In some respects, the F1 22 feels like a completely different game than its predecessor, but that’s not a big surprise. This season has brought about some significant regulatory changes, not to mention the drastic changes in car models. As a result, Codemasters has suspended work to reflect everything in this year’s Racing Sim. Overall, it did a great job and provided fans with yet another enthusiastic F1 experience.
The first impression is strong. You can see that the budget has risen a little thanks to EA. There are sophisticated presentations that now include licensed music throughout the menu. You can disable this if you want, but you can give the off-track game a bit more flavor. You’ll also see F1 Life, one of the big new features out there. A flashy hub that gives your home menu a little more flair and can be customized to your liking. You can dress your driver in casual or racing clothing, change the look of your home, or unlock and view your supercar.
It’s a decent idea, but it feels a bit lacking. Customization options are relatively slim. You can visit other players’ F1 life areas, but basically they all look the same. It wasn’t connected to the hub at all. I actually used it only to drive an unlocked supercar. As you progress through the game, you will be given tokens that can be exchanged for the selected supercar. These can be exhibited and put on track either in a time trial or in the Pirelli Hot Laps. We’ll talk about this later.
Driving these supercars on the F1 circuit is very new. Of course, the handling models of these games are unique to these open-wheel monsters, so of course, these road-legal vehicles are very different to drive. Even if you’re still traveling fast, they offer a great pace change from the fierce intensity of F1 racing, and are especially welcomed in the course of career mode.
Both DriverCareer and MyTeam are back and they remain as detailed as you would expect. Whether you’re joining an established constructor by replacing one of the real drivers, or joining a pack with your own team, Career Mode is the essence and core of the game. It includes all 22 official rounds, but you can also choose to upgrade your car, hire a second driver, manage your budget, and more.
Pirelli hot laps appear at specific times during the season, allowing you to ride a truck in a supercar and tackle challenges. You may need to compete with another driver, achieve the highest average speed in the sector, or beat the time while passing through the gate. There are several goals to learn and you can play during your career or individually.
Perhaps the most notable thing about the F122 is its flexibility. Whatever experience you want from it, you are given a lot of room to bend the game to your liking.It doesn’t seem like you can change it Mario Kart, But the huge amount of options you have is welcome, allowing new fans to enjoy the game as much as the most enthusiastic F1 followers. This applies not only to weekend races, but also to handling. You can shorten things to one-shot qualifying and five-lap races, or completely monopolize. You can participate in events such as pit stops and safety car accidents, or present them in a broadcast style to focus on your actions. It’s impressively easy. It’s a pity that there is no story mode. It’s coming back next year, but it’s a great starting point for casual players.
The handling of F1 cars should generally feel different from 2021. Above all, the thick wheels, tuned wings and modified body design make the car heavier and more prone to understeer. Compared to previous games, avoiding circuits, especially more technical tracks like Monaco and Azerbaijan, feels slower for us because of the more sense of wrestling for control. That said, the F1 22 is still a super fast and very fierce race, and it’s incredibly rewarding to get the needles through correctly.
On the truck, the game looks great with excellent car models and truck details. Unfortunately, when you’re not holding the steering wheel, the visuals start to fade. Human NPCs are outdated, and sequences such as podium scenes and circuit opening shots tend to tear the screen and reduce frame rates. This is a bit uncomfortable when driving at the perfect 60 frames / frame. The second. I also had to withstand one or two game crashes, which was before the patch on day one, but I found some anomalous visual glitches. In other words, it can feel a little sloppy. Originally focused on cars and racing, the rest of the game can feel like they aren’t paying the same attention.
Conclusion
Overall, the F1 22 is another high-quality simulation of motorsport, with excellent handling and detailed and engaging career modes. The presentation is powerful and the game generally looks and sounds great, but some aspects, such as the character model, aren’t exactly where they should be, and F1 Life adds so much to the experience. I will not. I expect the patch to fix them over time, but I ran into more bugs than I expected. It has it where it really matters, but some extra polish will put it higher on the grid.
