F1 2017

F1 2017 for PC, PS4 and XONE is another installment in a series of racing games developed by Codemasters (above all, the creators of DiRT Rally and the Colin McRae Rally series) based on the Formula One license. F1 2017 came out in August, 2017.

Mechanics

F1 2017 is a Formula One simulator, which gives an opportunity to race in Formula 1 cars of the 2017 season, as well as older machines, as one of this installment's main features is constituted by the presence of classic vehicles, such as 1988 McLaren MP4/4 (Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna raced in this car), 1992 Williams FW14B (Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese), or 2002 Ferrari F2002 (Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher). These cars are available during special races in the season, as well as in other modes, such as time trials or while competing against others in the multiplayer. The list of all the classic cars included encompasses the following vehicles: 1988 McLaren MP4/4 (available as a DLC in F1 2017: Special Edition), 1991 McLaren MP4/6, 1992 Williams FW14B, 1995 Ferrari 412 T2, 1996 Williams FW18, 1998 McLaren MP4-13, 2002 Ferrari F2002, 2004 Ferrari F2004, 2006 Renault R26, 2007 Ferrari F2007, 2008 McLaren MP4-23, and 2010 Red Bull Racing RB6.

A much more complex career mode is another novelty in this follow-up, as the player is not only required to drive, but also to customize their car. One has to be increasing their car's efficiency while simultaneously sticking to the rules of Formula One in order to avoid getting penalties. Consequently, the creators re-designed the system in charge of research and development, offering the players with a lot more options.

Further novelties are associated with the tracks one races on. Codemasters prepared 20 representations of real tracks, but for the first time in the franchise, the player can try out four additional ones – those are slightly altered versions of the authentic tracks.

Apart from that, the developer improved the driving physics, and the in-game cars do a better job at recreating the performances of their real-life equivalents. The same happened to the AI-controlled drivers, who perform better during races than in the previous installment.

Game modes

When creating F1 2017 for PC, PS4 and XONE, the developer's focus was to deliver more of the F1 experience in a better way, so apart from the modes that were already included in the previous installment, F1 2017 brings the new, Championship mode. Additionally, Codemasters extended the career and improved the multiplayer component, which now features more precise online statistics, a system of progression, as well as improved matchmaking.

Technical aspects

In terms of the visuals, F1 2017 for PC, PS4 and XONE is very similar to the predecessing game. However, the creators introduced certain improvements, associated for example with the system behind the weather. In this year's edition, weather conditions on tracks are more realistic and less predictable.

Last updated on 23 August 2017