Written by: PlayDevil.com Staff

 

 

 

I have to be honest here, I have no real frame of reference for F1 2011. Developed by Codemasters the game is, by all accounts, as close to photo realistic as I have seen. With many years developing racing games under their belt, and now three iterations of the very well received F1 licence, it should come as no surprise that the 2011 release of the franchise is looking good.

 

But as I said, I haven’t played the earlier games, nor have I been an especially avid viewer of the sport of F1 in recent years. All this left me at a bit of a loss as Codemasters’ Executive Producer, Paul Jeal, and Chief Game Designer, Steve Hood, began to enthusiastically explain the updates that have been made to the new game.

 

What made my grasp even more tenuous is that the beginning of the talk didn't talk in solid concepts, but instead the games own lingo. F1 2010 adhered to the motto ‘be the driver live the life’ in reference to the gameplay both on and off the track. As huge racing fans themselves Codemasters focus was to make the game all about racing, so many of F1 2011’s improvements remain focused firmly on these elements.

 

Ensuring the car handles realistically is a huge element of this. Despite many praises being lavished upon 2010 it hasn't stopped the team revisiting it once again in 2011. Handling has been improved with alterations made to the suspension and tyre models ensuring believable traction to the track, allowing the rear of the car to swing and grip with changes in down force and surface. It is an element visually represented too as, watching the demo, black smoke shot from the rear of the vehicle as it bumped around a poorly taken corner. Also building on 2010’s racing model comes improved KERS and DRS… no I don't know what it means but if you are into F1 then maybe you do so I thought I would mention it.

 

Improved to AI have also been made, ensuring that even when racing computer-controlled opponents there is a sense of personality. Racers with better cars automatically perform better due to extra-horse power it affords them, and they do not simply race prescribed lines but react to the situation around them.

 

Racing these faster and more believable AI’s requires careful use of slipstreaming and other racing tricks. To help with a slight turbo has been added to F1 2011’s cars helping with carefully planned overtaking. This race AI is modelled through out the game and not just what the player can see. Each drivers entire qualifying and race is simulated, even when on the other side of the track to player allowing for unseen parts of the race to be more than just number crunching. This full simulation enables the race director to be able to model any of the drivers qualifying session and race, and play them back at request, to see how the winner stayed in front.

 

To add to the drama and importance of overtaking the car damage model has also been enhanced. One-complaint among fans of the first game who wanted a real simulation experience was that (compared to real F1 cars) the in game machines felt too robust. 2011’s new damage model sees more fragile vehicles being crushed and deformed to the point where a car can easily fail completely from a single impact.

 

The ‘Live the life’ element of the game’s motto is also improved, seeing off-track elements also undergoing an overhaul. Pit crew and race coverage will see increased driver feedback and opinion of the player will shift depending on their performance and attitude in post race interviews. This will effect future progression in the game, with constructors basing their hiring decisions on attitude as much as results.

 

The new addition to the ‘be the driver live the life’ motto is 'go compete’; with huge changes having been made to the online multiplayer for F1 2011. With the online field having increased from 12 cars to a full 24 car grid (16 players 8 AI), racing online is not only truer to the sport, but also considerably more competitive as the game’s paced action encourages slowly moving up the field battling for every position in the crowded field.

 

The ‘go compete’ motif also follows through to a new co-op championship mode, perfect for taking advantage of the games split screen racing. This mode is a first for the series and allows a pair of players to take each seat of a constructors team and race through the full championship. With players having to work together tactically rather than a simple dash for the finish, worrying not only about their own position but the teams, this could add a whole new dynamic with its co-op racing.