INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The sport of Formula One is a world of glamour, cutting-edge technology and high-octane drama
When we watch Lewis Hamilton and co do battle wheel-to-wheel at speeds of over 200mph, we only see half the story
We don't see the hours of development, fitness work and media interactions that go into making the modern F1 driver
And as much as the TV cameras can give us an insight into what happens behind the scenes, only a videogame can put us directly into that
overall had a strong track record (no pun intended) with the F1 license
Last year's F1 2017 was arguably the best F1 game Codemasters had ever made, and a strong contender for best F1 console game of all time
So in lieu of this and the fact that annual sports games can often struggle to innovate year-on-year, can the latest instalment live up to
Spoiler alert: F1 2018 is a racing game
And any racing game with rubbish handling is doomed to fail no matter what other features it has
Thankfully, F1 2018 delivers on that front with a driving experience that balances hardcore simulation with pick-up-and-play accessibility
Traditionally this is an area Codemasters have always excelled in, and the current iteration adds refined chassis physics with more detailed
feedback through the wheel and is more likely to cause a loss of stability and a very ugly crash
Other additions such as a manually controllable Energy Recovery System serve to simulate real-life aspects of Formula One more than ever
But whether you are a casual player or veteran sim racer, you'll still be able to jump in to F1 2018 and have a good time right off the
They throw blocks, make bold overtakes, and fight for every inch of road with both the player and other CPU drivers
It makes every battle for position an intense white-knuckle scrap
Not quite Dark Souls on wheels, but certainly a far stiffer test than previous F1 games
Naturally this does mean an increased chance of things going very wrong and your race ending in a tire barrier, but the ubiquitous Flashback
gameplay are some genuinely gorgeous visual effects
The graphics themselves are largely unchanged from 2017; instead the devil is in the detail
Dust kicked up off the road
True-to-life depth of field
It all contributes to perhaps the most realistic-looking F1 game we've ever seen - some of the preview screens genuinely looked like stills
On our review copy, pre and post-race cutscenes would often tank the framerate hard, and one particular podium celebration froze and crashed
Given we were playing on a regular PS4, it could be an optimisation issue and the PS4 Pro's upgraded hardware can deal with the workload
And thankfully, the actual races ran smoothly at 60FPS in all weather conditions, so the core gameplay was unaffected
It's what most Codemasters F1 games are built around - it's no coincidence that F1 2015, the game regarded as the worst of the series,
was the one that did away with Career Mode altogether
By contrast, F1 2018 provides the most richly immersive career mode we've yet seen in F1 console gaming
Each answer will directly influence your character and reputation, earning points towards either Sportsmanship or Showmanship
Are you a solid team player You're the former
Are you a brash personality who shoots from the hip You're the latter
Additionally everything you say will have consequences - expect a frosty reception from your engine department if you go off on a rant about
It can feel very Dragon's Den when you tell a prospective team boss that you're the best thing since sliced bread, only for them to turn
around and lowball you with a meagre offer
Throw in a refined upgrade system, and F1 2018's Career Mode is nearing full-blown RPG status at this point
Short of Yakuza-style minigames involving partying on yachts in Monaco, it's hard to imagine what else they can add to flesh out their
mode offers plenty of varied challenges to just dive into, and the roster of historic cars is beefed up nicely with each new car adding its
Powersliding around in James Hunt's championship-winning McLaren re-enacting scenes from the 2013 movie Rush is endlessly fun and
contrasts nicely with the more modern cars, like the 2003 Williams and its screaming V10 engine
As for multiplayer, the addition of a Super License system and ranked lobbies which reward players for clean racing should make it easier to
jumping-off pad, F1 2018 is a game made with a genuine passion and love for the real sport of Formula One
And it shows in every aspect
For motorsport fans, it's a wonderful recreation of what we see on television every weekend
For sim racers, it's a fun racing experience with plenty of challenge and replayability
And for gamers in general, it's an engaging world to dive into and immerse yourself in
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