The world of Formula One has undergone major changes for this 2022 season, and Codemasters intends to transcribe them in his video game F1 22. The officially licensed title of the FIA will be released in a few weeks, but we have already been able to attend a presentation of the game and even put our hands on it through a demo, far from the final product, including the Grands Prix of Imola, Spielberg, Silverstone, Austin and especially Miami, which is entering the calendar this year. So, after a few laps on the track, what sensations?
On the gameplay side, there are no big changes.
Well, F1 22 does not seem to want to revolutionize the franchise. We find the Formula One of the 2022 season, with a big black dot that jumps out: they are light years away from reality. Where the shape of F1 is unique for each stable in reality, in the F1 2022 game, the single-seaters all look alikewith a few exceptions, giving the impression that Codemasters was based on the single-seater unveiled by the FIA last year by simply applying the liveries of each team. Goodbye pointy nose williamsthe shape dented from the mercedes and especially the famous hollows of the Ferrariit’s annoying, but Codemasters Note that all of this is still under development.. Another point that makes you tick, the developers have not included “porpoising”, this aerodynamic effect which makes the F1 at high speed and a lot of hassle mercedes at the start of the season. However, Codemasters offers two modes to adjust the difficulty, one of which normally takes into account the reality of the championship. A mode obviously not yet very developed, during all our races, Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium each time, pure science fiction considering the races carried out by Medicines in reality. On the other hand, williams and Aston Martin finish very last, and Haas is competitive, but there will be things to adjust between now and the launch of the final version to stick to reality.
On the side of gameplay, there are no big changes. Depending on the settings chosen, the single-seater is piloted more or less easily, allowing neophytes to have fun and simulation enthusiasts to find real sensations by managing braking and acceleration with skill, at the risk of starting in the lead- to tail at the slightest opportunity, especially at Miami, a new very fast track, but which also includes very sharp turns and beautiful curves (See as well : F1 22: home gameplay on the Miami circuit and first review). Speed sensations are good with the forward sights (on the fin or directly in the cockpit), but still not with the exterior sights, and overall, there is nothing that surprises the regulars of the franchise. All the same, the application of the new aerodynamic regulations has a slight impact, the single-seaters follow each other more easily when they are close, it is difficult to get rid of a peloton, especially with the DRS activated, and you have to battle through the corners to overtake direct competitors rather than relying on engine power.
small novelties, the integration of augmented reality elements for the formation lap and even a QTY on arrival at stalls, defining the speed of the stop. Even with an automatic setting for the pits, this energizes a sequence that has so far remained very passive. This goes hand in hand with setting broadcasting for the pits and especially the safety car, transforming this not very exciting moment into a small cinematic like a TV broadcast. In English, players will have to say goodbye to Jeffthe radio engineer replaced by Marc Priestley from McLaren and who recorded all his voices with real headphones, for a more realistic rendering. But in French, we always had, in this demo, the same voice on the radio, as well as Julien Fébreau from Canal+ for the introduction and conclusion of races. Also note the arrival of the races Sprintwith a format sticking to reality in the modes Career and My Stablebut the player can apply it to any mode race Grand Prize.
Our first impressions: Good.
We had a lot of fun riding in F1 22as we have done in recent months in F1 2021. But here it is, with the absence of fashion Breaking point, we hoped that Codemasters has gone all out on the rest of the game to offer a lot of other new features and polish the experience, which is not really the case in this demo. Let’s cross our fingers so that the data of the stables sticks more to reality from here to the exit, and that the other modes like My Stable and its three start-of-season modes, the Career and F1Life (which will offer a real hub for multiplayer with a customizable avatar and apartment) manage to fully seduce. Codemasters mentioned the integration of a heat map for free practice, random events occurring in the team that will have to be managed (or not), Supercars to pilot, F2 and even of cross playintroduced after launch next July 1. We are patiently waiting for the final version of this F1 22 to find out if he will have a season worthy of Ferrari and Red Bull… or from williams.
You can pre-order F1 22 at €59.99 on Amazon.
| Clint008 Writer – Tester |
