We are now only a handful of weeks away from the release of F1 24, the official video game dedicated to Formula 1. We have recently already revealed some important news about this new chapter: in particular, we focused first and foremost on the new physics engine and the guide and then reveal all the juicy news of the beloved Career Mode.
The developers of Codemasters, with the help of Electronic Arts equipment, have dedicated many resources toincrease in loyalty of their creation, compared to what we actually see on the track during the Formula 1 Grands Prix. On this front, some tracks have received a notable update to be practically identical to their real counterparts. At the same time, i drivers and single-seaters received similar treatmentthanks to the facial sampling of the protagonists of the F1 and F2 championship and the official designs of the single-seater bodywork, provided directly by the teams’ engineers.
So discover with us how the tracks, drivers and cars have evolved in this F1 24!
Silverstone and SPA as you have never seen them
The legendary circuit of Silverstonescene of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix way back in 1950, was completely digitally remapped, thanks to advanced LiDAR technologies. This allowed Codemasters to obtain extensive data to recreate this track in their game engine, to try and replicate every curve, curb, bump or dip present. Similarly, the circuit of SPA-Francorchamps in Belgium has been completely revised and perfected, both on an aesthetic level and in the shapes of the track. In fact, the Belgian circuit has received a major overhaul in recent years to modify the escape routes, curbs and asphalt. Now we will finally be able to enjoy it 100%, racing our cars through the scary Eau Rouge or trying to take the Pouhon curve without lifting our foot from the accelerator at all.
Codemasters he then also revisited the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia and Losail in Qatar. Since these tracks are now fixed events on the Formula 1 calendar, the developers wanted to improve their aesthetic appearance, making them more similar to what was seen on television. With this in mind, details have been added to the structures surrounding the circuit and some small improvements to make the environments more characteristic.
Pilots with real radio teams
Using Electronic Arts equipment, the same used for footballers in the FIFA and FC series, the Codemasters developers were able to intercept Formula 1 drivers to create a detailed facial sampling. The end result is noticeably better than before, with the virtual counterparts being impossible not to recognize even with a quick glance. This is certainly an appreciable innovation, even if clearly marginal, especially in light of the fact that, in the new Career Mode, we will be able to directly impersonate our favorite driver.
By taking on the role of a real pilot, we will also be able to enjoy a further surprise. If particular conditions occur on the track, such as a Grand Prix victory, a bad accident or a collision with other drivers, we will be able to hear the real voice of our pilot. In recent years Codemasters has in fact sampled hundreds of radio team from official Formula 1 events, now being able to count on a rather large archive to be able to implement this functionality. Even in this case it is a marginal innovation, which however increases the sense of involvement.
The single-seater chassis
Every year Codemasters receives CAD projects of the single-seaters and a series of technical specifications from the official Formula 1 teams to outline the performance on the track. Once the virtual counterpart of the car has been created, it is presented to the engineers to validate its behavior and performance, so that it is as similar as possible to reality. This year the game engine has been further tweaked to make the chassis of the cars shine.
Now the reflections of the surrounding environment impact the metallic surfaces in an even more realistic way, thanks to technologies such as Ray Tracing. This effect is particularly noticeable in night races, where the headlights and circuit lights are reflected in a coherent and realistic manner on the car’s livery, giving a greater sense of immersion to the gamer. The same treatment was also applied to F2 single-seaters, given the important changes to the regulations of this category, which influenced the behavior of the cars on the track, in addition to their aesthetic appearance.
All this translates into greater visual fidelity than in the past, although unfortunately some problems are still noticeable, probably due to the use of the proprietary game engine and the availability of the video game also on older generation platforms. Obviously it is still early to be able to give our opinion, which is postponed to a few weeks in view of the official launch scheduled for May 31st.
The recent presentation revealed an impressive attention to detail in the reproduction of the tracks, from the legendary circuits of Silverstone and SPA-Francorchamps to new additions such as Jeddah and Losail. Unfortunately, however, many old circuits were neglected in this rebuilding work. The introduction of facial sampling of drivers, combined with the use of real radio team recordings, promises to make the gaming experience even more immersive and authentic. Furthermore, the attention to details such as the reflections on the chassis of the single-seaters, thanks to technologies such as Ray Tracing, demonstrates Codemasters’ commitment to guaranteeing an increasingly better visual experience. It remains to be seen how all of these innovations will translate into the actual gaming experience, but expectations are certainly high for these particular aspects of the game.
