F1 2015 is a racing sports simulation game by Codemasters Racing and is a simulation to the nth degree. Just like the Formula 1 organization itself, the game is about precision. What kind of tires you use, what temperature are your brakes and when you pit can cost you valuable seconds in a sport that measures to the one-hundredth of a second. All of these things are important in the game, which means, they better be important to you.
Graphically, it’s obvious that F1 has made the jump to the current gen. You can really tell in the car models and the track that every effort has been made to bring the fidelity out of the gate. The faces of the drivers still have a long way to go, but considering you’re looking at their faces for approximately 2% of the time, I can let it slide on this installment. The other vast improvement was in the broadcast presentation. Last year, the presentation felt rote, present because silence wasn’t an option. In F1 2015, the commentary brings life to the game providing little informational tidbits on the drivers and crews.
There are not a ton of game modes, but for some, that may not be an issue if you simply want to immerse yourself in the Drivers and Constructors Championships in Championship mode. There is also Pro Season, which rips any and all training wheels off for a hardcore experience, Quick Race, which is just one race, Time Trials, which is basically leaderboards and Online Multiplayer, which is, as you would expect, racing online. That’s about it, although in the Championship Mode, you can play the 2015 or the 2014 season, which could be nice if you want to relive history.
As I am not a world-class racing game player, I tend to stick to the Easy mode with most of the assists on. It is pretty obvious, though, that Codemasters doesn’t think too highly of this lowest mode as the driver AI is fairly static. For example, I ran 2 quick races at Monaco. In both races, the top 10 list of drivers to finish were exactly the same and all 10 were within two tenths of their previous time. That’s not driving well or coincidence, that’s simply programmed routines that were followed. And especially on easy mode, all 19 AI bots follow the pre-programmed turn lines exactly. They’re as static as a balloon rubbed on your head.
Overall, F1 2015 is a solid racing simulation. It isn’t going to bowl you over with features, but the cars are gorgeous and physics are tight. If you are a simulation racing game junky or a huge fan of Formula 1, this will be an excellent addition to your Xbox One or PlayStation 4 library. Otherwise, you may wish to look into other racing games or wait until this is a bargain.
F1 2015 Official Launch Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74FNi4nHPac