Review: F1 2011
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Part of the appeal of a sport like Formula 1 is in its complexity. Defined by its technical approach to racing and mechanical innovations, the pinnacle of motorsport is a complicated sport in which every single millimeter of track is vital to performance, precision and perfection, and where every single fraction of a second counts. It’s a sport driven as much by the engineers and mechanics of a team as it is the famous drivers who define Formula 1’s other main force: celebrity appeal. And its incessant pursuit of achieving high speed perfection is characterized by the technology that underpins and enhances each and every race the category holds. But this complexity, whilst impressive and awe-inspiring in reality, doesn’t necessarily guarantee success elsewhere.
First and foremost, the biggest difference with the F1 2011 is the same changes that made this year’s real season so compelling: DRS (Drag Reduction System), the return of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and the new Pirelli tyres. These additions to both the sport and, by extension, the game were designed to change the dynamics of the racing and make things like overtaking much, much easier than it has been in previous years. DRS allows drivers to open their front wing at a predetermined location on each track (it’s available wherever the driver feels confident to use it in Practice and Qualifying sessions) and gain a boost from the change in their car’s aerodynamics. KERS, on the other hand, makes its return after being on hiatus from the sport for a couple of years, and acts essentially as a turbo boost button (something familiar to anyone who has played racing games before), giving the car an extra 80 horsepower to play with when and where a driver needs it. Finally, the new Pirelli tyres (a significant change after years on Bridgestone rubber) were specifically designed to deteriorate quickly, enforcing more pit-stops (emphasising clever race strategies) and more excitement as drivers contend with less grip and, thus, more chances to make mistakes or even spin out.
These additions define F1 2011 and act as the key difference from last year’s surprisingly successful game, keeping experienced players on their toes by delivering, essentially, a whole new experience, while offering new players the chance to engage with the toys that have increased Formula 1’s popularity in recent years and ensured its excitement. They also give way to a level of complexity, however, that is perhaps too overwhelming for the majority of racing enthusiasts.
In concept, including these additions makes sense because it keeps the experience realistic, true to the sport and, perhaps most importantly, up to date. But at the same time, F1 2011 is a videogame that needs to remain accessible to a wide audience – ensuring future installments as an annual franchise – whilst offering an authentic depiction of the sport. In execution, adding them to the game means that the player has more things to do and more things to manage, a potential problem when they’re already concentrating on staying on their racing lines, getting the most out of the car and striving for victory.
Adding these features means adding them to the controller, taking up two buttons (the tyres, obviously, don’t count here) before players even get out onto the track. When added to acceleration, braking (the triggers) and steering things are fairly manageable, but increased complexity arises if you’re the kind of player who likes to use manual gear shifting or who enjoys experimenting with different fuel mixtures (another more subtle addition to this year’s game). It doesn’t take long to become familiar with it, and Codemasters do allow individual players to change the button layout to suit their personal preferences, but the point is that the complexity gained with implementing these features is potentially overwhelming for some, perhaps even a deterrent for others. Your mileage here, much like the various assists (traction control, etc.) and driver aids (such as help in the pit-lane), will vary.
Beyond the big three changes to the sport, another significant addition stands out as integral to F1 2011: the safety car. Arguably F1 2010’s most notable and biggest omission, the safety car finally arrives in this year’s game and, by extension, improves the experience as a result. As impressive a representation of the sport as F1 2010 was, the lack of any caution periods, yellow flags being waved around the track or the appearance of the safety car really hampered the game’s immersion, particularly as crashes and left-over debris were cleared amazingly quickly and racing resumed to normal conditions. In F1 2011, the inclusion of the safety car adds another element to race strategy as you can pit whilst its out on the track and potentially gain an advantage, but ignoring that it adds to the realism because, let’s face it, the safety car is a natural part of motorsport, no matter the category.
The way it works is that, like in real life, you must maintain a gap to the car in front and behind you, keep a steady speed as you tour around the circuit, meaning don’t go faster than the car ahead, and certainly don’t pass anyone lest you get penalised. You also need to weave from left to right and back again to keep your tyres warm and within their optimal temperatures, otherwise you will lose car performance. Like the pit-stop interactivity of F1 2010, it keeps you in the game by letting you engage the circumstances rather than having the game take them away from you. Speaking of pit-stops, it was disappointing to find that, unlike last year, they’re essentially automated this time around and you don’t need to worry about managing the speed limiter or braking for your pit-box. We guess it was a necessary by-product of adding in everything else, but it’s still an unfortunate loss all the same.
Visually, F1 2011 looks much better than 2010, with improved lighting, more detail in each track’s environments, and more polish given to the cars. Interestingly, it has lost some of the sheen of the last game, giving F1 2011 a grittier feel in the process. Sound has also been refined to emulate the roars of the cars from this year’s season. There’s a somewhat visceral element to the aural components of the game with things like the DRS wing opening providing a satisfying sense of character to the cars and their behaviour. Cars aren’t as smooth as they were last year, grumbling if you shift down quickly and lift off the gas, and you can feel the bumps and grinds as you wobble down the road and jump over some curbs.
Most important are the improvements in the way the cars handle. Where in F1 2010 you had to really finesse the car to ensure accuracy and precision, being careful to avoid curbs in the process (unless you were really good), in F1 2011, after a period of getting used to the more active handling model, you can really attack a circuit by muscling the car around and using the curbs to your advantage. Riding the curbs doesn’t put you into an instant spin like it could in 2010 and it actually encourages you to use them by enticing you to shave extra tenths off your lap time if you attack. If you do find yourself starting to lose control, there’s much more room to catch the car and counteract any oversteer or understeer that you might have, ensuring a much more realistic representation of the ways in which a driver can use their talent to achieve their goals, rather than adhere to any traits that a car might have.
It’s clear that Codemasters have made a better game, building on the already strong foundations laid down by last year’s title. At the same time, these differences are born from the sport, not from refinement of the actual game, and as such it’s not as impressive as F1 2010 was out of the gate. Get it if you want to play with DRS, KERS and the safety car, as well as the new tyres and obvious team and driver changes, but be warned that it’s not a major step up from last year’s game, and its added complexity could be overwhelming for some.
8
The F1 Grand Prix – featuring the fastest cars in the world, where races aren’t decided by speed but by parking.