Formula 1

"Experience the thrill of high-speed racing against world famous drivers on the world's most renowned tracks!!!"

Psygnosis's first attempt to make a true racing game was indeed a great success, as Formula 1 set a new standard for the racing genre. Formula, not only has realism, but also a thrilling gameplay. These two factors combine to become an amazing package.

Formula 1 features a total of 17 tracks, 35 drivers and 13 teams, which are all based on the official Formula 1 Association specifications. Besides that, the game features individual behaviour models for each driver, pit stops and weather elements for strategic tactics. There are also a Grand Prix, championship simulation, arcade mode and so on. If these aren't enough, Formula 1 also supports the PlayStation link cable for two-player action. The bad news is that not many people have the requirements to have a link cable. I mean, two televisons, two PlayStations and two Formula 1 games... who has? Probably, nine out of ten people who are reading this review don't meet the requirements. I would rather that Psygnosis could offer a split screen mode for two player games in Formula 1 than having a support for the link cable.

The music is generally very good as the high-octane soundtrack contains tracks from guitar gods, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. The sound effects, without any doubt, are top-notch. You can expect very realistic engine and race sound effects taken directly from the real F1 cars. The commentary, on the other hand, is generally okay, but there should be more varied to prevent getting bored.

The controls are responsive and inituitive. What Formula 1 really excels in is the speed. Formula 1 has all the speed that is required to keep any diehard fan satisfactied as the frame rate moves at an incredible fast speed. Besides, you have to race on a track with over 20 competitors. That is where the challenge really comes in.

Besides that, the car physics are really good. The handling for each different car is very different. As mentioned before, weather elements contribute to strategic tactics. On a rainy day, cars are more likely to lose control than a normal, fine day. The most rewarding part of Formula 1 is to master turning. Some of the turnings are quite short, but don't think that it is easy. If you don't handle your car well enough, you can easily spin out of control and i do really mean that!

One minor flaw, actually not really, may lies with the graphics. Without any doubt, the graphics are awesome. The racing tracks are detailed and polygonal pop-ups are kept to the minimum. While the replay scenes aren't really up to Ridge Racer series or Gran Turismo series, it still manages to make an impressive shot. Don't forget that the game was made in 1996 and it was one of the first generation games on the PlayStation.

Overall, Formula 1 is a solid and exciting racing sim that delivers nearly all in almost all category that a racing game should possess. It's definitely one of the best racing games that you must buy [along with Wipeout too] in those early years of the PlayStation.

Graphics : 9.0/10.0
Concept : 9.5/10.0
Control : 9.5/10.0
Music : 8.0/10.0
Sound : 8.0/10.0
Gameplay : 9.5/10.0
Replay : 8.5/10.0
Challenge : 9.5/10.0
Overall : 9.0/10.0

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/01/00, Updated 12/16/02