F1 2018 F1 2018: Impressive First Drive and Early Impressions

[Paul Jeffrey]

We take the upcoming F1 2018 videogame from Codemasters for a first drive and give our (very) early impressions of the new title.

Stop! Before I go any further and whilst I have your attention... please, do me a favour and subscribe to the RaceDepartment YouTube channel. It would make me nice and happy, so give us a subscription if you haven't already please

Ok, back on topic...

Codemasters have been in possession of the official FIA Formula One licence since the 2010 racing season, and in that time the British developers have doggedly worked away at the yearly franchise to bring the spirit and feel of Grand Prix racing to home computers. Sometimes the games have been sublime, and sometimes it has felt like too much has been missing in order to classify the releases as a genuine contender for the hearts and minds of the gaming public.

Last year Codemasters made what I consider to be a considerable step forward with the F1 series, and early indications are that the developers have raised the bar once again for this upcoming new release.

If I'm perfectly honest I've never really been into the Formula One game series, although I've always ended up reaching into my wallet in the hope that the latest game stands up to the admittedly high expectations I held prior to taking it out for a drive. Well I think I can be reasonably safe in saying that for the new game, F1 2018, Codemasters have got the closest yet to matching those high expectations.

Still several days away from a public release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, RaceDepartment managed to get our hands on a early access copy of F1 2018 to review and share our opinions, and if I'm being perfectly frank with you, what I've seen so far has impressed me a great deal.

The new game feels like it has been improved in almost every aspect over previous titles. Obvious things like the inclusion of ERS and yet more classic content strike you from the moment you turn on the PC, but it's the little things that really make the difference. Presentation is slick as usual, however the way the developers have incorporated the new corporate image of F1 into the game is praiseworthy indeed, with nice and flowing introduction scenes right the way through to the way the drivers have been modelled to look like their real life counterparts.

But it's out on the track where the game really picks up and shines in my opinion. I'll admit I've not spent much time with it yet (that will change over the next few days), but from what I've seen and felt so far, the game provides a very nice and robust feel, with much improved handling and a very solid FFB right from the get go, without the need to spend hours tweaking my Fanatec CSW V2 to get the finest level of detail - as I say, pretty impressive.

First impressions of F1 2018 for me are overwhelmingly positive. I'm a sim racer through and through, so normally I'd be reluctant to spend much time in anything that I consider to not be the closest the developers can get to real world physics, however somehow it feels like F1 2018 manages to bridge the gap between the needs of people like me, and the desires of those looking for a more accessible experience impressively well.

I'm going to be spending more time with the title in the next few days, and of course will be making more videos as I go along, and at this moment in time I'm pretty excited to see what I uncover, not something I was expecting to say after the first day of running the game.

If I was a betting man, I might just have to say Codemasters have hit gold with F1 2018 after nine years of trying, and the results are pretty darn good.

Formula One 2018 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC August 24th 2018.

For more news and discussion around the upcoming new Formula One title, don't forget to check out the F1 2018 Sub Forum and get yourself involved in the discussion today!

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Do you like the look of F1 2018 so far? Are you interesting in trying it when it releases later this month? Let us know in the comments section below!​

 

[gamer19]

I confess: I enjoy the F1 titles a great deal. Well, Since 2016... They were pretty awful in 2014 and 2015, but they have raised their game since...

F1 2014 was a great game for it's time.
Let the number of downloads here on Racedepartment testify. Biggest of all F1 series titles and second overall, just behind Asseto Corsa. Looks good to me.

But look how cute Valtteri looks!

This looks more like a classic case of chronic constipation to me.

 

[Alastre]

watched the video a few more time..it's me or also this year we have lagging-fps drops on cinematic cut scene? When they show inside the boxes, or on the start line, or again during celebrations.. That's unbelievable.. I still have this stupid annoying problem with a Titan xp.. I guess replays are also affected too again.. Oh and what about the replay lenght??

 

[theravenousbeast]

So then, by unanimous consensus, this has to be the best comedy racing game of the year. I mean, you have to admit that it's hilarious that in 2018 it has no VR support.

Oh no, what will Codemasters do without the 5% of their playerbase worldwide

 

[Slowdive]

Oh no, what will Codemasters do without the 5% of their playerbase worldwide

Did you make up that stat on spot? Better yet, do you honeslty believe that only 5% of sim racers have VR?

 

[rubaru]

Everyone needs to stop hoorahing about classic content. I plan to keep complaining until classic content includes old tracks.

 

[ziogzzz]

Everyone needs to stop hoorahing about classic content. I plan to keep complaining until classic content includes old tracks.

It's all about this sorry for my posts, i really appreciate good sims, but small but, the guus those are doing game should focusonreal driving expierence, i know itis impossible to drive f1 on sim like in real life, but let things happen so close as musch as as xan get close to!

 

[theravenousbeast]

Did you make up that stat on spot? Better yet, do you honeslty believe that only 5% of sim racers have VR?

F1 2018 is not solely aimed at simracers. How many times does it take for some of you to understand this?

Or is that the reason for slow in your alias?

 

[abitbe6]

I give it three weeks before they patch the sparks out of the game again.
This will be the first f1 game I will not buy. No VR , No money from me.

 

[gamer19]

Oh you know you will...

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

If you are playing on PC then could you possibly comment on performance please Paul. The system requirements this year are quite a step up compared to previous versions and a lot of players are concerned on how well it will run.

I've only tested in on single screen, max settings. I'm running a 980ti and i7 from around 2016/17. Runs great so far, no noticeable lags / fps drops and performs smoothly on my rig. Not tried triples, nor have I invested tons of time, but so far, i'm plenty happy with performance.

This was my concern running a mid range PC. What are Pauls PC specs?

Sorry man, can't remember off top of my head, just the 980ti and i7 CPU. I'm not much of a computer guy, so these things are often somewhat beyond my comprehension !

My question is: how are the AI drivers behaving on track? Are they still robots? That's my main criticism of this title: the AI drivers never crash into each other, never go off the track, never lose a front wing... Also, there should be an option that makes it possible for your own car to have mechanical failure. That was lacking in 2017.

Actually pretty good tbh. The races I've done have been competitive affairs with some pretty good, clean, close racing. Very few restarts. I'm finishing up a video atm which I'll post either tonight or tomorrow, where I do 3 x5 lap races at Suzuka, Canada and Brazil. All were pretty good, although at Interlargos the AI did slow down in places I didn't quite expect, leading to a couple of bumps. Overall though, its pretty good. I'd be happy to race in an offline season with them without doubt

 

[Paul McCluskey]

oh how i wish we had the codemasters from years gone by when they made quality games not this year on year minor make it better or make it worse nonsense, but there again it just like anything nowadays , utter trash is what sells n so they keep making it like reality tv

 

[2stains]

You do this review of this franchise yet still have nothing on the supposed interview with the GTR3 team ! I thought that would be the news us Sim racers would care about not this same same crap from the last 8 years !
Boring !
#NoVRnoBuy

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

You do this review of this franchise yet still have nothing on the supposed interview with the GTR3 team ! I thought that would be the news us Sim racers would care about not this same same crap from the last 8 years !

Chill yer boots brother, I've only got one pair of hands and a pretty hectic schedule

You try juggling a full time job, child, family, housekeeping, writing the news, video making, interviewing, typing up, organising images, proof reading and publishing.. oh and arranging things on Skype for the next interview / news.. and other stuff. Heck, I might even fit some time in for eating and, oh I don't know, actually relaxing! lol.

Providing I get the pictures from SimBin asap, will be ready to publish this weekend. Text written now, just need those images and we are good to go.

 

[2stains]

Chill yer boots brother

Im trying to ! But ive had a tease and now I'm primed sitting ready to blow , its kinda uncomfortable holding a woody this long is all , lol

 

[OZ67]

You do this review of this franchise yet still have nothing on the supposed interview with the GTR3 team ! I thought that would be the news us Sim racers would care about not this same same crap from the last 8 years !
Boring !
#NoVRnoBuy

 

[Slowdive]

F1 2018 is not solely aimed at simracers. How many times does it take for some of you to understand this?

Or is that the reason for slow in your alias?

I take it math is not your strong suit. That's fine. He claimed that they could do without 5% of their player base. Now what percentage of their potential audience do you suppose are "sim racers"? Further, what percentage of sim racers do you suppose have VR?

I never claimed that sim racers were the sole or even target audience for F1 2018. What you did there was create a straw man. However, you'd have to be daft to not understand that the vast majority of sim racers have got to be at least potentially interested in it. And one could argue that VR is being adopted by this group faster than any other group in gaming.

In a broader context, F1 is in serious decline in popularity. As a result, I would think the developers would be eager to woo any audience they could find, especially one that already has an interest in the subject matter.

Anyway, I didn't really want to rehash this argument. I think it's been beaten to death already. I'm just always fascinated by companies who shoot themselves in the foot.

 

[Ruy Horta]

Anyway, I didn't really want to rehash this argument. I think it's been beaten to death already. I'm just always fascinated by companies who shoot themselves in the foot.

Sure, many companies do, but Codies has been pretty smart.

They have updated their engine with 2015 after really pushing every ounce out of the original - 2014 was a good product.

They actually seem to be in synch with their target audience - and unfortunately for simmers and VR owners they are not the target audience. It is casual players who like F1. Of course having enough sim features to draw in a percentage of sim players is good for business. As for VR like written before only a small percentage of your non target audience has VR, you do not invest in that technology. Their engine might easily support VR, it might not, but F1 series has to be a very efficient franchise because as a yearly game Codies has to push out a stable seasonal update that runs well on multiple platforms. It is easy to be dismissive until you get a grasp on the pressures such a deal brings.

Codies has always made fun simcades, if you keep that in mind the F1 is pretty succesfull.

2010-2018

That’s quite a track record for a race title.

 

[Andy_J]

Jesus H, this "no VR no buy" get's on my male mammary's. Sim racers are a small thing, sim racers with VR are even smaller. Games like these are aimed at their mass target audience, not the single nerd wearing the goggles and sparco racing boots and gloves while sitting on a vibrating chair. When VR becomes more affordable and mass market for console users as well as PC users, we will see a big influx of VR games but until then stop crying.
For what they are, these F1 games are superbly done by Codemasters and I doubt any other developer could have done so well with the franchise or afford it.
They appeal to F1 fans and casual gamers and they love these games, just like the FIFA fans love theirs. They are not bothered about racing seats, VR or 1000 dollar direct drive wheels, they use the xbox controller and they are the majority. They are who most games are aimed at these days, not us serious race simmers or flight simmers, we are a minority of a minority. End of rant.

 

[farjam]

The downside of having your character in a game... LOL

Anyways, anyone or Paul... How many GB does this consume on HD? I got this pre-ordered but I have 23GB left on my SSD.

I don't think you can install it on your SSD with this amount of free space, you gonna need +40GB free space if i remember correctly. need to relocate your other games/sims
btw i have pre ordered it too

___________

I consider f1 games (after 2016 version) as sims , not a f1-car driving simulation but a F1 championship and its atmosphere simulation.

 

[Michel Forest]

Jesus H, this "no VR no buy" get's on my male mammary's

Ha ha ha!!

Thank you for writing that! I don’t know how many of those « no VR no sale » posts I can take anymore...