Hi all.
Just hit 100% completion and as I did with DiRT Rally I just wanted to take a few moments to thank Codemasters for putting together an enjoyable racing game.
It's been a while since I've had fun with a Formula 1 title. Like many users I loved F1 2010 and F1 2011, but was dissatisfied with the lack of progress in recent years.
Having seen and read about the many positive changes that F1 2016 had to offer I was willing to give it a go and am happy to have done so.
Here's a few brief notes on what I liked most about this title:
- The Achievement List is very well-thought out and rewards you for trying out the various aspects of the game.
There's very little "grinding" involved and the Multiplayer Achievements are very generous.
Multiplayer is "optional" for those that bought this as a Single Player game, without blocking off 100% completion to people that are happy to race on their own. - The R&D and Practice Programmes finally gave me a reason to take part in Free Practice sessions, and are also good learning tools.
I hadn't driven at Sochi, Mexico or Baku before, but after a few laps of Track Acclimatisation I felt I knew the layouts quite well and could confidently race at those circuits. - The feedback from the Xbox One triggers was impressive, right up there with Forza Motorsport 6.
Through the controller I could feel the limits of grip very well, and could confidently handle heavy braking and turning without locking up. - The cars were fun to drive without being overly difficult to "drive hard".
Combined with the controller feedback mentioned above, I felt that I could really push these cars if I wanted to, and attack the corners with ease. - The AI drivers were fun to race against.
This is a true rarity in racing games, as most AI drivers are either too aggressive or complete pushovers. I was pleasantly surprised to have some genuine on-track battles with a few AI drivers, where we would each take advantage of the other drivers' lines into corners. It didn't happen all the time but when it did it was almost as good as racing online.
Also, here's a few thoughts and suggestions for the future. I understand that working on a licensed title is expensive and difficult, so I'm not "demanding" any changes for 2017, but I figured I'd pop these in the virtual suggestion box anyway.
- I would like to see my Rival's car highlighted on the mini-map, and in the timing screens.
- I would like to be able to select an opponent and use their current best lap as a Delta time.
- I would like to see some classic Formula 1 cars return in the future.
While the current driving experience is solid there's no denying that driving 1 type of car can get tiresome after a while. While a licensed sports title will never have the car variety of a Forza title, a few alternative driving experiences could go a long way. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of classic F1 content available in Forza Motorsport 6; a game that features F1 cars from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2015. - On a related note to above, I would like to see the 2016 Season cars/tracks included in F1 2017.
There will be a notable difference between the cars of '16 and '17, and having both would add more variety to the driving experiences on offer.
- I'd like to see a greater chance of retirement through reliability issues.
In the 2 seasons I completed (both with Simulation Damage) I only had 1 non-crash-related issue, a puncture. I would like to see the potential for gearbox, engine and brake failures in future if at all possible. - I would like to see more types of practice programme included.
While the 3 programmes currently available are a welcome addition to the series, I feel that I can get through them very quickly, and as such have no need to do FP2 or FP3 should I complete them all in FP1.
Thanks again, hope to be back for more games in the future.