F1 2011 game now available
In the F1 2011 game players will be challenged to ‘be the driver, live the life, go compete,’ with wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements on and off track and vastly extended competitive and co-operative multiplayer components.
Codemasters’ racing sim takes commitment. It requires players to learn the ins and outs of driving tactically. They’ll need to know every turn and straight-away of every track and which tyres suit which weather conditions the best. They’ll have to learn the strengths and weaknesses of their cars and make peace with the fact that finishing on the podium isn’t always a requirement. And then they’ll have to put everything they’ve learned into practice in the driver’s seat. In short, players don’t get their first win in the F1 2011 game until they’ve earned it.
F1 2011 game now available
It was this intoxicating cocktail of speed and graft that made F1 2010 such a massive hit with petrol-heads. But if all this sounds a bit off-putting to players who aren’t fans of F1, it should be pointed out that that the F1 2011 game is an easier entry point into the franchise than last year’s Bafta-winning smash. According to the game’s senior producer, Paul Jeal, although the F1 2011 game has a bit more of a simulation feel than F1 2010, it’s actually easier to play.
“There’s a learning curve, sure, of about 15 to 20 minutes, say 10 laps,” he says. “But you’ll find that you’ll inevitably get more consistent. Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport so it takes a bit of time to master.”
“The pace of the races is different in F1 2011 as well,” adds Stephen Hood, the game’s chief designer. “Most arcade racing fans play in a way in which they always try to drive as fast as they can. F1 isn’t about that, it’s about driving consistently; it’s a strategy game in which you drive conservatively and then dial the speed up or down as and when you need it.”
F1 2011 game now available
Hood isn’t kidding; while cars hug the track in the F1 2011 game’s races, their handling is a little more dynamic this time round. Cars lean left or right slightly as they speed around corners and knowing the optimum route to tackle a hairpin bend can be crucial. Players will also have a couple of tactical weapons in their driving arsenal in this installment in the form of DRS (Drag Reduction System) and KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems). KERS essentially works the same way as a power-boost players can use when they’re driving round the track; it gives you a bit more of an edge when you’re coming out of the corners so you can build up a lot more speed heading into a straight. DRS changes the angle of the car’s rear-wing so that players hurtling down the straight can move much faster in the F1 2011 game.
With a dedicated fanbase now eagerly anticipating the F1 2011 game’s release, Codemasters Birmingham sounds confident they can go one better on the game that earned them a Bafta last year. On the evidence of what’s been shown so far, their confidence looks solidly justified with the F1 2011 game.
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