F1 2020

Review

For us fans of Formula 1, it has been a long wait in 2020 to see these incredibly fast machines in the hands of extremely talented drivers going flat out around a circuit (thanks to the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Codemasters usually release an F1 game every July, which is pretty much halfway through the actual F1 season, but in this unprecedented 2020 year, the first F1 race was held on the 5th of July 2020 in Austria. And now, the game has just been released a week later and right in the middle of the second Grand Prix, which is also being held in Austria. So, you can either watch it on TV or experience the thrill of driving a Formula 1 car in F1 2020.

F1 2020 is a Formula1 racing simulation developed and self-published by Codemasters on the 10th of July 2020 on the Steam, PS4 and Xbox One platforms.

I thoroughly enjoyed F1 2019, despite having a few issues with setting up my Logitech G920 wheel, but I must say upfront that F1 2020 is just spectacular! Not only did I not encounter any issues while setting up my wheel, but I can genuinely say that F1 2020 has made several steps forward compared to its predecessor.



This game has the full 22 circuits of the 2020 F1 season, which includes the brand-new Vietnam Grand Prix in the streets of Hanoi and the return of the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands. You can play the Solo and the multiplayer modes. In the solo mode, you can launch a driver career with one of the existing teams or create your own team. After selecting which way to go, you’ll have to customise your driver before you can start your career. Bear in mind, if you decide to go with your own team, you’ll also have to choose a sponsor, an engine manufacturer and your teammates, which will cost you money. You’ll not only be driving, but also managing your team.

If you’d like to jump into any of the Grand Prix, you can certainly do that and set up the Grand Prix as you wish. You can select how many practice sessions the Grand Prix will have (either none or up to three) and how long they will be. The same thing for the qualification, but it will be one lap or three qualifications sessions.  You can choose how long the race is (5 laps, 25%, 50% or the full race), the difficulty level (AI driver level) and whether or not you want a formation lap before the race. You can also do a time trial and try to record the fastest lap until you’ve had enough. Whatever you decide, before entering a Grand Prix or a time trial you’ll have to choose which type of car you’ll drive; will it be a current F1 car, an F2 or a classic car (all F1 of course)?

In the Career Mode, you’ll be driving in all 22 races, and you’ll also be in charge of the R & D of the team. The R & D is divided into four categories: powertrain, aerodynamics, durability and chassis. Each of these components will have several upgrades that you can research and then upgrade to your car when they are ready. Each research will cost a certain number of resources points, and there is no guarantee that it will be completed the first time around (yes, it may take you a couple of goes on some occasions). If you are not sure which upgrade to research first, you can ask for advice. You’ll receive resource points once a week and also after each Grand Prix, depending on how many programs you have completed during the practice sessions.

Between each of the sessions, you’ll usually have a short interlude with the wonderful press. Here you can raise acclaim points for yourself and your R & D team by praising them. Also, you’ll be awarded experience points after each session, which will go towards reaching new experience levels and unlock some nice items to customise your car or your driver.

As I run the game with a GeForce RTX 2080 TI on a 4k monitor, the graphics are absolutely stunning. The background circuit scenery, especially in Hanoi, Monaco and Baku are crisp and clear; the feel of speed is just amazingly realistic, regardless of which camera view you are using.  For me, the cockpit and the tv-pod are the best ones.

You’ll truly feel like you are a Formula 1 driver, learning the tracks and DRS zones as well as using the ERS on the right part of the track to avoid being overtaken or giving your car a boost while exiting a corner. But beware, the ERS seems to decrease rapidly when activated. As I use the TV-pods camera view most of the time, The MFD (Multi-Function Display screen) will be on the right corner of my screen, and it will show you when you activate the DRS and the ERS. You’ll also be able to talk to your team, change some of your car setups (fuel, brakes), see your tyre depreciation, engine issues or damage sustained when racing. There’s also voice activation, which I haven’t tried.

In terms of the difficulty level, I always start at the lowest level of difficulty (20%) and then increase it as I go. Right now, I am on 85% difficulty (AI drivers), and I must say, it is challenging for me! I might give it a shot at 90% in a while. 

I had a few issues with F1 2020. A few crashes occurred out of nowhere, in addition to a few black screens while launching the game with DirectX 12. Interestingly, the problem was fixed when I changed the Anti-Aliasing in the game video settings.

Codemasters did an excellent launch with F1 2020, and I have no doubt that they will fix these issues very quickly. It’s good, and I can see myself playing this game for hours on end.

 

Review written by THE CPT FROGGY for Zeepond.com!


Positives

+ Stunning graphics
+ All 22 official Grand Prix
+ Solo and multiplayer modes including split screens
+ Create your own team and career
+ Good character customisations
+ Very realistic simulation
+ Super fun and incredibly addictive
+ Achievements

Negatives

- No trading cards as yet
- A few crashes here and there.

Review Summary

F1 2020 –It looks stunning, feels realistic and is incredible fun to play. I lift my helmet to Codemasters; they’ve created an exquisite F1 simulation game!

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Zeepond Rating: 9/10

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