If you thought that last Sunday’s British Grand Prix was full of drama, with the battle between Hamilton and the Ferrari boys kicking off, you better think again as F1 22 has even more high-speed petrol-fuelled drama in store.
Last year’s instalment was a big moment in series history. 2021 was the first F1 title to be released under EA since the publishing titan bought Codemasters. Leaving fans with a lot of fears and questions about how the publishing giant was going to treat the series.
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Looking back it was an ok first outing and things settled in well, so hopes are high to see what the duo of Codemasters and EA can really do, now that the first-night jitters are out the way.
A New Season
So what’s the biggest change this time out? Well with the rules in the actual sport changing, the cars now have thicker tyres and ride lower to the deck because of extra weight; this has seen the car handling totally re-worked from a gameplay perspective.
But on the other hand the more things change the more they stay the same, because if it’s not broken why fix it? And F1 21 was a solid foundation to build on, so returning fans will have to dig a little deeper to get to the new stuff, beyond the new Miami circuit and the annual team updates.
There are a lot of small tweaks to be found, which when taken themselves are not really major things. Like showing footage post-race of your racing machine complete with all its dinks and scratches. Or being able to swap between David Croft or Alex Jacques as the commentator. When they are all put together, they really do raise the bar on last year’s game.
As well as all the presentation tweaks, the barrier of accessibility has been lowered again. Thanks, in part, to a new adaptive AI option – which joins a very healthy set of drivers aids, meaning you can really dial it all in to your level and skill.
Also new to F1 22 is that, if you have the tech, the game will support VR on the PC. Sadly though, at the time of reviewing we didn’t have access to try this new feature. Though we hear it is a fun new addition.
Rear-View Mirror
Fans of Braking Point, the story-focused side of the game, will be a little disappointed. The mode is taking a bit of a break. But what we do get F1 Life, which really acts as a customisable area. Here you can play with furniture, trophies and other trinkets you unlock. Plus you can have your mates over to visit if you really want.
It’s not a patch on Braking Point if we are honest.
As it aims to be a portal into the post-track life of a racer, but I doubt Hamilton or Verstappen spend this long humming and hawing over designer rugs and coffee tables. It’s also where microtransactions sneak in, letting to buy coins with real world cash to get your hands on items.
The best feature of F1 Life has to be collecting supercars. These are not just pretty lumps of metal to look at in your pad, you actually get to take them for a spin. Taking on the host of supercar challenges also marks the first time non-F1 cars are drivable in an F1 title.
You’ll get to play with cars from Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin to name a few. But oddly for a game built around handling and car feel, this side of things feels a bit undercooked in ways.
So odds are you’ll be dying to get back to the real thing after a bit. And thanks to new rule changes, the racing feels every bit as fast as ever. Even if you need to re-learn when to push and hold when corning because of the changes.
Our Team
MyTeam returns where the real long-play options are found. The challenge of taking a rookie team with next-to-no cash all the way to the top if you wish. Oddly there has been very little added to the mode this time around. This may jar with fans but again if it’s not broke…
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F1 22 once again makes the most of its license where it counts, but also feels like it’s taken its foot off the gas a little. As it doesn’t push things as much as past years, newcomers will have a blast diving into the world of F1, whereas returning fans will get a few new tweaks and options…but ultimately another solid outing.
Review code provided by PR