8 /10 1 Votes
4/5 The Telegraph Series Formula One Initial release date 20 September 2011 Genre Sim racing | 8/10 GameSpot 82% Metacritic Engine EGO Engine 2.0 Publisher Codemasters Developers Codemasters, Sumo Digital | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date(s) NA: 20 September 2011
AU: 22 September 2011
EU: 23 September 2011
Nintendo 3DS
EU: 24 November 2011
NA: 25 November 2011
PlayStation Vita
NA: 15 February 2012
EU: 22 February 2012
AU: 23 February 2012 Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer Platforms PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, iOS Nominations BAFTA Games Award for Sports Similar Codemasters games, Sim racing games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
F1 2011 is a Readers' Choice Award-winning video game based on the 2011 season of the Formula One world championship. It is the sequel to the 2010 video game based on the same series. The game was released in September 2011 on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms, November 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS and February 2012 on the PlayStation Vita. It has sold 3.5 million units worldwide. The game engine is based on the new EGO 2.0 engine, an unofficially titled evolution of the EGO 1.5 engine that was created specially for the title.
Contents
Details
All twelve teams and twenty-four drivers that started the 2011 season are featured in the game, though mid-season driver changes did not take place due to licensing restrictions. The entire calendar of nineteen circuits from the 2011 season is present, including the new Buddh International Circuit in India. Certain circuits also feature day-to-night transitions.
At E3, Codemasters announced that the focus of F1 2011 is to "Be the Driver, Live the Life, Go Compete". and that multiplayer aspects of the game are being emphasized as a part of this. Online multiplayer have a maximum of sixteen players in a race with the option to include an additional eight AI-controlled cars. Objectives are also included in multiplayer. A split-screen multiplayer mode is implemented, as is an online co-operative championship. In August 2011, Codemasters announced that the safety car would be implemented in the game following its absence in F1 2010, and that it would be available in races that are 20% of real race distance or longer. Red flags are also included for situations where the safety car cannot get around the track, but not for extreme weather conditions. Rule changes for the 2011 season, including KERS, DRS and Pirelli tyres are also featured in the game.
Features
Features of the game include a career mode in which the player makes a driver and simulates the driving experience. Another mode is the Grand Prix in which one picks a professional driver and create a Formula 1 season. There is also a "Proving Grounds" mode in which is a time trial to compete against other players around the world. There is also a Multiplayer option in which one can race with other players in a variety of gaming modes.
Reception
Early critical response was positive, with reviews praised improvements in handling and AI and the way new rule changes - in particular KERS and DRS - added an additional layer of strategy to the game. IGN remarked that the differences in using these features helped separate qualifying and racing into two separate gameplay modes.