F1 2015 Game: A Polished Repetition

I remember, back in early 2010, when Codemasters revealed the upcoming Formula 1 PS3/XBOX 360 game. As a gamer, and an avid Formula 1 fan, this sounded like heaven.

It was.

I was transported into the cockpit of an RB6, a McLaren MP4-25, a Renault R30, or whatever Formula 1 car I liked, on whatever track I liked! Needless to say, I played the game continuously until its successor was released.

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And then I played that over and over.

This trend continued year after year as each new Formula 1 game was released, but unfortunately, so did another.

Yes, the cars and tracks progressively got better looking as new technology was implemented along the way, but the initial magic I felt in 2010 began to diminish.

I still loved being able to take on the personification of a Formula 1 pilot, blasting his way around Spa, Monaco, or Melbourne, yet a feeling of ‘rinse and repeat’ began to set in.

F1 2013 brought with it the ‘classic edition’ mode, a refreshing twist that was also highly enjoyable; the player now being able to take the wheel of a number of racers from the 1980s and 1990s.

Yet no such extra content was seen on F1 2014; a back to basics approach being taken for last year’s edition.

But all was not lost. Codemasters assured its fans that F1 2015 would be better.

It would be the first Formula 1 game released on the eighth generation consoles (PS4, XBOX ONE), so an obvious improvement in the game’s graphics was to be expected.

Yet Codemasters also assured us that the game’s ‘looks’ weren’t the only thing being improved. How the car handles, communications between driver and the pit wall, and AI capabilities were also being upgraded; not to mention the “all-new ‘broadcast presentation’ that immerses you in the unique race day atmosphere.”

True to their word, this all came to fruition. Even so, F1 2015 is still lacking.

No longer can you ‘be’ your own driver, embarking on your own career as it were, as the game now forces you to choose between one of the current drivers to compete with within the championship. Though I wasn’t hesitant of this change to begin with, the longer you play the less personal the game becomes.

As such, I don’t feel meeting, or not meeting, team objectives will have any positive/negative consequences, as you’re not yourself, i.e. the team won’t move you on, promote, or fire you, as was the case in past installments, simply because of real life contractual conditions. Plus, once you’ve completed one season on either Championship or Pro Season modes, your only choice is to start all over again (with a different team if you so desire).

Furthermore, Pro Season mode is different from Championship mode, in only that all ‘assists’ have been turned off (an obvious addition in an effort to add more content); multiplayer has been robbed of offline play; and a multitude of in-game glitches were needed to be rectified with day one updates.

What we have, therefore, is a beautiful looking game with a finite amount of play-ability due to Codemasters wanting the game to hit shelves as soon as possible.

Rushing F1 2015 to release is sad, as the video game platform is a highly popular one in today’s world. Providing gamers with a polished racer may have opened the door to a host of new fans of all ages, people who otherwise may have remained uninterested by Formula 1.

In an era where we see Formula 1 struggling to keep supporters interested, allowing the release of a mediocre game does nothing to help its cause, and, simply put, is a missed opportunity.

Whilst playing F1 2015, bask in the beauty of the Mercedes WO6 powering its way around a stunning Marina Bay circuit, watch in awe as the Ferrari SF15-T ascends a marvellously rendered Eau Rouge, yet keep your fingers crossed that F1 2016 is a more substantial game.

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