Formula 1 News: F1 24 Review – A Familiar yet Engaging Formula 1 Game Experience
The latest installment in the Formula 1 game series, F1 24, has finally arrived, boasting an impressive lineup of teams, circuits, drivers, and cars from the 2024 season. Developed by Codemasters and EA SPORTS, this game promises an authentic Formula 1 experience, complete with a full suite of 2023 Formula 2 content, with the 2024 F2 grid set to arrive in a post-launch update.
Visually, F1 24 sticks with Codemasters’ proprietary Ego game engine, resulting in minimal graphical improvements. While some tracks, like Spa-Francorchamps, have received long-overdue upgrades, older tracks like Monza and Hungaroring still show rough edges. Occasional screen freezes during cross-play online modes can also be frustrating. Despite these limitations, the game generally runs smoothly.
The overall presentation, however, is slick and polished, featuring familiar Sky Sports F1 voices like Natalie Pinkham, Anthony Davidson, and David Croft. Players can even substitute Croft with F1 TV lead commentator Alex Jacques for a more personalized experience.
Car handling has undergone significant tweaks, thanks to the new ‘Dynamic Handling’ system, designed to provide more realistic and predictable performance on both gamepad and steering wheel controllers. In practice, the new suspension, tyre, and aero models seem to favor gamepad users, making traction zones easier to master and kerbs less intimidating.
“For hardcore Formula 1 enthusiasts preferring to use a steering wheel, handling feels mostly intuitive after some force feedback adjustments. However, cars can feel a bit ‘on-the-nose’ to drive, with initial oversteer trending towards mid-corner understeer.”
The career mode itself remains largely unchanged, with players running specific practice session programmes set by their engineers, earning upgrade points to improve their car. Additional buffs are supplied by fulfilling objectives for the new-for-2024 Specialists, who come and go throughout the season. Doing well increases the new ‘Driver Recognition’ stat, helping attract prospective employers.
For the first time, players can choose to drive as one of the F1 grid, with each driver’s rating increasing or decreasing throughout a season. The new Challenge Career mode adds bite-sized scenarios, with online leaderboards ranking top-scoring players. More challenges will be added throughout the season, alongside the returning F1 World and My Team modes.
Microtransactions are present, but entirely optional, and the much-derided supercars have been removed.
So, is F1 24 worth buying if you already own F1 23? While there are few genuine innovations to set it apart, the reworked handling model, remodelled circuits, and immersive career mode make it an attractive option for new players or those who have skipped a couple of entries in the series.
F1 24 is now available for PC (Steam, Epic Game Store, EA App), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, with a recommended retail price of £59.99 for the Standard Edition and £79.99 for the Champions Edition.
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