F1 2010 Review

Codemasters is first and foremost a company that makes good racing games. Sure, they have a few other franchises, such as Operation Flashpoint, but their primary focus has always been on wheels. F1 2010 is just the latest game in their growing list of offerings. I was a big fan of DiRT, so I was pretty excited to get a chance to play F1 2010. Does it deserve to be in pole position?

Let me stress this early on: this game is only for fans of simulation racing. For someone that has always had an easy time adjusting to racing games, F1 2010 is unforgiving. I mean it is brutal. Gran Turismo does not have anything on F1 2010 in the difficulty department. Even the “easy” setting will make you want to pull your hair out at times.

While you do not have to switch gears if you do not want to, the main challenge comes from braking, turning the corners and avoiding being too aggressive. The game will penalize you by adding time to your score if you cut corners too many times, crash into opponents and break other rules. You may be able to get away with that in games like Project Gotham Racing, but not here.

The main portion of the game that you will play is the season mode. You start off at a press conference where a reporter asks you your name, where you are from, and what team you will play for. It’s an interesting set-up to the racing that is to follow where you select a career of 3, 5 or 7 seasons. Each of the seasons is made up of the 19 circuits in Formula 1 racing. This gives you plenty of opportunity to rise and fall. Further, you can select whether you only want to race one lap, 10 percent of the race or the entire race.

Overall, F1 2010 is laudable for the precise execution and respect for Formula 1 racing. That said, even regular racing fans might find this game to be a bit too challenging. People serious on the simulation side of things will love F1 2010, although the customization options are not advanced like Gran Turismo. With not a whole lot of great racing games out there this year, F1 2010 is looking pretty good.