With the sport growing rapidly, and no intentions of slowing down, 'F1 23' continues the yearly release, but gives the player a good experience. Whether you're a total rookie on the controller or a pro on your Fanatec wheel. 'F1 23' is a fun time overall.
Anymore, there is a lot of saturation for Formula 1 in America. There has been rapid growth in the sport in North America. Three Grand Prix in the USA now alone. The series is still seeing major success from the Netflix Series, ‘Drive to Survive’, and it’s clear that the series is here to stay. How does that popularity transfer to the gaming world though? ‘F1 23’ is the newest release in the yearly franchise from EA and long-time developer Codemasters. It’s been clear that the franchise is moving in a new direction, and this year’s release takes a major, but is it for the best?
After a year hiatus, the narrative game mode ‘Braking Point’ returns with some familiar and new faces. You come back to the track with the racing gloves and helmet of Aiden Jackson, who has had a total trajectory change for his career in F1. Now racing for the newly formed Konnersport Racing Team, but most notably..now teammates with Devon Butler. Yes, that Devon Butler. The one who made your life a living nightmare last time out. I’m a firm believer that racing gods, whether in-game or in real life, have great senses of humor.
You are mired in the dark as you hop back behind the wheel in F1. New team, new teammate, new teammate, and team drama. Each weekend feels like a survival to get points and not wreck the car. You’re also given a few new roles in this act. You also help make decisions as the team principal this year. But probably the biggest addition to ‘Braking Point 2’ is Callie Mayer. She’s a hotshot rookie coming off the F2 Championship and gunning for a seat at racing’s highest table.
Having put several hours into the story, it’s a big step in the right direction after a year off. The narrative is woven well and keeps you enticed throughout. Sure if you watched years of movies or played years of games then you can most likely figure it out, but if just let it happen and evolve it keeps the player enticed. However, there are parts that I just..lost interest in. Your first race with Mayer is a sequence where she is leading, and setting a good pace, but you pit and are forced to win the race from a mid-pack place after the stop. This just doesn’t feel like a true race situation so it kind of took me out of the race and story. There are also some races where the challenge is to finish, which is fine, but they can draaaaaaag on for periods feeling just like a chore that you have to get done, or an F1 race with Red Bull right now.
‘F1 23’ also gives you the new hub of ‘F1 World.’ The new spot for all things online and solo in the game. There is a lot here. Like so much that it can be overwhelming at times. Here is where you meet and create your avatar for online play, allowing you to create your player. Similar to other EA titles like NHL. ‘F1 World’ features a Gran Turismo-like menu layout with the ability to run Series with AI and allow you to travel to parts of the globe and get your fix.
In this world is the F1 World Car, yes F1 World has F1 World Car..Imagine this is like your custom online character in any other game. You’re able to build and upgrade your wheels and team to make the powerhouse for online play.
Speaking of online, the devs have added something that I am so excited to see. Essentially, ‘F1 23’ adds a licensing system similar to the sim of iRacing. Race clean and continually place well in online races, move up the license system and get to race with some of the best. Race like a fool and destroy everything in your path? Banished to racing purgatory with the rest of the hooligans. This is a great thing for online racing but features a double-edged sword. You get rewarded for having skill, speed, and racing smart. However, if you’re someone like me who drives virtual race cars about as well as he writes, you’ll be in a tough spot. Race clean, but be put in lower license classes. It stinks at times, but it’s worth it for the betterment of online racing.
Speaking of racing and actually being out on track, ‘F1 23’ is a damn good time. While I normally review these on my wheel in pedals, this year I have been relegated to a controller (RIP to my Logitech G29..you lived a good life, now rest easy). Even on the PS5 controller, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall feel and control of the car. Taking traction control off for your driving experience is also the best feeling. Hanging the back end out of an F1 racecar at Suzuka is so much fun.
I was disappointed with the throttle response. When braking for a corner, the trigger holds a lot of tension. You can feel the force of the brakes hitting the rotors. When you get back on the gas to exit the corner, you feel nothing, as if there isn’t anything on the other side. Now, I will most likely never get to drive a Formula 1 car, let alone a racecar, but even my stock Ford Ranger has tension on the pedal. I expect better.
With the sport growing rapidly, and no intentions of slowing down, ‘F1 23’ continues the yearly release, but gives the player a good experience. Whether you’re a total rookie on the controller or a pro on your Fanatec wheel. ‘F1 23’ is a fun time overall. There is a little bit of ‘clutter’ at times. You feel like you’re having to sort through a lot to even just mess around at Montreal in a quick race, but the overall racing experience is gonna give you your fix. I will say that if you’re a hardcore sim racing driver, then this might be a pass for you. However, ‘F1 23’ is still worth your time on track.
