Let’s make one thing clear. If you’re looking for a fast simulation racer that can keep up with Max Verstappen, F1 Manager 2022 is not for you. For the first entry in the new F1 Manager series, Frontier Developments takes a different approach than Codemasters’ F1 22, replacing the driver’s seat with a pit wall. A racing management game similar to Football Manager is a rarity on PlayStation. motorsport manager I haven’t jumped over it, but Frontier fills a niche well.
F1 Manager features all 10 of F1’s current teams and 20 drivers, each with different budgets and two goals from the board. As a team principal, my immediate goal is to win the Constructors’ Championship, but I also have long-term goals, such as getting on the podium regularly. Expectations are matched by actual performance, so those who miss out on their best results at Red Bull don’t last long, but Williams is happy to score points. , it’s more rewarding to pick a small team and work your way up the ladder. Unfortunately, you can’t create your own team. Therefore, Constructors chose his Martin as Aston with the lofty goal of securing his eighth place in the championship.
With Frontier’s sim, the controls are less granular. Big decisions are your only real concern. Car performance allows engineers to improve existing cars or focus on research projects for the next season. Those who chose a less competitive team may find their research more beneficial. Facilities can also be upgraded at a hefty cost, offering benefits such as improved team morale in exchange for increased maintenance costs. It is easy to operate.
Race weekend is just around the corner after the day’s work is done. In addition to these board expectations, all teams have performance targets set by their sponsors that provide great rewards for achieving these.From recording the fastest lap to reaching Q2 in qualifying, You can include optional goals, but you’ll be charged a small fee if your chosen goals aren’t met. Still, the potential payouts are significantly larger, so it’s a risk or reward situation for those who are feeling confident.
Just like in a real Grand Prix, there are three practice sessions to fine-tune the car set-up and familiarize the two drivers with the circuit. The main driver can be swapped out with a reserve driver in the first practice to gain experience. It’s a great place to test set-ups and allow drivers to familiarize themselves with both the circuit and the cars. The more confidence drivers have in their cars, the faster they can drive. Qualifying he used a three-stage knockout format, with his five slowest drivers eliminated until he reached the top ten. As an aside, sprint races are not included. However, if you’re not worried about managing all the details during practice or qualifying, the team can handle that automatically, but you can’t skip the main event.
Come on race day, choose your pit stop strategy, check the weather forecast, wait for the lights and you’re off. Your role is better summarized as fine-tuning them through orders. As a team principal, you can issue pace commands to influence fuel consumption, direct aggressive driving to influence tire wear, and preserve DRS battery life. If necessary, the team can issue his orders, such as avoiding a fight with his teammate or asking one driver to stop the car behind him. Each decision is critical to gaining that competitive advantage, and you can pause the race so you don’t have to rush.
F1 Manager 2022 is a game of patience, especially when choosing a low-end team, but executing a successful strategy and securing those key points is very satisfying. I couldn’t count how many, but before I suddenly realized it was 3am, I realized I was “one more round” ahead. Even small things like overtaking on the last lap make me nervous and I feel proud of my effort. The controls are well adapted to consoles and are a bit cumbersome given the wide range of options, but easy to learn. Accessibility options such as alternate UI colors for colorblind people are also welcome additions.
It’s not just statistics and graphs. All handled by an impressive 3D engine that conveys the action well. Admittedly, those visuals don’t exactly match the F1 22. While some character models head for the uncanny valley alongside weird graphical pop-ins, F1 Manager 2022 does a great job of capturing the spirit of watching a live race. Not only did it deliver, the replay of the incident feels like it was pulled from Sky Sports’ highlight reel. As you fast-forward through the race, it switches to map view and switches back whenever action is required.
Our biggest problem is that events on the track are not always realistic. On several occasions, drivers who barely went wide received an overly enthusiastic response from commentator David Croft. However, to his credit, it’s completely branded. Worse still, I’ve noticed a few serious crashes where the driver hits the wall straight and keeps going. rice field. These aren’t big complaints â F1 Manager 2022 does a great job of maintaining immersion â but little things like this can detract from it.
After finishing the race, the driver gains experience points. This experience is ultimately rewarded with development points that are used to improve skills such as braking and defense. If someone is consistently underperforming, you can look for a replacement and negotiate a contract. So by 2023 Lance replaced his Stroll with Valtteri Bottas. I advise you not to be a stingy boss. Each time negotiations go awry, they lose patience with you and eventually shut you out. Summarize. And before you know it, we’re starting over. We aim high. You can’t go wrong. Future seasons will be much the same, but this is the only time we will be able to negotiate sponsorship deals and engine suppliers.
Conclusion
F1 Manager 2022 is a strong first entry in Frontier’s new series, filling a long-lost niche on PlayStation. It captures the spirit of F1 with attention to detail, has some thrilling races and was impressed with how well the 3D engine handled race day. I wish I could, but it still has its own charm. F1 fans shouldn’t miss this one if they have the patience for the long haul.
