Williams fans will doubtless be disappointed to see their alternate, Martini-free livery used across the board, rather than just in the countries that require it by law.
#F1 2014 video game review drivers#
DRS returns, of course, but there’s no sign of the “overtake button” which is there for drivers to override the computer controlled ERS – apparently too late a revelation to be included in the game – and while the Red Bull Ring and Sochi Autodrom are a pleasure to see and drive, the run off area at Monza’s Curva Parabolica is still gravel rather than tarmac. Though I personally think it’s much more fun and it’s certainly much more challenging, it can often lead to you being something of a roadblock to the AI behind you while other drivers scamper off into the distance, and there’s not going to be much of a contest between the two control types when it comes to racing online.ĭisappointingly, the game does lose a degree of authenticity, as it fails to fully keep track of how the sport has evolved in the real world. Even the faster cars are more susceptible to this. The game is much more lively when playing with a racing wheel though, and with the same lack of assists, requires a lot more finesse on the brakes, accelerator and steering to avoid locking up into a corner or spearing off the track as you accelerate. Simply put, when playing with a controller I was able to turn off all the major assists like traction control and ABS and still have a relatively easy to handle car, where I could still brake late and put the power down quite hard coming out of a corner. However, there is a strange split between playing with a controller and with a racing wheel – between a Dualshock 4 and a Driving Force GT in this case, as I was playing on a PC. It’s a noticeable shift to a much lower tone when compared to the hellish scream of the V8s that have dominated the sport for so long. The Renault engine growls much more so than the Mercedes, which has a piercing turbo whine that could potentially drive you to distraction, while the Ferrari engine has a distinctive rattle as you reach the rev limiter. The most immediate and fundamental of differences compared to last year are done quite nicely though, with the three different engine suppliers represented with rather unique sounding power units.
#F1 2014 video game review full#
Sadly, F1 2014 doesn’t take full advantage of these opportunities, stuck as it is on the last generation of console and with F1 2015 already on the horizon. Though games have often felt few and far between, the new games consoles have often helped to free developers from the limitations of the old, while in the world of Formula One, reams of new rules and regulations have brought in new engines, dramatically shaking up the grid when it comes to race day.