F1 2017 Have Your Say: The New F1 2017 Game - Good, Bad or Indifferent?

[Paul Jeffrey]

For this edition of our 'Have Your Say' feature of articles we want to know your thoughts on F1 2017, the latest Codemasters official Formula One game.

Released to much fanfare throughout the racing game world, F1 2017 finally hit the store shelves on Friday morning for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, however has the game lived up to the hype, or does it promise more than it can ultimately deliver?

Formula One games have found themselves something of a nice little spot in the racing game marketplace these past few years. It is not quite a fully blown simulation that appeals to a minority within a minority, nor is it totally arcade with fantasy physics calculations. After eight years with the official license, have Codemasters finally found the sweet spot between simulation and mass market appeal?

The question for today is a bit more open than usual, but hopefully generates plenty of debate amongst us sim racing fans:

What is your opinion of the new Codemasters F1 game, and is it any good?

Please stay respectful and constructive in the comments (as we always say..) and let the debate begin!

 

[Enzo Fazzi]

ISR said it's a resource hog. How does this run on i7 + 980Ti and triple screen? Think I'm gonna wait for pCars 2 to decide if I'm gonna get either of them.

The career seems interesting and something that HC sims don't have. But supporting badly optimized games isn't good. And I can't play driving games without triples anymore

I'm running with an i7 920 oc'd to 3.8Ghz, 8gb ram and a 970 on triples with solid 60 fps on high/max graphics.
You can always buy it and then refund it with <2 hours playtime via Steam.

 

[FernandoAFM]

I love it! It's the best in the series so far, and handles miles and miles better than 2016. The classic cars I drove so far are awesome.
Antialiasing isn't great. I hope it can be patched.
Wish they had brought Imola and Brands Hatch back. I'd love F1 2018 to include all tracks since 2010 - Turkey, Valencia, India, and the two German GPs.
Hell, I'd love a modern F1 99-02.
Maybe F1 15-18?

 

[Valart]

Have owned all versions of f1 by code masters. Some were good some not so much. No VR support means no sale. Really disappointed, maybe next year.

 

[PR3D4TOR]

Handling:
It is a step in the right direction. It is still Simcade but FINALLY: Proper traction. F1 2016 was challenging without TC but for the wrong reasons. People started lugging the engine (this had NOTHING to do with short shifting anymore) to get traction out of corners. You were NEVER able to apply the throttle the same way they did in real life.

In F1 2017 it is much better regarding right throttle application. You can be earlier on the throttle and the cars overall feel less unpredictive and way more satisfying to drive.

Its a good game, give it a go. You might not get a Simulation when it comes to MGU-H/K, etc. like in Assetto Corsa but the handling itself reminds me of a proper F1 2017 mod for AC (Formula Hybrid 2017).

Graphics:
Looks pretty fantastic on PC. Improved track surfaces and faces have been improved also. It really shines in the rain though. Looks FANTASTIC in my opinion. Looking forward to proper ENB-Settings. (PC obv. only)

Career Mode/Content: Vastly improved Career mode and many classic cars and events with them. Love it. Classic cars sound pretty neat (beside the MP 4/4 i must admit, but the F2004 is a glorious machine)

Performance on PC:
Windows 10 x64, 6700K, GTX 1070, 2560x1440
Runs super smooth.

Conclusion:
Check it out. It is a much better game than F1 2016 (which was enjoyable for me but not because of its handling)

 

[Alexander Shepherd]

I am a bit dissapointed with the classic mode as it doesn't have classic drivers like in 2013 would be good to see people like ayrton senna on the podium and also the drivers driving for the correct teams.

 

[Peter Kerényi]

I am a bit dissapointed with the classic mode as it doesn't have classic drivers like in 2013 would be good to see people like ayrton senna on the podium and also the drivers driving for the correct teams.

I think you should look at those cars are as privately owned and raced classic cars. Explains some tyre differences as well at least.

 

[PR3D4TOR]

I already made a mod which edits the random drivers and adds to immersion a bit. But unfort. i have not found a way to place a certain driver in a certain car all the time. So in my mod J.P. Montoya might race the 2010 RB6 or Mika Häkkinen the F2002. Still its decent enough and for sure better than these random names

 

[MarkR]

Fabulous game, the FIFA equivalent for motorsport and for me more exciting than the real sport often is.

+ Career mode is engaging and immersive, a CarRPG especially starting with the lower teams.

+ Car handling feels good to me, plenty of weight to the wheel and the tracks are alive with feedback.

+ Racing the AI, matched to my ability via the percentage setting, is heart pounding stuff. That is surely the main thing in a racing game. It is easy to get lost in the moment.

+ The opening Verstappen challenge at Spa is great fun and shows what a well-curated game offers long term. The transition from dry to rain spots to drizzle to damp to wet is so well communicated through the wheel, sound and on screen graphics and is easy to adjust race pace as a result. It seems like this is the year when realistic weather has come to the fore across racing games.

+ The historical challenges add even more gameplay, so good that they are a choice, not a forced option. A small detail I know but the on screen MFD display layout/font changes really capture the era of the cars.

+ Rules and realism, so good to see the real rules applied across the race weekend, many other race titles could learn from this, and the AI actually abiding by the rules. Seeing AI cars getting out of the way on in/out laps and reacting realistically to blue flags makes the game so much more a representation of the real thing.
+/- I will leave the out and out sim value arguments to others. It's more than good enough for us, from 7-70+ it is a playable game and as a result I imagine it is going to sell well.

- Only mild negative and others will see it as a positive, is that the game is a real time sink with all the practice sessions, R&D etc.

Both the PC and X1 versions are working perfectly here and I'm looking forward to seeing the native 4K Xbox One X version in action and how that looks vs the PC.

2016 was good, 2017 is great.

 

[Cote Dazur]

indifferent as long as not offering VR

 

[jimortality]

indifferent as long as not offering VR

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Alexander Shepherd]

I already made a mod which edits the random drivers and adds to immersion a bit. But unfort. i have not found a way to place a certain driver in a certain car all the time. So in my mod J.P. Montoya might race the 2010 RB6 or Mika Häkkinen the F2002. Still its decent enough and for sure better than these random names

Yeh but i think if they added classic drivers like senna and schumacher and have there real face it would be awesome i don't want to race against people i have never heard of i want to race against legends.

 

[Carlitox]

While I'd give last year's game a 9.5/10, this is more like a 9,9/10. What's that 0.1 missing? Some extremely tiny but annoying things this game still has:

Track limits: Bulls**t, though you can say they're like real life in a certain way. For some weird reason, at Spa, nailing La Source so that you're as close as possible to the inner wall, will nullify your time. Maybe for the same weird reason, running wide at the exit won't affect you. Same happens at Monaco, half of your front right wheel is too close to the inner kerb at Sainte Devote? Screw your lap. Half car goes over the kerbs at the Swimming Pool? Keep it rolling.

Defensive AI: It still doesn't exist, aside from maybe some defensive lines on some tracks, but not that much. Attacking AI has improved immensely, but deffensively they do nothing.

Premade Avatars: C'mon, none of those guys look like me! At least let me do some small tweaks, put a goatee on one of them like I have. My poor guy looks more me after a week without a shave.

I wanted to express my dislike for those things but do not be discouraged. This is one of the best official F1 games ever made. Nothing will ever surpass GP4 but you don't get much closer than with this. If you love F1, get it NOW. If you're a simracing anorak that hates the physics of this game, wait until a sale, but please do get it when it does. Play it as a hobby. You will not regret it.

Ps.: I asked @Joseph Wright if the AI was still dumb while overtaking you with DRS. He said it's not. He was right. I managed to race side by side through the 130R, without a bump. Just like I said above, attacking AI is surprisingly aggressive and quite skilled from what I've seen so far. Here's hoping for a little fix for deffensive AI.

 

[kamackeris]

While I'd give last year's game a 9.5/10, this is more like a 9,9/10. What's that 0.1 missing? Some extremely tiny but annoying things this game still has:

Track limits: Bulls**t, though you can say they're like real life in a certain way. For some weird reason, at Spa, nailing La Source so that you're as close as possible to the inner wall, will nullify your time. Maybe for the same weird reason, running wide at the exit won't affect you. Same happens at Monaco, half of your front right wheel is too close to the inner kerb at Sainte Devote? Screw your lap. Half car goes over the kerbs at the Swimming Pool? Keep it rolling.

Defensive AI: It still doesn't exist, aside from maybe some defensive lines on some tracks, but not that much. Attacking AI has improved immensely, but deffensively they do nothing.

Premade Avatars: C'mon, none of those guys look like me! At least let me do some small tweaks, put a goatee on one of them like I have. My poor guy looks more me after a week without a shave.

I wanted to express my dislike for those things but do not be discouraged. This is one of the best official F1 games ever made. Nothing will ever surpass GP4 but you don't get much closer than with this. If you love F1, get it NOW. If you're a simracing anorak that hates the physics of this game, wait until a sale, but please do get it when it does. Play it as a hobby. You will not regret it.

Ps.: I asked @Joseph Wright if the AI was still dumb while overtaking you with DRS. He said it's not. He was right. I managed to race side by side through the 130R, without a bump. Just like I said above, attacking AI is surprisingly aggressive and quite skilled from what I've seen so far. Here's hoping for a little fix for deffensive AI.

The defensive AI is the only thing thats stopping me from getting it at the minute (oh and the fact I can't get on my pc till Tuesday as I have family here!). I don't think they will fix it personally...

 

[Chobonator]

While I'd give last year's game a 9.5/10, this is more like a 9,9/10.

 

[timson72]

One thing I noticed tonight the drying line is non existent,no clear indication when to pit for slicks.

 

[Flammenjc]

better ffb, better graphics, better overall, but the AI are still ****ing unbelievely ****. Their aggression is way too much. They stick their nose in 2mm and don't yeild, EVER. They will ****ing turn you.

 

[MikieC]

Much better - best one yet. FFB is surely improved, and runs great!

 

[Michel Forest]

It's very good. I'd give it 9/10. One thing that struck me is the FFB difference between the modern cars and the classic ones. FFB with classic cars seems *much* stronger. Am I the only one who noticed this?

 

[Yannick Van Broeck]

I'm giving it a very good 8.5 out of 10.

• good graphics
• improved FFB
• AI slider: This was very much needed. I'm not one of those aliens driving at AI level 110. With Australia for example I use AI lvl 83 for P and Q and 86 for the R to create competitive races. I really have to work for it. I have a spreadsheet where I keep track of all of this so I don't have to retest it each season. It depends from track to track.
• TrackIR support, it's no VR but it helps a ton when I race in cockpit view
• The AI has improved on the offensive side of things; however I believe they are a bit overly aggressive. They still don't drive a defensive line though; Maybe next year
• Car setup system is still the same old slider system which I believe could use an update.
• Most importantly: great fun factor!!

 

[Dethrone1427]

No proper anti-aliasing, no mouse support? I guess I'll have to pass on them lazy physics once again.

Surely this could be fixed by creating a Nvidia profile in the inspector program? Anyone who owns Automobolista has to do this, it's quite simple and overrides the programs AA settings