Is F1 still in pole position?
F1 2012 was the best F1 simulation to date and I personally couldn’t see it being topped this year, and while that’s true to a degree…F1 2013 is well worth pursuing. It maintains the same modes as last year’s game like Grand Prix, Scenarios, Time Trials and the like but it also adds the same for vintage F1 cars in its “Classic” mode.
Classic Mode is the real game changer to this year’s title and while it’s not exactly groundbreaking in terms of what it brings to the experience, it’s more chaotic due to the unpredictable nature of the cars of that era and it’s something that has been lacking in the sport due to the more modern cars being all about safety and less about the speed. It’s a nostalgia trip in essence and one that is worth taking in this humble reviewer’s opinion…
But the bad news is that besides the retro cars, there’s not much new to the table and that’s not exactly a great selling point. The controls are still as solid as last year’s, the AI hasn’t improved and the driving assists are the same, you can still rewind past mistakes a number of times and that’s the long and short of it. There have been small improvements like being able to save mid-session during long weekend races so you can tackle it at your own pace and an expanded young driver test, but other than this it’s business as usual.
Which isn’t a bad thing on the whole; Codemasters have almost perfected the “formula” for F1 games with great controls, almost perfect visuals and the legendary voice of Murray Walker to boot. The load times aren’t too bad either, while the framerate is consistent for the most part.
The Verdict
F1 2013 may not have brought a lot of new features to the franchise, but it does make minor improvements and being able to drive Classic F1 cars more than makes up for it, making it a worthy purchase for fans both old and new.
