It is that time of the year again, where Codemasters has brought us another official Formula 1 racing game to experience. F1 2020 is the latest addition in the long-running series by Codemasters with their partnership with FIA. I got a review copy of the game that I got to play on the PlayStation 4. The game comes with many new features, a completely new game mode, and vast improvements from the last game in the series. Before we begin with everything, I have to admit, Codemasters has done everything right and ticked every box you can think of. This is our review of F1 2020 on the PS4 in which we jump in the fastest F1 cars ever made and try our best to set the fastest lap times possible.
I have been playing F1 games by Codemasters since F1 2010, which makes this a whole decade of playing the series all through the years. F1 2020 is by far the best game yet by Codemasters, with everything I could hope for in the game. From a deeply involved Career Mode to the newly introduced My Team mode which I have spent the most time with. The addition of the Classic Cars, which was once considered the best thing to ever happen to the series, is now joined by Formula 2 to give you a feel of what it takes to be a rookie and make your way to become the Formula 1 Champion.
F1 2020 already comes with many things that you may be familiar with. That is of course if you have been playing the last games this past couple of years. From the Classic cars and Formula 2, and the ever-popular Career Mode, we now have a My Team mode which takes the Formula 1 experience even further by having you start your own team from scratch, manage the team by being the boss, and also be the number 1 racing driver of your own team. What more can you ask for? My Team mode lets you make very important decisions from sponsors, the engine providers, additional drivers, and the full capability to develop your team as the season progresses.
From the moment I start any F1 game, I immediately go for a Time Trial, just to get a feel of the car, the physics, the visuals, the tracks, anything which can make me differentiate from the past game. While the physics of the car, the drive, and the conditions of the track felt pretty much the same as the last game, I started noticing improvements on the AI side of things. Opponent drivers felt more unforgiving during races and did not hesitate to close the door when I tried to overtake them in the corners. Furthermore, I felt the slipstream is further reduced which makes it quite tough to overtake, and why wouldn’t it be changed? The game now has a dedicated Overtake button which was missing in the ERS side of things.
As I shifted from Time Trial to a custom race weekend, I started noticing a few new things. Besides the new HUD that is featured when using the default T-Cam view of the car, the most important feature during racing is the new Overtake button that lets you use your ERS for a little boost. No longer do you have to wait for DRS zones to overtake in the game, as Codemasters has added the real deal by adding in the Overtake button. Managing your ERS is also vital, and using the Overtake should be used in a strategic manner for the best way to climb positions.
When I say that F1 2020 is for everyone, I mean it. Codemasters have always done a fantastic job of trying to explain everything to a beginner. Every new feature brought into the game to every little activity you can engage in that brings out another element of experience and fun related to Formula 1. The Career Mode works pretty much the same as it has been for the past several years now, with the addition of multiple upgrades, R&D, track activities in Free Practice, and of course, the interview with the press. There is nothing that doesn’t help you understand the world of Formula 1 in F1 2020. If that isn’t for you, there is nothing stopping you to just jump in, and get straight into action by racing.
One of the newest features of the game for beginners is the game’s accessible handing. This is a completely brand new accessible handing option for the less-experienced players who are new to F1 games and just wanted to try out the thrill. The game has a Casual mode for beginners, which when turned on will give you simplified menus, steering assists, option to reset to track when if they veer off track, and make it easier to drive on surfaces off the track. This works great for beginners that lose control and drive off in the gravel. Driving on such surfaces will be quite forgiving and will allow beginners to regain control and join the track relatively easily.
The biggest feature in the game is the new My Team mode, which as mentioned before lets you start your own team from scratch and enter among the elites. I was always pretty happy with the Career Mode in the past F1 games, but I might have gotten used to it, and quite frankly bored by it. However, the new My Team mode has reignited my interest in experiencing every aspect of running a team that you built with your own decisions and plans. Again, the game spoon feeds you with how the new mode works and how to progress with it. Being the Manager/Team Driver gives you a better understanding as to what goes behind the curtains when developing your team together.
My Team is not only about developing your racing vehicle, which is obviously the biggest feature of the mode. You also have to manage your team members, meet the demands of your engine supplies and contractors. The best part for me was the individual screens for each development section of the whole team. One of the screens shows team engineers working in an air tunnel to test aerodynamics, while the other showed more working on the engine unit or the chassis of the car. This is where you can actually feel like the owner of the team, getting to know each and every component of your car and the upgrades that are to be fitted on the race car.
The Career Mode of the game comes with basically the same things in the last game. However, a very big change in the new Career Mode is the 10-year career which will allow you to basically experience a full-fledged racing career of a typical Formula 1 racing driver. Everything else is the same, from choosing your team, race settings, driving up the ranks of Formula 2 and entering your rookie career by selecting a Formula 1 Team, and then developing your career, team, and vehicle to take it to glory.
Moving on to the Classic Formula 1 cars that are featured in the game. F1 2020 comes with more classic championship-winning cars this year. The Digital Deluxe Schumacher Edition brings in Michael Schumacher and four of his iconic championship-winning racing cars from his career. From the Benetton B194 and Benetton B195 that crafted Schumacher’s brilliance and boosted his Formula 1 career, to his classic Ferrari F1-2000 and updated Ferrari F2004. Michael Schumacher is definitely the GOAT of Formula 1, and reliving his career by driving his iconic cars is more than anyone could ask for.
As F1 2020 is the officially licensed game with the FIA, this means that the whole calendar year features every track that is planned for the year. The 2020 Formula 1 calendar year included new circuits like the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands and Vietnam’s challenging Hanoi Street Circuit. Now we all know the year has not turned out to be exactly how it was planned for the real-life Formula 1 Racing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the closest we will ever be in experiencing the new tracks in F1 cars. The new tracks have never been a part of the game before, so it is a welcome addition for new and old fans of the game.
Another feature that was highly discussed before the launch of the game is the return of the Split-screen mode. This mode is exactly what you can expect in the game, allowing you to add another player with a controller and join you for a local co-op experience. The split-screen feature was last seen in F1 2014, six years ago, and is a quick way to challenge your friends or loved ones for a quick race in F1 cars. The best thing about the split-screen is that it comes with a full Grand Prix Weekend, allowing you to compete with your friend in qualifying and then battle it out on race day.
Some small features in the game, which add to the contents even further, include the Museum. This allows you to go through each of the vehicles that you can drive in the game, and provide you a brief history of the cars. I thought this nifty little section is a great feature that adds depth to the game and gives us insight into the current cars and the classic cars. Classic cars surely deserve this recognition by displaying their history and greatness.
Final Verdict:
F1 2020 is a masterpiece by Codemasters this year around. The game is a complete Formula 1 experience from whichever angle you want to look at. As an official FIA licensed game, I got exactly what I expected from the game. From the brilliantly new My Team Mode, which lets you truly experience the real deal of Formula 1, to the several new features brought into the game, both in the car and out on the menu. In simple words, there is a lot to do in the game now than ever before. The Career Mode features an all-new 10-year career that you can stretch to if you prefer, or drive in the newly added real-world tracks from the Netherlands and Vietnam. Whether you are a beginner or a returning fan of the series, F1 2020 is currently the best Formula 1 experience out there. I would highly recommend you give the game a try, especially its My Team mode for added realism.
Final Score: 9.5/10
