F1 2011 Review : Playstation 3 : Web Wombat

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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