A big fan of Formula 1, I could only respond to Codemasters' invitation to participate in a presentation session of the 2022 opus of the premier motorsport category game. This first preview was presented by James Bralant (Social and Creator Manager) and Lee Mather (Senior Creative Director).
The start was hard to watch because it was a retrospective of the end of the 2021 season. So I had to rewatch the moment when the race was restarted with one lap to go, and Max Verstappen, favored by new tyres, overtook Lewis Hamilton, who however had mastered the race until this moment, thus seeing his eighth world championship title escape him, and the crowning of the young Dutch driver. Beyond this annoyance that resurfaces, we must do justice to the game and its quite stunning realism. It is honestly difficult to see the difference with the images that F1 Pro TV or Canal + offer us on Grand Prix weekends.
The 2021 season has clearly been marked by this rivalry between the two champions, Lewis and Max, the latter's victory in the drivers' championship, but that of Mercedes in the constructors' championship (for the eighth consecutive time). In all, there are 22 races, for six different winners, and a total of thirteen drivers who have climbed on one of the three steps. The F1 audience is only growing and records have been set, such as the 400 spectators who came to Austin to watch the United States Grand Prix. Or the 000 million viewers who watched the final round in Abu Dhabi (108 million more than the Super Bowl). In this year when everything is changing, the objective is therefore to retain regular players, thanks in particular to the authenticity of the game which best sticks to the official rules, while ensuring that the gameplay remains accessible to new players.
Just one point if you haven't followed the changes made in 2022 too much. The FIA, in agreement with all the participants, has re-rolled the dice with new tires (wider), new cars (with redesigned aerodynamics) , but also with new challenges (sprint races even if it had already been tested in 2021) and a limited budget (which had also been initiated last year). The long-term objective is to offer a more balanced competition, with better equality of opportunity between all the teams, and therefore the cars and the drivers. In order to stick to reality, the studio transposed these changes into the game, the opportunity to make a major overhaul on several points: the behavior of vehicles, aerodynamics, suspensions, tires. The objective is to give the impression of being on the circuits, to feel these new heavier cars, with wider tires, and to stick as much as possible to the reality of the track. Bonus for players: there won't be this crazy porpoising that cars of this generation suffer from (a rebound effect).
Concretely, the main points of F1 2022 are therefore:
- the official integration of the weekend format with sprint races in the Career/My Team game modes.
- the addition of commentators Natalie Pinkham, Alex Jacques, Jacques Villeneuve and Sascha Roos.
- a new voice for the track engineer with Marc Priestley, officiating in this position at McLaren Mercedes.
- dialogues recorded with the same technical characteristics as those of a pit wall helmet.
- the customization of the placement on the starting grid.
- the risk of mechanics making mistakes during pit stops (in addition to having to manage entry).
- a rendering similar to that presented on television for the formation lap, the arrival at the pits, the deployment of the safety car, the podiums...
- more in-depth training programs to learn the circuits and improve.
- an AI adapted to the level of the players.
- challenges playable in cooperation with friends and in cross play.
- rankings of drivers and teams updated regularly according to the course of the real championship.
- virtual reality support in all modes (no restrictions).
- the addition of the Miami street circuit (re-created even before the real circuit was completed, thanks to confidential information shared by F1 and teams on site).
- the update of the circuits of Australia, Spain and Abu Dhabi.
- a still robust photo mode.
Career/My Team modes will offer three styles of participation, with adjusted difficulty: newcomer, mid-level challenger, title contender. On the program: events (like in 2021), interviews (with potential problems if poorly managed), a rivalry system and season objectives. Who says team, also says personalization to create the livery of his dreams for his team (the colors, the luminosity, with matte, shiny, satin and metallic parameters). On the other hand, there will not be a new piece of history, like the "Braking Point" campaign proposed last year.
There will nevertheless be the opportunity to write your own story, or at least to assert your identity in F1 Life. No direct link with the racing circuits, though... It's a house, the place where the driver lives, gives interviews but also meets his friends (a kind of lobby). Among the customizable options of this space, you choose your clothes (before the race and during the race with real brands), your furniture, your decoration, or even the possibility of highlighting your won trophies. The cars are fortunately not far away: in the image shown during the presentation, the driver has a supercar in his living room, a coffee table placed on an engine and a car painting in three sections. So yes, the race is never far away!
Finally, have you always wanted to drive supercars from time to time while enjoying the game engine? This will be possible this year, with special events sponsored by Pirelli in Career/My Team modes, and various challenges on the program (Hot Lap, Time Attack, Checkpoint, Pursuit, Drift, Autocross, Duel, Speed Zones). If you buy the Deluxe version, you will be able to drive the Mercedes and Aston Martin safety cars, among other things! You may finally be able to check if the Aston Martin is indeed slower, as the drivers complain (the developer refused to say if one was faster than the other). Other cars are on the program, including Ferraris and McLarens. The F2s are also in the game.
One last point, slightly off topic, but it was asked at the end if old historical F1 circuits could be added back into the game. Interestingly Lee Mather didn't say a firm 'no' , but a "maybe". It would therefore seem that some could make a comeback, even if nothing has been officially confirmed in this sense. Second point concerning the realism of the damage done to the vehicles. Be aware that despite the desire for realism, only minor damage is simulated, the game will not go so far as to simulate accidents (which would be quite unhealthy, you will grant me that).
The game will be released on June 28 for owners of the Champion Edition. The other players will have to wait until July 1st. It will be available on all classic platforms: PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam, Origin, Epic). If you want to crack, a special offer proposes to pre-order the game before May 16 to obtain a pack of thematic objects around Miami (a priori clothes, with a combination of pilots, a helmet, a cap and a tee t-shirt in the city's pink and blue colours). By pre-ordering the Champion Edition, you will also get 3 days of early access, a free update to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, team icons, a starter pack for F1 Life , a "new era 2022" content pack that celebrates this year's new cars, and 18 pitcoin (a virtual currency to spend in-game).
