F1 2017 - Review

F1 2017 for PC by Codemasters has been released as of 25th August. With the multitude of teams competing, the different drivers and the myriad of technical data/aspects of the game there is something to lure everyone in.

It is an absolutely stunning looking game (i5 6600k + GTX1070) which delivers eye candy, smooth gameplay and brilliant colours. The realism of the track whizzing by you and the look of the circuits overall is unparalleled. The cut-scenes are seamless and add to the story and gameplay, and the replay function is as with other versions - superb.

Career mode is where the true F1 fans will go, and is clearly where the developers invested most of their time. There are enough R&D and technophile goodies to keep you tinkering away for hours. Unlocking research points by getting behind the wheel gives the player that familiar grind of gameplay for points, with the added challenge of race performance - that is, the better you race (and not just finishes, but as clean as possible without shortcuts, penalties damage etc) the more points end up in your 'budget'. Those points are yours to spend how you wish and the choices you make truly reflect in the car.

Do you want to improve your overall top speed? Prefer to work on some new aerodynamics? Is the car braking poorly? You alone choose how to improve the car, and how it is set up prior to every meet. Of course, this is not for everyone and some might get a little frustrated to which I offer the following piece of advice - lower the difficulty. This game can be a pure racing sim or an arcade basher, you choose.

Not only does F1 2017 throw you right into the current world of Formula One, you can access older classic cars from previous generations. Love the old MP4/4 from the late 80's? Try your hand at whizzing around Silverstone in the beast. Want to feel like the greatest of all time himself, Michael Schumacher? Jump in the 2004 Ferrari and race down those straights just like he did.

One unfortunate thing about F1 2017 is that it seems to be a very poor port over from console. From unfamiliar keys (F5 and F6 to scroll across menus for example) to repetitive menu scrolling, it gets a little exhausting and clunky.

The A.I is quite impressive. On-the-fly changes to your driving style are needed to fend off those deeper attacks by the computer driven Hamilton's and Ricciardo's of the world. The way the cars handle even with tiny little changes is obvious enough if you're looking, but in the grand scheme of things it maintains an almost unforgiving level of realism.

This entry in the series is probably the best one yet. The various modes (Time Trials, Grand Prix, Multiplayer Online, Championship Mode and Career) do enough to keep the casual gamer interested, but this one is definitely able to keep the purists happy.

Thanks to Codemasters for supplying the game for review