In fact, the majority of F1 2014 feels great. It’s most obvious in the ‘in garage’ sections, with character models and faces being the same as they’ve been for the last few years yet again (including one engineer who looks bizarrely like Steve Ballmer). It’s a nitpick, yes, but when we’re seeing the new consoles stretch their legs and push PC hardware in new and exciting ways to outpace Sony and Microsoft’s efforts, F1 2014 looks “nice” but no better. Crowds are static, environments are almost clinically clean and sterile, and the only noticeable degradation on things is when you hit the gravel and a bit flies up & sticks in your tyre. I’m playing the game on a PC that’s arguably more powerful than my PS4, and yet the game feels somewhat muted. Whilst F1 2014 is edging toward the feeling of getting involved in a Formula 1 season, the design roots in the Xbox 360/PS3 era feels like it’s holding the series back. Reviewing this alongside DriveClub has been a blessing and a curse, as they’ve enhanced each others’ flaws and highlights. Unfortunately, the rest just feels a little bit flat. The immediate thing that stands out is the fidelity of the car design, down to the lightning-quick finger twitches as your driver changes gears via the paddles on the steering wheel.

Does this come up on the podium smelling of champagne?įrom the get-go, F1 2014 sets out its stall by throwing you into one of the redesigned speed machines of the most recent season and dumps you into a hot lap to establish the difficulty curve on the game. As the F1 season nears its climax, Codemasters once again provide fans with a chance to jump into the virtual cockpit and challenge the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel with the latest entry in the F1 franchise.

F1 2014 video game review