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2012's entry in the highly successful racing-game series

2012's entry in the highly successful racing-game series

Vote: (296 votes)

Program license: Trial version

Developer: Codemasters

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac

Vote:

Program license

(296 votes)

Trial version

Developer

Codemasters

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac

Pros

  • Attention to detail and official licensing contribute to an impressive feeling of authenticity.
  • Codemasters, as usual, deliver a satisfying style of driving simulation.
  • A broad selection of modes allows for a number of interesting angles to explore the game from.

Cons

  • For some, exclusive focus on open wheelers will wear thin too quickly.
  • A number of troubling glitches appear with an annoying consistency.

F1 2012 is an officially licensed racing game covering the 2012 Formula One season. Created by Codemasters, a British studio with a long history of producing high-quality racing titles, F1 2012 offers a variety of ways for players to step into the cockpit of the high-performance, open-wheel race cars that characterize that competition.

Formula One is regarded by many as the pinnacle of motorsports, and there are good reasons for this belief. The drivers are among the world's highest-paid athletes, and each of the twenty or so who participated in the 2012 Formula One series are represented in-game. That will be a big draw for hardcore fans of the sport, as it means being able, for example, to play as a virtual Sebastian Vettel as he fights to pass rival Fernando Alonso on a tricky curve at one of the many real-world circuits recreated in the game.

Other players, however, will be less interested in these aspects of the game and drawn more to the way the cars handle and sound. Codemasters does a fine job here, having obviously spent quite a bit of effort getting the little details right, with the end result being a fairly impressive package overall. Players will be able to enjoy the small differences that make each of the cars from the various makers in the competition stand out from one another, as well as the larger, performance-related ones that are so often critical in determining the winner of a given race.

Varieties of modes are offered, too, meaning there are numerous ways to put those cars through their paces. A quick race mode makes an easy way to spend a few fast minutes with the game, while a "Young Driver Test" feature will help those who have no prior experience with this form of racing come up to speed. Naturally enough, the season mode will be one of the most popular with big Formula One fans, as it provides a way to precisely recreate the goings-on of 2012.

Overall, then, there is little to complain about with F1 2012. Players who are used to Codemasters' other games may find the single-minded focus on open-wheel race cars to be a little limiting, but it will be hard to deny that these vehicles have a real attraction of their own. Fans of the sport, of course, are most likely to enjoy the game the most, and there are certainly plenty of those out there.

Pros

  • Attention to detail and official licensing contribute to an impressive feeling of authenticity.
  • Codemasters, as usual, deliver a satisfying style of driving simulation.
  • A broad selection of modes allows for a number of interesting angles to explore the game from.

Cons

  • For some, exclusive focus on open wheelers will wear thin too quickly.
  • A number of troubling glitches appear with an annoying consistency.