F1 2020 Review
Author: ValeNort46.
Genres: Racing, Sports.
F1 2020 directory.
Here is our F1 2020 Review giving you a subjective, unbiased review helping you make a more educated decision on whether or not the game is for you.
- Release Date: 10-Jul-2020.
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia.
- Price At Launch: £54.99.
- Developer: Codemasters, Swordfish Studios.
- Publisher: Codemasters.
- Genre: Racing Simulator.
The game
Codemasters’ annual F1 release has arrived and this iteration is the most compete F1 game Codemasters has ever made and enters RPG territory by bringing in a new game mode called My Team which sees you being able to manage your team and control most of what happens.
Returning players will know by now that this game offers them the chance to play as the latest drivers racing at all the circuits on the calendar.
Visually this game is spot on with accurately recreated race circuits and amazing attention to detail has been put into making sure the cars fit in place on the race track and react to the night lights that appear on the Singapore Grand Prix for example.
This attention to detail leads me into how the cars handle in career mode as when you’re driving a damaged car, as each part wears out, you will find that you can sometimes lose a gear when the gearbox starts to fail or completely lose the ability to use a rich engine mode setting for a Q3 run meaning you have to set the best possible lap with a car not running at 100%.
This makes the game have a true simulation feel for those who wants the most authentic experience possible.
The good
The attention to detail brought into the game from the tracks themselves to the cars and even the racing drivers themselves is excellent.
Even though each F1 car runs an identical V6 turbo hybrid engine the game manages to recreate the different tones each car makes and you get a true sense of speed when you run over a rumble strip at the edge of the track and you can not only hear the noise but feel it through the vibration of a controller.
As mentioned, the biggest new feature of F1 2020 is where you literally enter an RPG style role as a team manager for a fictional 11th team on the grid and Codemasters has really but some effort into this mode.
Including to give you a feel for what a real life F1 team has to go through in creation of a new car and making it competitive.
This new mode is one that offers you a more immersive experience rather than just turning up and driving the car and is a very welcome addition to the series.
The not so good
F1 2020 includes 2 new race venues which are Vietnam and Holland, classic cars make a welcome return but some classic circuits would have been a great addition as no classic circuit has made an appearance since 2013 and what better way to drive a classic car then around a classic circuit to get that nostalgic feeling.
Whilst this isn’t a negative point as such, I do feel the Developers could have implemented this in the game, hopefully it will come in future iterations of F1.
Audio
F1 2020 has done an incredible job bringing the real sounds of the F1 cars, the tracks and commentary to life.
It really is the next best thing to actually being at a race track. The sounds have been pulled directly from the cars and sound absolutely spot on.
You have a good amount of control and direction through your driver headset with the pit relaying instructions to you such as tyre pressures, fuel levels and your current standings in a given race.
All of which can be viewed on the HUD but hearing your team through the headset is such a more immersive experience.
Having a headset on just completes the package.
Online
Online is a mixed bag really, whilst there is plenty of fun and enjoyment to be had, you do, unfortunately have a lot of trolling players to contend with throughout.
If you’re going for a clean online race or want to set the fastest time, more often than not you’ll have billy bob coming up behind you thinking he’s playing Destruction Derby and using your car to brake as he can’t figure it out which can spoil the experience.
I’m hoping in future entries, Codemasters takes a stronger stance with these players and puts them in their own lobbies so they can smash away at their hearts content then the safer players are left to drive properly.
Whilst this is implemented to some degree in F1 2020, it feels unfair when you’re hit from behind by a repeating offender that you should take a penalty to your ratings as well.
That said, when the trolls aren’t on the track, you can really put your skills to the test by racing other human players to see who is ultimately the most skilled at getting these F1 cars around the tracks the fastest.
Leagues return so you can compete against your friends in a private run lobby to find out who is the best driver, alongside this the weekly Grand Prix returns where like in F1 2019 you can compete in practice and qualifying then complete a race over a Saturday or Sunday scoring points to earn in game reward that you can display on your driver profile card.
Trophies
Trophies have a nice mix of variety from each of the game modes available in the game and from our F1 knowledge this should be an easier Platinum than F1 2019 was.
Click the link to go the F1 2020 Trophy Guide.
Gallery
Here are a series of photos to show you how the game looks;
Overall
To summarise, F1 2020 this is the most comprehensive and detailed F1 game that Codemasters has made and they have put some real effort into making sure they have covered every different possible aspect of an F1 career from the feeder F2 series to driving and managing an F1 team.
It is a shame the online mode couldn’t be stricter on offensive drivers which will no doubt mar the experience for true F1 fans.
Overall I give F1 2020 an 8 out of 10.
Final Score: 8
That’s our F1 2020 Review I hope it helps you decide if the game is worth your time and money.