The latest instalment in the racing game series increasingly throws us into a moral quandary. Sensible innovations contrast with the much-needed general overhaul.
Original post: It has become a tradition for racing game enthusiasts: As in every year, a new part of EA”s official Formula 1 implementation will be released in 2023, namely EA Sports F1 23. We have already taken a few laps in the new racing cars and reveal our early impressions in this first preview.
First preview? That”s right: We are not allowed to reveal anything about the biggest innovation at the moment, namely the returning story mode Braking Point
In addition, we were not able to gather many of the above-mentioned impressions, because the selection of tracks was also still very limited in our version.
Today, we will therefore only deal with the technical aspects and the question that becomes more and more urgent every year: How long can fans continue to have fun with EA Sports F1 with a clear conscience?
Service by the book, but that”s all
Let”s start with the technology part, because it is most pleasing: The cars in F1 23 have noticeably gained both mechanical grip and aerodynamic downforce. As a result, we have much less to contend with unpredictable handling, especially when braking, accelerating out and going over the kerbs. “
The cars are incredibly precise, which is also due to the technology used for the first time Precision Drive
from which especially controller users should benefit. Judging by our early first impression, the cars also react noticeably to manual setup adjustments, which should please professionals in particular who missed the comprehensible feedback in F1 22.
All in all, you can expect the most rounded driving physics in F1 23 since the glorious 2017 instalment
The graphics have also improved more than expected. Especially in terms of lighting, there has once again been a visible step forward. In addition, the car models look even more detailed than before. However, the big drawback is and remains the spartan and lovelessly modelled track environment, be it buildings or vegetation.
Is F1 World what fans want?
Due to the limited scope of our preview version, that”s it for our early gameplay impressions. What we already dare to say with a clear conscience: EA Sports F1 23 will be a good racing game for F1 fans who want action-packed races!
European racing game for F1 fans who want action-packed races!
However, there is still one controversial innovation: F1 World
is intended to further expand the social component already introduced last year with the predecessor feature F1 Life. Not only can you expect all kinds of customisation options for your virtual racing driver self, but also seasonal content with exclusive rewards to keep you coming back to the game.
What sounds good on paper has caused a divided response among fans when F1 23 was announced. Some are excited about the more extensive online part and being supplied with new content even after months.
The others criticise the developers” focus on branded clothing, sunglasses, luxury sports cars and such content, which we will certainly also encounter in F1 World, and fear – as yet unconfirmed – microtransactions at every turn.
Our worry lines are also getting bigger every year – and that has nothing to do with F1 World for a start. Because the thoroughly exciting-sounding feature will of course get a fair chance to convince us in our soon to be released test
But if we listen to ourselves and at the same time look around in the racing communities worldwide, we are not alone with our worries. Because what was touted as the most authentic F1 simulation possible thirteen years ago is increasingly losing focus on what racing purists really want:
- Where are the urgently needed track updates? As before, the tracks in the game do not resemble their real-life models in many places. In some cases, the differences are even massive, for example in Spielberg, where entire curve radii are not correct. Here, even titles like the PlayStation-exclusive Gran Turismo are ahead, which, in contrast to Codemaster”s F1 games, feature elaborately laser-scanned tracks. If you want to see more, you should watch this comparison video on YouTube .
- When will the AI be properly balanced? The opponents have been performing excellently in duels for several years, but balancing still remains a permanent construction site. As before, the AI gets its lap time mainly through unrealistically high speeds on the straights, which is incredibly annoying, especially on tracks with a high proportion of full throttle. As soon as the AI has passed us, we are suddenly so close to it again in the corners that we can count every carbon part on the diffuser. If we go straight, on the other hand, we don”t stand a chance.
- When will the F1 flair return? Don”t get us wrong, Codemasters of course already manages to provide an intense F1 atmosphere. But there are so many more aspects of the real sport that could be depicted in the game: What about the coherently staged press conferences on F1 media day? Or interviews on the hectic grid? A more immersive way to go through your own telemetry with an AI race engineer, so that even beginners can find out where they can still make up time? A freely accessible paddock to run back and forth between the garage, team motorhome and press area? There are still so many possibilities!
- Where is the love for history? Compared to other sports, Formula 1 has a great tendency to always hail the past, which fans also appreciate. Remember the legendary Senna lap at Donnington in 1993? Or how Schumi crashed into Coulthard in the legendary rain race at Spa in 1998? Not to forget the extremely rainy season finale at Fuji in 1976! In short: Where are historic tracks in the F1 games? And, appropriately, legendary cars that not only buyers of the most expensive edition of the game get?
Yes, Codemasters has always stressed that their F1 games are not meant to be hardcore sims, but to pick up casual racers. But this target group would also benefit from the much-needed changes listed above. And with (the strong sales figures of the series) the much-needed general overhaul should also be well justified in the boardroom.
As much fun as the Codemasters racers are every year, they remain more and more below what is actually feasible. There hasn”t been a leap like the (really lousy) F1 2015 to the (really good) F1 2016 for years. At least the comeback of the story mode this year is a ray of hope, which makes us feel a bit better!
When the starting lights go out on 16 June 2023 and EA Sports F1 23 races onto your PC or console with DRS open, you re sure to have plenty of fun with the game again. But we constantly ask ourselves when heating up over the Kemmel Straight or the approach to the 130R: How much better could it all be?
