F1 2017 F1 2017 - A Sim Racing Review (and a Giveaway too..)

[Paul Jeffrey]

Formula One 2017 from Codemasters promises plenty of bang for your buck, but does it deliver? We take the game for a spin and find out what makes this new racing title tick...

First things first we have to applaud Codemasters for the job they have done with regards to filling out the content in F1 2017. Gone are the apparent yearly recycle of older games, and in it's place we have plenty of new (old) content, expanded online and career features and what promises to be a totally overhauled handling system in the new game. This is refreshing and a step in the right direction for a series that honestly started to feel a little jaded in recent years.

Now with the new stuff on the surface, have Codemasters managed to pull everything together in a coherent way, and more importantly does the game live up to the hype? Only one way to find out, watch our review video below....

As mentioned in the article headline, we have some copies of F1 2017 on PC to give away to lucky readers! If you fancy your chances of winning a copy of Codemasters brand new Formula One game, check out the review above and try your luck!

See you all on track August 25th.... !

Formula One 2017 releases Friday August 25th on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

If you like your Formula One games then get yourself over to the Formula One 2017 sub forum and join in the discussion! We will be having Club and League racing once the game goes live, mods, car setups, news and chat, all for you to enjoy! Join in, have fun and go discuss!

Have you enjoyed our review? Do you feel more or less inclined to purchase the game following our video? Do you think F1 2017 can lift itself up to the top of the F1 series quality pile? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Nick Hill]

It's hard to trust anyone that shifts with their left hand.

1. I'm not sure whatever "tire model" is there can be considered better than your average SIM. It may be that people are getting confused between the added downforce of the cars and a better tire model.
2. The A.I. are amazing. I have long held the belief that people whine since they try and bully them because they aren't a person, but try it with these A.I. (other than the start) and they will pass you 95% of the time. I ran against 93% A.I. and placed about mid pack. And I have seen them defend.
3. Career. Whatever.
4. If this is a better SIM, the "blazingly fast" pad players (or those who love assists) should be knocked down a peg. We shall see. Excuse me if I rarely believe gamers when it comes to car handling.
5. Not mentioned typically is one of the most important features...the actual wheel is quicker to react to your input. It's very helpful and one of the most overlooked features in any racer.
6. Be sure to crank up the ffb and lower the wheel weight as much as possible.
7. Wheel spinning/oversteer is way over-emphasized (I terms of importance/difficulty relation) by gamers. Any race car can light them up. But, what's great this year is that, like I imagine in real life, you can spin out up to 4th.
8. Is anyone going to race the short tracks? Would anyone race, say, Brands Hatch?
9. Setups are still the same. They need massive work. But at least they are somewhat relevant.
10. Using the T-Cam is an assist. So, don't pretend you use "no assists" bucko.

I need to really soak this game in (8 of 10 from me) because this is the last one I will ever play if F1 goes forward with the halo. Idiots.

#5 makes me happy to hear. F1 2016 actually drives pretty nicely, but the input lag makes me nutty.

 

[Rob]

#5 makes me happy to hear. F1 2016 actually drives pretty nicely, but the input lag makes me nutty.

Making a great SIM is not rocket science. Although some companies make it seem so. Project Cars needs to improve in this regard, but when Assetto actually worked on the Xbox, it was the best. You can't have decent car control without it. Forza is probably the worst offender in this regard.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

The 2016 was a great game (the best of the series just behind 2013), and even if the FFB improved over the previous one I always had the feeling that's sluggish and not precise, I don't know if it's the input lag or some sort of damping.

Is the FFB improved this time around? The game seems mega fun!

 

[Greg Pugliese]

The 2016 was a great game (the best of the series just behind 2013), and even if the FFB improved over the previous one I always had the feeling that's sluggish and not precise, Is the FFB improved this time around?

Yes, this is my number one concern too--does the FFB feel any better this time around? It's always felt vague and sluggish to me, like I simply can't feel what the car is doing. I eventually gave up on 2016 as the FFB seemed so much less informative than say in AC.

 

[Coffer]

Yes, this is my number one concern too--does the FFB feel any better this time around? It's always felt vague and sluggish to me, like I simply can't feel what the car is doing. I eventually gave up on 2016 as the FFB seemed so much less informative than say in AC.

Honestly still struggling to get this one. Especially after getting used to both AMS and 2016, AC's FFB, if anything, feels very uninformative despite being comfortable to drive. 2016's FFB is perfect out of corners and vastly outclasses that of any pure sim in slow corners, while AMS's FFB is perfect mid-corner and in fast corners.

 

[Greg Pugliese]

Honestly still struggling to get this one. Especially after getting used to both AMS and 2016, AC's FFB, if anything, feels very uninformative despite being comfortable to drive. 2016's FFB is perfect out of corners and vastly outclasses that of any pure sim in slow corners, while AMS's FFB is perfect mid-corner and in fast corners.

Ok so perhaps a more apt question for anyone who gets their hands on F1 2017 is: does the FFB feel much different than it did in 2016?

 

[Amir Vodokotlic]

Does anyone know how long Codemasters contract with F1 is?

Will they make f1 2018 also?

 

[Blkout]

The 2016 was a great game (the best of the series just behind 2013), and even if the FFB improved over the previous one I always had the feeling that's sluggish and not precise, I don't know if it's the input lag or some sort of damping.

Is the FFB improved this time around? The game seems mega fun!

The FFB is the best of the series yet, quite a step up even from last year. F1 2017 is amazing in my opinion from my limited playtime with it tonight.

 

[Blkout]

Ok so perhaps a more apt question for anyone who gets their hands on F1 2017 is: does the FFB feel much different than it did in 2016?

Yes!

 

[Coffer]

The FFB is the best of the series yet, quite a step up even from last year. F1 2017 is amazing in my opinion from my limited playtime with it tonight.

Not for me. The lack of feeling in the brakes and the tyres is exceptionally crippling, and the cars overall feel much too easy to drive even in spite of that. The cars do feel good, but there's too much emphasis on bumps and other irrelevant data and the downforce seems to be extremely inconsistent compared to AMS's Formula Ultimate cars. It's almost impossible to drive beyond the limit like in 2016 in the modern cars, so the skill ceiling is probably going to come down massively overall. The biggest surprise to me was the MP4-13, which is phenomenal, responding much better than any other car I've driven so far.

Ok so perhaps a more apt question for anyone who gets their hands on F1 2017 is: does the FFB feel much different than it did in 2016?

It is indeed very different so far.

 

[Carlitox]

3 hours in I can say I like it a lot. The Scenario mode is awesome and something that somehow I did not read about anywhere. It takes some skill to learn how these cars work, as my brain is still in F1 2016 mode, so corners that required liftoff now can be done flat (the two left handers at Spa are terrifying, as is the Hungaroring's sector 2). The difficulty slider is a little bit confusing yet, or maybe it's due to my previous point, as I've set it to 75, which the game says is Hard, which was a difficulty I had no problem with last year. However, while I was able to even win with a Manor in hard last year, this year in what this game says is Hard, I struggled to 12th with a McLaren.
Another thing is that the cars are damn TREACHEROUS. It's harder to lose them, but if you do, they're gone, you're a total passenger. Damage is also way more sensitive, and FFB is different, though my clunky DFGT is not the wheel you want for an opinion. Can't afford another one ATM, sadly.
So yeah, if you liked last year's game, you'll adore this one. If you're an AC/AMS/iRacing anorak, either don't get it or get it on a sale a couple of months from now.

Ps.: For all that is holy, drive the 412T2, it will fill your house with joy. Good feng shui and all that stuff. Just drive the thing!

Edit: Just discovered that there's a photo mode and it's really cool.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

You should check your graphics-card. Graphics in Dirt 4 are amazing here and much better than Dirt Rally, but my card can handle 4k between high and ultra options.

But didn´t like F1 2016 at all, actually hate the graphics. Oversaturated and very low track details that kills the sense for speed plus no rubber-marks for remembering breaking points. Driving F1 is a lot easier in AMS for me.

I feel like in the Codemasters games i have to drive from memory rather than instinctually, think instead of feel, i have to memorize how to enter/exit the corners instead dancing with the car.

I think Codemasters should release a demo eventually, not right now, catch those early adopters and fans, but a month from now to get the doubters like me.

 

[Coffer]

I feel like in the Codemasters games i have to drive from memory rather than instinctually, think instead of feel, i have to memorize how to enter/exit the corners instead dancing with the car.

That's not a bad thing. Driving by pure instinct can only get you so far. Just ask Raikkonen, who's overall skill never quite matched his talent. And especially in modern F1, if you don't memorize corner entries and exits to absolute perfection, you're just going to be excruciatingly slow.

 

[vee10]

That's not a bad thing. Driving by pure instinct can only get you so far. Just ask Raikkonen, who's overall skill never quite matched his talent. And especially in modern F1, if you don't memorize corner entries and exits to absolute perfection, you're just going to be excruciatingly slow.

I would say memorising a circuit is the key, instinct is for when the unforeseen happens.

 

[Coffer]

I would say memorising a circuit is the key, instinct is for when the unforeseen happens.

Part of being a good driver is minimizing those unforeseen events.

 

[Chobonator]

Part of being a good driver is minimizing those unforeseen events.

Which doesn't make the F1 games any better at simulating forces and grip.

 

[Coffer]

Which doesn't make the F1 games any better at simulating forces and grip.

Your point being? If anything 2016 did this fine by having okay feel on entry and especially better feel on exit than any pure sim.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

That's not a bad thing. Driving by pure instinct can only get you so far. Just ask Raikkonen, who's overall skill never quite matched his talent. And especially in modern F1, if you don't memorize corner entries and exits to absolute perfection, you're just going to be excruciatingly slow.

You are taking things a little too literally, of course i have to memorize braking points, understand the power delivery on any sim... it's just F1 2016 feels like flying blind.

Your point being? If anything 2016 did this fine by having okay feel on entry and especially better feel on exit than any pure sim.

That's not an opinion shared by many people.

 

[Coffer]

You are taking things a little too literally, of course i have to memorize braking points, understand the power delivery on any sim... it's just F1 2016 feels like flying blind.

That sounds like it's on you. At no point did I feel like I was any more blind in 2016 than in AC or AMS.

That's not an opinion shared by many people.

After my experience (and that of a friend of mine with more experience than me) in rFactor 2, I'm not very keen to trust a lot of simracers on that.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

Spinning on every corner huh.