, Team Lotus, HRT and Marussia Virgin.
The
game looks and sounds great. All 19 tracks are brilliantly designed and
the video cut scenes look good. The cars, as expected, are top notch.
Whether the conditions are clear, overcast or drenched with rain, the
environments hold up well. New atmospheric effects include dynamic
clouds and an advanced rain model that affects on-track grip.
Motorheads
and Car Novices alike will love this game. There is enough strategy and
'car-talk' to entertain the die hard F1 fan. Codemasters has
used
its unprecedented access to the world of Formula One to connect the
development team directly with Formula One teams and tyre
manufacturers.
Combined with real world data including CAD and
on-board telemetry, F1 2011 is as authentic as you can get.
DRS
(Drag Reduction System) and KERS are key features to F1 2011. DRS
enables gamers the ability to adjust their rear wing, thus reducing
drag and increasing the speed of the car. KERS gives players a short
burst of speed enabling more overtaking.
Up to 16 people can compete online in a variety of
multi-player matches:
- Sprint: 3 Laps at Random Tracks.
- Endurance: 20% of Actual race distance.
- Pole Position: 20 minutes of Qualifying.
- Grand Prix: 20 minutes of Qualifying and 7 Race
Laps.
A Co-Op championship is also available in
the online menu whereby two drivers can lead their team to Constructors
Glory.
One
thing we noticed is that certain 'rules' don't apply to online racing.
For example cars will force you off the track in what would normally
result in a penalty, yet you spin into the wall and they continue on
their merry way. F1 2011 will be available on Nintendo 3DS on the 1st of December 2011 and the PS Vita on 22nd February 2012.
Developed using Codemasters EGO Game Technology,
F1 2011 is an authentic, intense, brilliant racing game.
Game: F1 2011
System: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC
Developer/Co-Developer: Codemasters
Birmingham
Publisher: Codemasters
Rating: 80%
(Ratings
Key/Explanation)
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