Codemasters polish their excellent F1 franchise

The second game in the new franchise, F1 2011 sees developers Codemasters polishing and tweaking their excellent 2010 Formula 1 simulator.

New Features

Graphically even more polished than before, and with some subtle but important car handling changes, F1 2011 looks like an incremental improvement rather than a revolution. However, ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ as the saying goes, and Codemasters have added some important features that make this game a worthy successor.

In terms of realism, there is now an optional safety car for people who want the full F1 experience, and the KERS and DRS systems have been introduced too. The first gives drivers a quick power boost for overtaking, while DRS allows drag to be reduced while racing, again giving a possible speed boost.

Multiplayer is still excellent, and now features split-screen mode. There are two new circuits, the Nurburgring and Buddh International Circuit.

Be the driver

Like its predecessor, and other Codemasters racing games, F1 2011 houses its career in an attractive motor-home which acts as your menu hub. It looks good, but means getting to the action is longer than it needs to be. Careers are still excellent though, and you can tailor the difficulty and detail to your wishes, which will keep everyone happy. Driving manually while using KERS and DRS is certainly a challenge, but the great thing about F1 2011 is that you don’t have to make things that tough! The artificial intelligence of other cars is great, giving you interesting and fun competition even in one player mode.

Conclusion

F1 2011 is more of an evolution than a revolution, but that still makes it an excellent game. The sense of speed is maybe unparalleled, while the rain effect is absolutely gorgeous. Codemasters have taken a sport which can often feel dry and unwelcoming, and made it dynamic, visceral and exciting. We think F1 2011 is possibly the best looking racing game around, and will please hardcore fans and newcomers alike.