F1 24 Review: Fun Additions, But No Revolution

The latest Formula One game is here - what to expect? Our F1 24 review takes a closer look at the new title by EA Sports and Codemasters.

F1 24 is here - at least for those who pre-ordered the Champions Edition. In the lead up to its release, there has been a lot of buzz and discussion among F1 creators and esports drivers about the handling changes. Clips of extreme setups that have created very questionable driving conditions have surfaced following the preview version.

The game comes in two versions, with the Champions Edition being available from May 28. The Standard Edition is set to follow on May 31. Of course, with OverTake being a platform for community-created mods, we have already created an F1 24 Mod section, where you will be able to find helmets, liveries, and other items soon. The first creations are already available there, as @Splash57 shared their F1 24 Stream Deck icons pack, and @RaceKing2016 has provided a helmet template for custom helmet paints.

For the game's release day, we take a look at what is in the new official F1 game from EA and Codemasters, whether the new features & changes are adequate or not, and who might consider buying it as a result. We tested the game on a PC with a steering wheel, but we will also briefly discuss the controller handling in the video - we also looked at VR and triples. So let's enter the cockpit and pile into turn 1!


Without contact please, lads!

F1 24 Review: Full-price Update?​

F1 24 is a full-price title that will also be released for the previous gen consoles. To get this out of the way first: We understand everyone who does not accept these yearly updates, who does not like EA and their policies, and who would rather drive another season in the game from last year or in F1 2020.

And you are not wrong: Objectively the changes in F1 24 are only in the details, and you could call it an update. That is the way it is with sports games - major changes obly appear every few years, marketing and licenses are expensive. As a drop in the bucket, owners of 2021-23 received a 15% discount on pre-orders of the Champions Edition.


Image: EA Sports/Codemasters

If you are new to the series this year, you get a very comprehensive racing game. All the cars from the current season have been updated with CAD data, plus the F2 season from 2023 is available at launch, with the 24s added later in an update. Unfortunately, the historic cars often requested by fans and last available in F1 2020 are completely missing. The drivable supercars from the previous year have also been removed.

All 24 tracks of the current season are included, four of which have received major updates, especially Spa, which was long overdue. A lot of work has also been done on the Jeddah circuit. Would we like to see more tracks, even from previous years? Of course we would! But at least the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimão is still on board as a 25th, optional circuit - so your fictional 2024 Portuguese Grand Prix can still go ahead.

F1 24 Handling Review​

What about the handling, though? After all, it was the main point of contention in the preview version. Codemasters has reworked the driving physics based on feedback from real drivers, such as in the area of tires, which are no longer a simple block, but also simulate a carcass and its temperatures. There have also been changes to the suspension and aero to make the difference between a Red Bull and a Ferrari, for instance, even clearer.

All this means that the cars turn much more directly and have less tendency to understeer. The standard 400-degree steering angle feels like about 300-340 degrees in F1 23 and is very pointy. Some testers criticized that aggressive driving is now rewarded much more, the game is generally more arcade-heavy, and unrealistic driving maneuvers are possible, for example, if you create extreme setups. Many curbs can now be taken much more aggressively.



But we do not take an esports approach here, and we at OverTake actually like the driving experience quite well, even though the depth and tire model, of course, are a far cry from Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2 or iRacing. Low-speed grip is sometimes an issue, but is also related to the new Engine Brake setting, which also plays a role in ERS recovery. If you set this to 0%, the cars will feel much more natural in slow corners.

F1 24 has a much stronger ERS, which we can now control ourselves through different delivery modes and with the overtake button for full power. This adds a strong tactical element to overtaking and defending, in addition to the DRS that allows the rear wing to fold down on certain straights. Lift and coast strategies to recover more energy will also play a bigger role.

All that being said, it looks like a big post-launch update is set to adress several issues raised in the preview version. Screenshots of YouTuber Alex Gillon claiming to have tried an improved version of F1 24 made the rounds on Twitter - whether or not this holds true, and if so, when the update releases, remains to be seen.

Force Feedback & Controller Driving​

The Force Feedback, tested with a Fanatec ClubSport DD+, felt really tight & communicated the frequencies of driving conditions, curbs and road bumps well. Controller driving is not our comfort zone, but after a short period of getting used to it, we were able to put in a reasonably elegant lap even in Monaco, although the built-in layers for steering take some getting used to. The car's movements definitely look very arcade-like this way. Some rumble effects are new to the Pitstop, but only for Logitech True Force wheels and controllers.

To be clear, the handling is certainly not perfect, and it does not bring out all the fine details of your expensive steering wheel hardware, but it is not bad or even game-breaking for us either. You can have fun and a good time with it. Do not forget that a game like F1 24 must appeal to a wide audience, for which it simulates a lot, including dynamic weather and a rain driving model.

But of course, if you advertise “the most authentic & immersive driving experience ever felt in an F1 title”, you must be measured against such statements and take criticism, as that’s a bold claim. To close this chapter, our secret star of the game are the F2 cars, which somehow feel more authentic and natural than the F1 cars.

F1 24: Game Modes​

Another positive are the several game modes that are available to experience Formula One in different ways.

The Braking Point story mode has been paused this year, but the classic Career Mode has received its biggest overhaul since 2016. There is a stronger integration of driver ratings, expanded rivalries, new elements in R&D such as specialists, new cutscenes, and finally, the option to start the season as one of the real drivers. In addition to the official F1 and F2 drivers, there are also icons such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, Nigel Mansell and others for you to start a Career Mode with.

For beginners, we recommend that you drive at least one short season of F2 before moving on to F1, as it is really fun and will teach you some driving techniques, especially if you want to drive more realistically without TCS and ABS. It also helps to find the right difficulty level for the AI opponents, which you can adjust between rounds.


Image: EA Sports/Codemasters

Career Mode Customization​

Basically, F1 24 gives players a lot of customization options for your career, be it the assistants, simulation aspects, formation lap, manual start, weekend structure, race length, and more. An extreme pity for sim fans: Codemasters still does not trust us to take control in the pit lane ourselves.

The first few hours of the career actually felt very immersive and good with the new changes and there are also a few surprises, such as secret meetings. The remaining gamification features, such as the R&D practice programs with track acclimatization and others, are also still a very good idea. Only the AI consistency had one or two misfires, as they felt too fast in qualifying in Bahrain compared to their race pace, for example.

Codemasters promised updates, but the fact that this is still happening after years of F1 games in this series makes it a bit disappointing. However, you can fight with the AI on the track fairly well, they defend themselves, attack and respect the player to a good extent. Even if you brake too early, they will not drive straight into your back.


The new Specialists offer optional goals for extra rewards in F1 24's Career Mode.

MyTeam Mode, Challenge Career & F1 World​

The popular MyTeam Career, in which you start as an all-new eleventh team with more team management aspects is back as well, as is the co-op mode. Here you can choose to have the host handle the R&D and contract aspects and you stay on the same team, or you can have both drivers go different ways as the career progresses.

A brand-new feature is the Challenge Career, which features different scenarios and episodes that allow you to compare yourself to others in a single-player scenario via leaderboards.

And then there is F1 World, which should appeal to anyone who enjoys collecting and upgrading cars with rare parts, and season passes. This part of the game still screams EA everywhere, including buying outfits and such, but thankfully can be completely ignored as there are many other things to do. But we would be happy if, instead of unlockable helmet designs, gloves and liveries, they just implemented a good editor and a sharing feature, similar to Gran Turismo 7.

And now there are fantasy sponsors that make the cars look a little more realistic, but they do not have a place on the suit and helmet. The multiplayer lobbies, also with equal cars, ranked play, single Grand Prix modes, and time trial, are included in this section as well. F1 24 also offers options for leagues and exemplary telemetry functions via Racenet. What we think is nice is that there are even LAN and local split-screen modes.

Additionally, there are also a photo mode and the ability to save replays. However, the replays do not look very clean, always have small micro-stutters, and do not sound very impressive. Here you can probably see that the EGO engine is aging.

F1 24 Graphics & UI​

Speaking of tech & graphics, not much has changed - mostly, the road surfaces feature a bit more contrast. Our recent side-by-side comparison video with F1 23 shows this difference quite well.


The biggest change might be the reworked driver models - still a bit uncanny, but definitely much better than before. New options include Nvidia SER for more efficient shaders and frame generation. The game looks anything but bad, especially with ray tracing enabled, although it is still a bit blurry and out of focus, which some some anti-aliasing methods making this worse than others.

An RTX 4080 could reach about 150 fps at a resolution of 1440 on ultra-high. On triples, we had to lower the overall settings to high, to stay in a similar FPS range. There is still no real triple support, meaning the side monitors will show a stretched image like in previous years. The game still feels more immersive in cockpit perspective, and we prefer that over the other cam options. Here, too, a lot can be adjusted, both in the camera settings and when customizing the OSD, which can be quite fiddly because you have to adjust it individually for each session type.


Behold the glorious Bottas mustache.

Audio​

The audio section has also undergone minor additions and revisions. The track intros and sequences are all professionally dubbed, plus real sound clips of the drivers, for example on the radio at the finish line, are part of the F1 24 experience. There is a new soundtrack, but also the option to switch to instrumental theme music only.

In-game, players can apply filters to the engine sound: a muffled driver version, broadcast and cinematic mixes are available.

The game also has some accessibility options, colorblind mode, tinnitus filter and other aids - we find this very commendable.

F1 24 VR​

VR is another mixed bag. For Michel, it worked quite well with the Pimax Crystal directly through Steam VR, offering plenty of adjustment options and a sharp image. The mid-high performance was also fine. Meanwhile, Yannik could not even get into the main menu with his PICO Neo Link 3 and Open XR. We cannot recommend much more than to try it with your individual setup and refund if it does not work.

On the other hand, during the normal course of the game, we had very few to no significant bugs, glitches, or the like.

Verdict​

Overall, F1 24 offers a very good experience for Formula One fans - no other series will get them closer to being on the grid or part of the World Championship as a team owner. However, the amount of improvements and changes is not that big, so your justification to spend the full price may vary depending on what title of the F1 series you played most recently.

Aside from the price, fans of real Formula One will no doubt find plenty of ways to have fun with the game. The numerous different game modes, high customizability, and accessibility options ensure that F1 24 can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people.


F1 24's photo mode can yield impressive results.

Unfortunately, as the preview version also showed already, the hardcore sim racing crowd might not fall under this umbrella. The handling model has changed for F1 24, but looks to be too forgiving regarding overly-aggressive driving styles to be considered highly realistic. That being said, the game does simulate several elements to keep track off - physical and mechanical damage, tire wear, fuel burn, engine wear, ERS usage - all of this needs to be taken into account if enabled. Beginners or novices can switch them off, of course.

We will follow up this review with guides and other updates very soon! In the meantime, be sure to check out our F1 Series Forum to discuss everything regarding F1 24, as well as the previous entries into the EA Sports/Codemasters series.

What are your thoughts and first impressions of F1 24? Have you tried it already? Let us know the game felt to you on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!