F1 2002

"And it's GO GO GO!"

I love F1. Love it to death. Most F1 games in the past have been rather good, with the exception of ’98, which was a pile. Anyway, forget about that, I was a little apprehensive when I heard EA was taking over the license as they didn’t really have a lot of experience with a driving game engine before, but seeing as most of their sport franchises are pretty good, those worries disappeared…

The basics

Pick your favourite Formula 1 driver and race against the other 21 superstars around 17 of the most famous racing circuits in the world. There are lots of options on offer here, with the usual championship mode plus single grand prixs and a quick race mode, which is your common or garden variety arcade mode. Presentation is good, with easy to navigate menus.

Graphics

Very nice. Vehicles are represented well, Trackside detail is high with plenty of effects such as heat haze and reflections in wet weather conditions. Also, the small splashes of rain that gather on the screen as you speed along is a nice touch. The frame rate is pretty solid with only a few occasional drops when there are a lot of cars on screen.

Sounds

Overall, the sound is one of the best aspects of the game, especially if you have a Dolby Digital 5.1 setup, as you can hear your opponents swarming over your rear wing as you rip around the tight streets of Monaco. Engine noise is excellent, as is the sickening crash that comes out of your speakers as you smack into a barrier. Sadly, no Murray Walker here to commentate but we do have you pit crew communicating with you, informing you of various race incidents and Jim Rosenthal giving you a run down before you start a race.

Gameplay

Excellent. This game really does make you feel like you’re at an actual Formula 1 race. Such a great sense of realism before a race, as your pit mechanics crowd around your car. Qualifying is exciting, where you can set a great time only to see it beaten in the dying moments by one of your rivals. The difficulty is balanced out well, so it’s not too hard to take your £1m dream machine for a spin around Spa. The physics of the game (handling, collisions etc...) are superb.

Also, before the game lets you start out racing in GP mode you have to take a series of short tests in the Challenge mode. Similar in a way to the license tests in the Gran turismo series, this mode coaches you on how to take corners at speed, stopping over short distances and so on. A great addition, might I add.

Overall

+Great graphics
+Superb sounds
+Great sense of realism

-If you aren’t an F1 fan this game probably won’t appeal to you.

Buy or Rent?

If you’re a fan, this is THE game. If you aren’t, tough. You’ll love it anyway!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/03/02, Updated 06/03/02