For all its strengths as a racing sim and graphical showcase, last year’s F1 22 didn’t go down as a vintage entry. Fans bemoaned the absence of the Braking Point story mode, along with the introduction of a bizarre F1 Life mode, which seemed more focused on collecting fashion and furniture than performing on the track.
This year’s model will be more of a crowd-pleaser, refining the handling and driving experience, while delivering modes worth sinking your time into. While there’s not much that’s truly revolutionary, it comes together as the strongest F1 package in years.
For a start, Braking Point is back and it’s still a great way into what can be a slightly dry and technical racing game. Where the first part focused on talented rookie, Aiden Jackson, and veteran, Casper Akkerman, part two follows Jackson and two young rivals as they spar for position in an up-and-coming racing team.
It’s every bit as soapy and melodramatic as before, with the races interspersed with frantic phone calls and cinematic cut scenes, but it does a great job of hurling you into thrilling chunks of high-gear action. Crossing the line is tricky enough without the extra pressure of a troubled car or temperamental team-mate. There’s plenty to handle off the track as well, as you do your best to make it through post-race interviews without a mishap or take the role of the team manager, deciding which opportunities to pursue, and which might end up in another social media disaster.
Braking Point is stupidly compelling, with believable performances and enough behind-the-scenes shenanigans to keep you glued to your gaming seat. Yet if it’s not your can of red bull, there’s still a perfectly enjoyable career mode, where you can opt to ease your way in as an F2 driver or just kick off your journey in an F1 seat. But the real long-term appeal of F1 23 lies in the all-new F1 World mode.
Working as a hub for curated single-player races and challenges and multiplayer events, it’s a huge improvement on the unlovable F1 Life. Sure, there’s still a shop where you can splash out on cosmetic upgrades for your car and driver, but progression is now centred on the garage, where the experience points and prizes you unlock through racing can be turned into faster parts for your car or new team staff who come with their own perks.
The events, meanwhile, cover enough ground for almost any kind of racer, from fairly simple arcade challenges to themed series of races to demanding tests of precision and endurance. The AI is smart, if a little prone at the moment to risky overtaking manoeuvres on corners, and the potential for multiplayer races and weekend tournaments is clear, with events that tie into the real-world F1 championships.
This is the closest the F1 series has come to the Ultimate Team modes of FIFA or NBA 2K, and there are some worrying signs of microtransactions creeping in, with a two-tier Podium Pass system that works much like the Battlepass in Fortnite. Yet F1 World gives F1 23 more long-term depth than previous installments, while turning the game into a more inviting social space. Just be warned: there’s a lot going on here, so don’t be surprised if it takes you a good few sessions to work out how it all fits together.
Crucially, F1 23 improves on the good stuff that made F1 22 worthwhile. Last year’s game faced an uphill struggle simulating the changes made to the real-world F1 vehicles, leaving you with cars that felt incredibly weighty and prone to understeer on slower corners, or spinning out on the faster turns.
This year’s cars still have that sense of weight, but the handling’s smoother and more predictable, though turning the driving aids down or off can still give you a shock if you’re used to more seat-of-the-pants racing games. Even on the mid-ranged Experienced driver profile, mistakes are easy to make and can put you out of a race in seconds. Overall, the team at Codemasters has hit the right balance between giving new players a fun F1 experience and giving serious sim racers a challenge.
The visuals, meanwhile, have never looked better, creating an incredible level of immersion and a nerve-wracking sense of speed. The new Las Vegas track, making its real-world F1 debut this year, shows impressive levels of detail, with some superb high-speed sections and a nasty hairpin bend. Azerbaijan’s Baku city circuit remains a nightmare of narrow streets and ninety-degree corners, only eclipsed by Monte Carlo, which is close to terrifying in parts.
The game even packs in some spectacular weather effects. Head out onto a rain-slicked Silverstone, and you can feel the tension rise as you risk a high-speed corner with poor visibility and a tangible loss of grip.
Of course, there’s still room for improvement. F1 23 risks drifting into FIFA levels of unnecessary complexity, and there are still no classic cars. The ability to build up a garage of supercars and take them out on time trials sounds more fun than it actually is, with the handling twitchy and weirdly unsatisfying. Yet F1 23 shows a confidence and mastery of racing dynamics that eluded last year’s title. If you’re a hardcore F1 fan, it’s essential. Even if you’re not, it’s still a thrilling drive.
