F1 2012 review
F1 2012 excels in realism. From the carefully worked car mechanics to the tracks you'll spend hours on as you try to shave milliseconds off your best lap time, this is a game for the sport's hardcore fans. Know the best time to operate your drag reduction system, or when to use the kinetic energy recovery system? This is very likely the game for you. Don't have a clue what I just said? It's going to be a rough road ahead.
Fortunately Codemasters has predicted players being troubled by a steep learning curve and added in the Young Drivers Test. This is basically a fancy tutorial mode that allows players to familiarise themselves with the basics of F1 cars and controls through a series of challenges. The first challenges are so simple they almost come off as tedious - drive your car really fast in a straight line and stop in a red zone - but after a while they become more useful and give you the tips you need to try and win races.
On top of the Young Drivers Test are a few new modes to take the focus off the Career section of the game. Season Challenge is one such mode and newcomers might be thankful for it as it shortens a season into ten races of five laps each. Players start off in a low ranked team and get to select a rival to beat in the next race. Beating your rival will reward you with their seat in a better car, continue to do this and you'll work your way through the field to become the champion. It's a good alternative for players who aren't quite ready for the stress and struggles of the full-on Career Mode.
Those searching for an even shorter challenge can try their luck in the Champions Mode where players will go up against six world champions including Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. But instead of taking part in full races you are then thrown into different scenarios to spice up the action. Can you overtake Raikkonen halfway through the race, or hold off Hamilton as he makes up the ground on you? It's another side challenge that'll take a couple hours to complete but it's better for a casual game when time is an issue.
It is clear Codemasters has focused on adding new modes to compliment the Career rather than making any changes to it. Other than some detailed race reports in between events it remains largely untouched from previous iterations. It will still provide the usual thrills and spills fans of the sport are used to experiencing and many, many hours of gameplay but it is very similar to last year. Unfortunately Grand Prix mode has inexplicably been cut so players can no longer take control of their favourite drivers in a series of races.
Moving onto the track and players should find plenty to cheer about. At times the visuals can look simply stunning as your car heads towards a bend at 200 miles per hour. A new localised weather system has been added which can provide rain on certain areas of the track and not on others. This leads to a more unpredictable race as players struggle to control their cars and have to make difficult tyre choices. When rain starts to fall you're advised to wait until you can understand how the track is changing under the conditions instead of heading for a pit stop straight away. While you wait there is a much higher chance of losing control of the car and slipping down the grid, but it makes for a tense and exciting situation.
Driving assists aren't as much help as they were last time round, either. Cars can easily veer from the road on a sharp bend if you're not careful when braking, as can going over chicanes too fast. While this technically might make for a more realistic game, most of the time it serves to make it very frustrating as a lot of good work can be undone in a matter of seconds as you go flying into the barriers. You'll also have to be very patient when overtaking as bumping into other cars or obstructing them will result in time penalties, although when illegally overtaking you will get a few seconds to let your rival back in front of you to avoid being reprimanded.
Diehard F1 fans should notice the small improvements made to this newest installment and will probably be grateful for them. Some may look upon it as just an update but at its best F1 2012 is a remarkably realistic racing simulation that delivers on the track, if not in the title menus. Players uninitiated with F1 games will definitely struggle to begin with and many will give in after taking an awkward corner too fast again, but if they persist with it they'll uncover a racer that keeps on delivering.