One of these things is not like the others – which one is
different, do you know?
Let’s look at the cover of F1 2017. Hmm.
Frowny face, frowny face, frowny face, frowny face, frowny face,
frowny face, frowny face, smiley face!
You can accuse us of
hometown bias all that you want, but to us the sight of Daniel
Ricciardo perennially grinning his head off as if he’s repeatedly
pinching himself because he has one of the coolest gigs in the
entire bloody world is a joy to behold.
His obvious delight is
infectious – as is this latest (and by far the best that we’ve
experienced) iteration of Codemasters’ officially-sanctioned F1
game.
It’s been a while between laps for us, last playing
F1
2013. The leaps and bounds achieved since then are quite astonishing
(and it’s not just because it looks prettier on now-gen tech).
The most appealing aspect of F1 2017 is that it caters for every
whim that we reckon a true F1 fan could require in a racing
simulator, while also keeping those who want to take an
arcade-tinged blat around Albert Park able to stay on the track and
have fun. Yes, there are assists coming out of every car’s wazoo
(that’s a technical term – ask your mechanic). You can dial them up
and almost cruise about with your eyes shut, or zero the lot and
discover that these F1 drivers aren’t just pretty boys going for
Sunday joyrides.
Hit the OTT career mode or just assail one
track. Race in three-lap bursts, or dial in whatever you want. Heck,
race a full race if you have the stamina – and encounter variables
that come into play such as tyre wear and fuel stops.
Add to all
this classic F1 machines on top of all the current crop and this is
one truly special racing game.
We drink to Codemasters for a job
masterfully done – but not out of our shoe. Sorry Dan.
