This F1 2021 review is based on our experience of the PS5 version.
It has been nearly a month since the release of F1 2021, the first iteration of the official F1 series to be released on next-gen consoles. It’s the first output of the new alliance between long-time developer Codemasters and new publisher (and the source of everyone’s favourite audio clip) EA Sports (It’s in the G…. you know the rest).
There’s no denying it – this game is a big deal for the franchise. Whilst other sports game series such as FIFA and NBA 2K have long since received the shiny next-gen treatment, F1 fans have had to wait their turn. And the clamour has been tangible. Especially with the real life F1 World Championship & accompanying Netflix documentary Drive to Survive cultivating such drama and interest. The coupling with EA Sports has also generated significant hype – so, does the latest instalment in Codemasters acclaimed series deliver?
F1 2021 Review: Braking Point
We simply cannot talk to you about F1 2021 without mentioning Braking Point right from the off. Braking Point is the F1 series’ second venture into a narrative driven story mode, following in the footsteps of Codemasters initial toe-dip from F1 2019’s career mode. Braking Point however is a different beast altogether – it’s a dramatic, engaging story mode that spans two F1 seasons.
You start out in the racing boots of Aiden Jackson, a fully voiced and motion captured fictional Formula 2 driver, as he attempts to win the final race of the season and gain his place on the F1 grid for the following season. The game drops you straight in to the action on track with objectives to complete during the race to ensure Aiden’s dream is realised.
What follows is an interactive experience of life within the pressurised cauldron that is the F1 paddock. Devon Butler makes his smug, self-satisfied return following his debut in F1 2019’s Career mode as the main antagonist, as well as Aiden’s fictional Dutch teammate Casper Akkerman and team liaison and professional nice (but still fictional) guy, Brian Doyle.
Braking Point: Gameplay, cutscenes and dialogue
The format of the gameplay remains pretty much the same throughout. Sometimes you are dropped on to the starting grid with your objective to simply to finish in front of another driver. And sometimes you take control mid-race after an event such as a pit stop with the aim being to recover the time spent in the pit lane. Regular cut-scenes and interactions between characters kept the story moving. And it all does a decent job of representing the life of an F1 driver.
I must admit to finding some of the dialogue cringey and wooden, though. And whilst the motion capture and graphics demonstrated during Braking Point are absolutely outstanding and comparable with what you’d expect to see in a AAA release, my engagement in the story was limited by the script. Don’t get me wrong, the actual delivery is fine. But there were a few times when I was left thinking “would an F1 driver really say that?”.
Braking Point feels like a first step rather than the finished article. The story is fun and I hope that this won’t be a once and done inclusion to the series. There is real potential here. And sports games always have a huge demand from fanbases for this kind of narrative driven, engaging story mode.
F1 2021 Review: The graphics
My time with F1 2021 has been spent on the PS5 with a 4K HDR TV. And I cannot stress this enough – this game is visually stunning. Both in Performance (1440p, 120fps) and Graphics (4k, 60fps) modes, the cars are just as glitzy and exciting to look at as they are in real life. The level of detail included in the tracks is mind-blowing – particularly night races with their jaw-dropping lighting effects. They make the cars look even more spectacular.
Performance mode is what I’ve stuck with, though. Largely because it is the graphical equivalent of lowering yourself into a bathtub full of the smoothest honey (we’ve all done it – don’t pretend you haven’t). The pièce de résistance, though, are the character models – particularly those within the aforementioned Braking Point cutscenes. Think Nathan Drake in Uncharted 4. They’re THAT good. Never have I seen such a successful attempt at a ‘fade’ haircut in a video game as Codemasters have achieved on Casper Akkerman. So a big tick there for Codemasters.
F1 2021 Review: The audio
BUT I cannot be as positive about the audio. It has been a long time complaint of mine that Codemasters do not seem able to replicate the sound of an F1 car in their games. And I was really hoping that F1 2021 would put that issue to bed. In its current state, it hasn’t done that at all.
Several audio settings have been added to F1 2021, presumably to address the complaints. But I task you to play an on-board clip from a real-life qualifying lap and compare it with the audio from the game. It’s nowhere near – right?
What’s really frustrating here is that within Braking Point cutscenes, the cars sound perfect. I played Braking Point before anything else and when I heard my first cutscene I ran around the garden doing knee slides. I was SO overjoyed. But then I got into the actual gameplay and realised my neighbours had seen me ruin the lawn for nothing. I faffed for ages with the audio settings and camera angles to no avail. I will admit that to the casual player, this isn’t likely to be an issue. The cars don’t sound bad, they just don’t sound true to life. However, to someone like me who dreams of one day getting a letter from Mercedes to say I’ve been accepted into F1’s school of tyre wear and skiddery, this is a big issue.
F1 2021 sound bug: Is it really that bad?
That’s not even the worst bit. I understand that it seems common practice these days for games to release with bugs present (Cyberpunk – we’re looking at you), but I am at the point with F1 2021 where I’ve had to put it down and stop playing for the sake of my ear-drums. F1 2021‘s audio is so broken, I consider it almost game-breaking.
There I was, trying to score points in the first race of my new F1 team. Suddenly, the audio from my car’s engine dropped significantly in volume. Then the audio of EVERY OTHER CAR begun screaming through my headset at a volume I’ll politely call unpleasant. And it wouldn’t stop – regardless of settings. In a game like F1 2021 where being 10 meters late on the brakes or a fraction too early on the throttle means you’re taking a trip into the barrier, not being able to hear your own car is disastrous. I’m hopeful this will be swiftly fixed. But it’s not a great look when such a critical element of the game is unbearably broken.
F1 2021 Review: The handling (and the kerbs)
Don’t go on the kerbs. That’s it.
It’s not really, but seriously – don’t go on the kerbs. Another old complaint of mine about the F1 series is that someone at Codemasters apparently has a severe aversion to on track kerbs. Which is still very much the case in F1 2021. As an F1 simulator, this shouldn’t be the case (in my humble opinion). If you’ve ever watched F1, you’ll see that the drivers treat the kerbs with about as much respect as my dog treats the ‘no fouling on the footpath’ signs near our house. What I mean is, they don’t respect them at all, they’re all over them lap after lap. So why can’t I do that in the official F1 game, Codemasters?
Aside from kerbs (and dog mess), the game does a great job of making you feel like a driving God. Regardless of whether you actually are one or not. There is a huge range of difficulty sliders to cater for every skill level. These also serve the purpose of allowing you to adjust the way the game plays as your skill level improves.
The PS5’s DualSense controller greatly adds to the experience with its adaptive triggers, too. You can feel when you’re about to snag a brake or get wheelspin, which really does add to the immersion.
Real life F1 in 2021 is undoubtedly slower than last year following an array of rule-changes. And F1 2021 lets you feel that loss in downforce and grip. The cars feel slower, but they also feel easier to drive. If you slide, you can recover much easier. Whether this translates to reality or not, I don’t know. Ask Max Verstappen. But the game definitely feels more forgiving than previous iterations.
F1 2021: My Team mode
My Team makes its return in F1 2021 following its debut last year. In this game mode, you to take on the role of a team owner and lead driver of your own F1 team. Whilst the gameplay and premise of this mode remains the same as F1 2020, some enhancements have been made. For example, you can now allow the AI to take charge of some of the more detailed and time-consuming elements of My Team. Namely the car and facility upgrade aspects. During Grand Prix Practice sessions, you can also ask the AI to complete your objectives. For example, tyre wear programmes that can become tiresome after a season or two can now be skipped without losing out on those juicy, juicy resource points.
This is where I imagine a lot of players will spend the bulk of their time in F1 2021, myself included. I would personally welcome some additional detail in this mode. The interviews your character takes part in are very generic and repetitive, for example.
Co-op career and customisation
For as long as I can remember, F1 fans have been asking for a co-op career mode. If that’s you, you’re in luck! F1 2021 has a full co-op career mode. So you and a friend can act as teammates and look to take down the powers that be in F1.
Customisation is something that has greatly improved since the release of F1 2020. I would be frankly embarrassed to tell you how much time I’ve already spent in F1 2021 customising my characters helmet and my car’s livery for My Team. The Paddock Pass (think Call of Duty’s Battle Pass, but less shooty) provides a constant stream of new helmet designs, overalls, car liveries and more. And it gives you a reason to keep grifting for those extra experience points so you can unlock those new gloves. Looking cool in front of your online friends is important, after all. My driver, Fasty McDriverson looks like a million dollars.
F1 2021 Review: Verdict
Ahh F1 2021, so nearly perfect. To me, F1 2021 was a bit like going on a first date with someone who seems absolutely made for you in every way. They’re gorgeous, funny and even pay the bill, but then you find out they think Star Wars is rubbish.
Braking Point is a refreshing venture into new territory. And F1 2021 has masses of content, a huge online community, sublime visuals, and a polished, professional feel to it. It all warrants the title of being the ‘official’ video game of such a glamorous, wealthy sport. But even if we ignore the bugs, I can’t get over the audio and handling issues that have always plagued Codemasters’ F1 games.
Final score: 8.5/10
Version played: PS5
Thank-you to EA for providing a copy of F1 2021 for review.
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