The F1 2010 Review

We always thought it a little ironic that the official video game for the world

It's best we start with the part of the game that saw the greatest improvement. Comparing the graphics from F1 2009 to F1 2010 is like comparing Lil Wayne circa Tha Block is Hot to Lil Wayne on No Ceilings. You would think two different companies made the games. This time around everything is sharper, clearer, and, well, prettier. You can see all the detail in the cars' liveries, and on the drivers' helmets. The environments are richer as well, allowing you to see the difference in curbing as you fly around a turn. The Singapore night track is just beautiful, as is Monza. The tracks look almost photo-realistic. Granted, we've only played the game on Xbox 360, so we're unsure of how it looks on the Wii, but trust us when we say you'd be doing yourself a disservice not playing it on a high-def platform. It looks as good as any simulator. And that's the highest compliment we can give.

Along with the improved graphics comes an improved weather system. We all know how weather can change the entire outcome of a race—just look at this year's Australian Grand Prix. Codemasters claims that F1 2010 has the most advanced weather simulation engine out of any racing game available today. And it shows. Weather plays a pivotal role in the game; before each race you have to consult your weather radar to see how you should manage your strategy. Depending on how hard it's raining, your car will, of course, behave differently. You can stay within the "dry lines" left by other cars, or take a chance and find your line. We don't recommend that. Don't plan properly and you won't ever make it to the winners circle... or even across the finish line. It may seem like overkill for most players, but for true F1 heads, it's the kind of realism we've been waiting for.

Codemasters calls F1 2010 a race car simulator, and while it comes extremely close, it falls a little short. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. For those not too familiar with racing and car control, the game is very approachable—as in, "you can drive a race with all the car aids on and make it through a race without plowing into a wall." The change in the car's ability is pretty noticeable when tires degrade, wing and aero levels change, or the fuel load is lightened. Very cool. We also enjoyed the translation of speed. You feel as if you're actually devouring pavement at the speed of a real F1 car. Even cooler.

You have the option of immediately going into quick races, playing in multi-player mode, or going through an entire season in career mode. To get the most out of the game, we suggest going through career mode. Not only do you race through the real F1 calender, you have to do press conferences where you (the player) answer the questions. And the answers actually affect how your season will go. When it comes to race management, you can be completely hands off and let the computer do it all, or you can get your Christian Horner on and decide everything that goes down with your team during a race. Our main gameplay gripe, and it's a small one, is the lack of ability to really get gritty with the racing. Trying to brake late doesn't always give you the advantage, while the AI of the other racers becomes pretty predictable. However, one thing they did get right was the difficulty in overtaking. You'd have a better chance taking Nicole Scherzinger away from Lewis Hamilton.

Sadly, unlike other sports, this is the only game that lets you really experience Formula 1. Yeah, Gran Turismo lets you drive a Ferrari and a Red Bull car, but you can't go through a whole season. Fortunately, this game is amazing. The overall attention to detail is striking. Everything from the driving to the realism of the environment and tracks is great. The real-time weather engine adds another layer that real F1 buffs will love. That said, lovers of Need for Speed will also be able to pick up a controller and jump right in. Like we all did for Lil Wayne and Tha Carter, we think it would be fair to ignore the last game and count this as the first of (hopefully) many great titles to come.