- 12
- Mustangman99
Well, I love FM3, and I love F1. So when F1 2010 came out, I had to try it. Here is what I thought:
THE BAD
1. No Replay - This is a big deal to me. This means for multiplayer races you can't review the events in the race. You can't save a replay to post online. You can't take pictures. You can't review the telemetry from a practice. It's seems like an odd omission for a racing game these days.
2. Limited tuning - Compared to Forza, the tuning aspect of F1 2010 seems much more simplistic. I think my expectation were that tuning would involve very minute adjustments, because big changes would upset the car's balance on track. Instead, it reminds me of raising and lowering a bike seat. The changes are done in notches, and you may or may never really be satisfied with the notches they listed. Of course, it's hard to know because you can't review your performance in the telemetry!
3. Wheel lock-up - Apparently this has been written in a lot of other places as well. In dry racing, it does appear rather difficult to actually lock up the wheels. Interestingly, I thought it was much easier to do in wet weather. Go figure. Anyway, they will eventually sort of lock up, but you never really get an audio or visual clue of it happening, and it only becomes noticeable when you try to turn at the same time.
4. AI Difficulty - It's tough to gauge this one, but on hard level the AI drivers still seem to be... well, not all that hard. Sure, they're quick, but I've only just started to learn the game and I'm running faster laps than most of the field.
5. Other - Some of these are limitations of the F1 series in general, or just basic game mechanics. Can't see cars nearby. Damage seems limited to wings and tires. Brake line is borderline distracting. Engine sounds can get a little annoying after a couple hours. Lewis Hamilton is in the game.
THE GOOD
1. The Tracks - They are great. They feel like they're scaled much better than Forza. When I've watched in-car videos of tracks in Forza, they seem much shorter in real life. F1 2010 seems to get that right, and the tracks feel more claustrophobic with other cars nearby. The lighting seems more realistic as well.
2. The Weather - It's all it was purported to be. Is it raining a little or a lot? You'll know the difference. It's cloudy and cool? You'll feel that too.
3. Full race weekends - This is more of a career mode thing, but the entire weekend feels immersive. I believe you can do the same qualifying and raceday events in the multiplayer as well, so that could make that element more interesting and less cumbersome than Forza.
4. Other - It's F1! Sector timing. Tire wear and fuel load is modeled perfectly. Pit stop repairs. Graphics seem solid.
All in all, I would say it's a solid game, but there are flaws that will ultimately limit it's lifespan for multiplayer, I think. The career mode looks fun, but once that's done, then what? When you consider that Forza offers the ability to paints cars, tune them to greater detail, and save replays and pictures, it's hard to imagine F1 2010 would ever eclipse the already community available.
THE BAD
1. No Replay - This is a big deal to me. This means for multiplayer races you can't review the events in the race. You can't save a replay to post online. You can't take pictures. You can't review the telemetry from a practice. It's seems like an odd omission for a racing game these days.
2. Limited tuning - Compared to Forza, the tuning aspect of F1 2010 seems much more simplistic. I think my expectation were that tuning would involve very minute adjustments, because big changes would upset the car's balance on track. Instead, it reminds me of raising and lowering a bike seat. The changes are done in notches, and you may or may never really be satisfied with the notches they listed. Of course, it's hard to know because you can't review your performance in the telemetry!
3. Wheel lock-up - Apparently this has been written in a lot of other places as well. In dry racing, it does appear rather difficult to actually lock up the wheels. Interestingly, I thought it was much easier to do in wet weather. Go figure. Anyway, they will eventually sort of lock up, but you never really get an audio or visual clue of it happening, and it only becomes noticeable when you try to turn at the same time.
4. AI Difficulty - It's tough to gauge this one, but on hard level the AI drivers still seem to be... well, not all that hard. Sure, they're quick, but I've only just started to learn the game and I'm running faster laps than most of the field.
5. Other - Some of these are limitations of the F1 series in general, or just basic game mechanics. Can't see cars nearby. Damage seems limited to wings and tires. Brake line is borderline distracting. Engine sounds can get a little annoying after a couple hours. Lewis Hamilton is in the game.
THE GOOD
1. The Tracks - They are great. They feel like they're scaled much better than Forza. When I've watched in-car videos of tracks in Forza, they seem much shorter in real life. F1 2010 seems to get that right, and the tracks feel more claustrophobic with other cars nearby. The lighting seems more realistic as well.
2. The Weather - It's all it was purported to be. Is it raining a little or a lot? You'll know the difference. It's cloudy and cool? You'll feel that too.
3. Full race weekends - This is more of a career mode thing, but the entire weekend feels immersive. I believe you can do the same qualifying and raceday events in the multiplayer as well, so that could make that element more interesting and less cumbersome than Forza.
4. Other - It's F1! Sector timing. Tire wear and fuel load is modeled perfectly. Pit stop repairs. Graphics seem solid.
All in all, I would say it's a solid game, but there are flaws that will ultimately limit it's lifespan for multiplayer, I think. The career mode looks fun, but once that's done, then what? When you consider that Forza offers the ability to paints cars, tune them to greater detail, and save replays and pictures, it's hard to imagine F1 2010 would ever eclipse the already community available.
