F1 24 is the new chapter in the famous Formula 1 game series from Codemasters and EA. This year, the game tried to bring some new features to the Career mode, as well as a revised driving system to be more accessible to everyone.
Net of this, F1 24, available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC (Steam and Origin), shows the side of various problems, as well as a technical sector that is starting to struggle, perhaps held back by the past generation of consoles.
The new Career
One of the main innovations of F1 24 concerns the Career mode, which allows players to embody real Formula 1 drivers. This new approach offers greater immersion, allowing you to experience challenges and competitions through the eyes of champions such as Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Each driver has specific challenges that reflect real-world difficulties, making the gaming experience significantly more personalized than before.
Not only that, dressing the legendary Michael Schumacher is one of those incredible experiences that only a true F1 fan could truly understand.
This year, without the Breaking Point cinematic mode, we find the classic one Pilot Careerthe Scuderia career and the ability to play a Career Mode with a friend online. Codemasters has added small elements to enrich the experience, but the changes are minimal and often drag out the story without significantly improving the game.
The new rivalry system allows you to compete with three drivers with similar statistics, but is reduced to a series of numbers and evaluations that are often difficult to understand.
Game mode
In addition to Career mode, F1 24 offers several other game modes such as Grand PrixThe Time Trial and the multiplayer. Two-player Career mode allows you to collaborate or compete with a friend on the same Formula 1 team, while Challenge mode challenges players to overcome specific objectives to climb the global leaderboard.
The Champion Edition of the game includes Formula 1 legends such as Jamie Chadwick, Pastor Maldonado, Juan Pablo Montoya and James Hunt, offering additional gameplay options for fans of F1 past and present.
The Career Mode menu is perhaps a little too chaotic, filled with graphics, messages, notifications and other useless information that could be quite annoying.
At the very least, the rivalry with the teammate now influences the developments of the car, adding an interesting element in the career path.
This year, without the Breaking Point cinematic mode, we find the classic Driver Career and the Scuderia Career
Then we have the Career Challenges which represents the real novelty of F1 24 in terms of game modes. This mode offers challenges for the online community, with a limited number of consecutive and variable races defined by the developers. While the idea is interesting, the mode is burdened with superfluous content and mandatory free trials, which can discourage players.
A driving model that works?
The development team worked on the physics system, improving the handling of the cars and the behavior of the suspensions. The tires respond better to temperature variations and environmental conditions, while the aerodynamics system has been updated to offer a more precise simulation of the forces at play, with an improvement in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which makes the flow of the tire more realistic air and turbulence. Tire feedback also varies based on weather conditions, making the difference between dry and wet more marked than in the past.
The game struggles to excel in steering wheel performance, not offering the best force feedback. Driving is still fun and accessible, although some simulation purists may be disappointed by the easier handling than in the past.
In short, F1 24 looks better with the controller than with any steering wheel and considering what kind of game it is… well, it’s not the best.
However, we found a lack of obvious innovations in the gameplay, noting that the driving experience is simpler than in previous chapters, which may disappoint simulation purists.
Furthermore, we found some bugs and critical issues in some situations (even wet tires not detected), even after the latest patches released. The team will have to work hard to improve the experience and ensure a solid game free from problems that could ruin the fun. In short, an uphill road.
An appreciable visual component but…
Premise: the graphic aspect of the game has been improved, with a redesigned animation system and details that are more faithful to reality. Tracks have been updated to better reflect their real-world counterparts, with major changes at Silverstone and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Cars benefit from the use of advanced technologies such as data CAD, Ray-Traced Dynamic Diffuse And Global Illuminationwhich improve lighting, shadows and reflections, making every detail even more appreciable.
Apart from this, however, F1 24 is no longer very impressive on a graphic level. Codemasters’ proprietary engine seems to have reached its limit, and support for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One further limits the technical evolution of the game.
The team has always reiterated that the engine is still in great shape, but we are starting to suspect that it could use a good modernization also by virtue of what we have seen in recent years with Gran Turismo 7 or Forza Motorsport. Let’s hope next year can be the right one for an important leap.
