F1 2014 I have been playing F1 2014 for more than two weeks, my Review

[Steve William]

This my own opinion about the game (The final release version)

The game is not completed, its full off bugs and it feels rushed, But if you are baying it you cant hold it on anyone since the devs are saying its a WORK IN PROGRESS
I was expecting more but they did not deliver and i truly think this a huge set back for the series

Some info i collected for you guys

The BAD
-Most cars have the same steering wheels, which only shows the gear your on
-Some cars only have one Rear view mirror (EX: Ferrari on right side only)
-Some cars are extremely over powered unlike real life (EX: Ferrari)
-ERS, is not working in the game yet (Codemasters said that its delivered auto, but i honestly didn't/couldn't see when its applied!)
-No real life branding on some cars (EX: Martini branding and the red stripe on the Williams are not there) Codemasters had to remove all alcohol advertising!
-No Young Driver Test, you only have a one quick test (3 or 5 laps around Monza, very easy to beat)
-No classic content in F1 2014
-No helmet camera
-No DRS indicator is shown in cockpit view infect almost nothing important showing on cockpit view
(There is a green button on the steering wheel that suppose to indicate DRS but its not working on my end) you can only hear a bip in DRS zones.
-No formation laps
-You cant control the car when pitting
-Fuel management is very easy (The fuel seems to take 2.5 laps to reduce that +1 fuel you get on the start on Rich setting and it regenerate really fast on lean settings) Yes we all know the new V6 is fuel friendlier than before but in this game its not right.
-Tire management is very easy (There was only one thing i liked about F1 2013 tire management, but in the new game you can abuse the tires)
-You cant take more than +1 lap fuel with you even on cautious strategy
-You cant change the gear box settings! (F1 2014 rules says that cannot change gear box setting only on Australia, and one more final time in Spa) But in this game you only get in the Quick setup the option to choose between Dry option or Wet option, if you move it to Dry it will give higher gear box ratio and if you move it to Wet it will give you lower gear box ratio) BUT this option is meant for wins setups, if you choose setup for a wet conditions it will raise the wins more aerodynamics .
-Same graphics, Some changes on a few tracks
-Same old animations (Codemasters said that there is new animations BUT there is nothing new)
-All teams are unlocked from the start so you can shoos any car in carrier mode right from the start (it took some of the fan away from the game, you start in slow team but you have to prove your self for faster teams...Not in 2014!)
-the game Still cant do any loading while Auto-saving
-Some Steering wheels are buggy or not working (Cannot confirm yet but i saw some posts about steering wheels being buggy! )
-The sounds are annoying (other cars, People sheering, Tires sounds) after a while you will find your self going to the audio option and reducing some sound. and there nothing similar to real life about it.
-Penalties and warnings, lol they are still the worst, now there is some corners you cut w/out any penalties and some other corners you cant even touch the apex or you will get a penalty
-Dry or Wet conditions are almost the same, nothing sim about it

There is too many things but im honestly tired ....

The GOOD
-New cars with New engines
-New physics
-New Tracks (We all know the new tracks )
-New AI... not too different but they are a bit aware sometimes too aggressive, but they are fun
-New Game Pad settings (0% Dead Zone, And the made it feel better and there no twitching using joysticks, you can even get good times using game pads, in other words they re-worked the settings from the start)
-New challenges and time attacks
-New driver evaluation system (Honestly i didn't see any difference) maybe in Challenge season but its messed up, when i played through it i used the Cathrem, the first race i finished 7th on Legend , the next race i finished in 1st place with 6 seconds ahead of everyone.

Well that's about it really nothing new the game is basically Work in progress which could mean that they are working on next gen or they are going bust... or they just didnt care any more!
And unfortunately the game is still arcady more than a sim and still have the same exact texture as F1 2013, i believe this whole thing could have just been a DLC for less than 10$

So is it worth buying
yes and no, yes because we all are F1 fans and will end up buying it any way for mods, because mods are everything when it comes to this series, but i dont think the game is worth 49.99$ on steam and around 40$ for consoles, at least not for now, maybe if they fix all issues and release free DLCs...

This my own opinion about the game so you can have a different opinion its totally fine

 

[Giovaneveterano]

You cant change the gear box settings!

It's a rule for this 2014 season. The teams choose gear ratios at the start of the season and they can change one more time only after the Spa grand prix.
This is for information

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

You cant change the gear box settings!

That's called realism. Good that Codemasters included it

 

[Steve William]

Thanks for the info guys i had no idea...
i will check again right now since i dont recall even getting the gear box settings in melborn !

 

[Steve William]

It's a rule for this 2014 season. The teams choose gear ratios at the start of the season and they can change one more time only after the Spa grand prix.
This is for information

Yep i can confirm
There is no Gear box setting period, i just started a new season, and i updated my game to 1.01 update already which enhanced engine sounds on some cars.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

The lack of the ERS system is a bad news. Spa and Monza are challenging tracks this year in terms of power due to clipping.
Fuel management and engine map will be a "must" in the next codie's game

 

[driveroz247]

I got the game today and there is a DRS indicator in cockpit view. It is displayed as a tiny round green light on the right side of the steering wheel.

 

[MrBundgee]

DRS also beeps when your in the zone

 

[Giovaneveterano]

DRS also beeps when your in the zone

I saw on youtube that the Ferrari was massive overpowered in the straight line. Is that true in the final release too? It was so unrealistic: over 330km/h in almost every track.

 

[Nick Milton]

I got it, and traded 2013 for it,

I don't mind it, at first it appears slower, but got used to it, with a few tweaks, adjusted my screen colours down, and made it look more realistic, and after an hour, now quite liking it, can't wait for ps4 though,

Did notice no weather option in setup, is it just default dynamic? In other words, will it rain?

Anyway it ok, wasn't expecting to much, as I hope the effort is going into 2015 for next generation.

Nick.

 

[Lantec26]

Just released on Steam here and had a few laps on career and GP mode.

I like the handling more now. There's initial understeer at first, then it bites through the apex but you can't lay on the throttle as early as you did in 2013 or else the rear end will step out very eagerly. Even short shifting, I was spinning on interlagos in 4th gear in the final sector. Braking distance feels a lot shorter now. I usually use the racing lines for corners only and 2013, I had to brake a bit before the yellow, but now I can dive up quite a bit deeper.

It feels a lot closer to rFactor 2 F1RFT 2013 mod in terms of braking but less lively rear end but it's a nice medium between sim and arcade sim.

 

[Ken Hughes]

@Steve William - I think your review is very unfair. If you really have been playing the game for two weeks, you obviously had a pre-release version.

I got the game today - surprisingly because the North America release date isn't until next week - and I have no complaints at all. I think they have got the torque spot-on - hit the gas too soon coming out of a corner and you spin-out. Just as in real life.

The car is far more responsive to set-ups, but if you get that right, you can take the race to the other teams. I am extremely happy with F1 2014.

 

[Steve William]

@Steve William - I think your review is very unfair. If you really have been playing the game for two weeks, you obviously had a pre-release version.

I got the game today - surprisingly because the North America release date isn't until next week - and I have no complaints at all. I think they have got the torque spot-on - hit the gas too soon coming out of a corner and you spin-out. Just as in real life.

The car is far more responsive to set-ups, but if you get that right, you can take the race to the other teams. I am extremely happy with F1 2014.

Actually i covered that in New physics (means new driving style), and i do agree that cars feel a bit better
And when i got the game to test it... it was the final release but work in progress

BUT is that enough...!!! i mean its a licensed game, and honestly didnt see it to be a sim since the first game,
My personal opinion the game is not worth it, i would stick with F1 2012 until the next release and see.

 

[Nick Milton]

I'm still questioning the A1 failure rate, they just don't gave any problems?

They also get in your way on a quick Q lap, that's interesting fun.

And am I right about weather, no menus to alter? Is it dynamic constantly.

I like it though, although my PS3 version list car sound halfway through race?

 

[Steve William]

I'm still questioning the A1 failure rate, they just don't gave any problems?

They also get in your way on a quick Q lap, that's interesting fun.

And am I right about weather, no menus to alter? Is it dynamic constantly.

I like it though, although my PS3 version list car sound halfway through race?

Since i started playing i have seen a couple of random crashes on legend but i still think codies have no clue how week the front wins are, you can drive into cars, walls and you wont take any damage unless you are going too fast,
Never saw a safety car.
Also yes the AI still sometimes get in your way but to be honest they are improved
Weather, you can control it in Quick grand prix or online, i played a full season and it was always dry
I have it on PS3 and the sounds are poor, annoying even after the patch which just raises the engine sounds so now you cant hear you engineer talking to you, and 100% not like real life engines. In real life there is a humm from the engine thats it.

im sorry but the game is just DLC for F2013.

 

[Nick Milton]

Damage is questionable, and ,as I said failure rate is non existent, I think, in 2013, I did catch and take Alonso, when he had a prob and nursed car to end, I did get safety car at melbourne, but I think I caused it ,
Also noticed how toward race end the field behind me(usually arround 5th or 6 th) Bunched up and got quicker.

But I agree, I'm gonna wait for ps4 version,( I have a ps4) , if it doesn't do it for me, I will invest in a pc tower.to enable me to mod.

 

[MrBundgee]

I saw on youtube that the Ferrari was massive overpowered in the straight line. Is that true in the final release too? It was so unrealistic: over 330km/h in almost every track.

Are you talking about my video's

 

[ozzcasale]

At first: i'm with you in a lotta things they needed to improve to make a cool F1 game, but they failed again.
Handling is crap, i go purple on first two sectors @ melbourne with a FW36, last sector, i lose 2 seconds, the car is undriveable in the last sector, tried that in a Merc., same thing. I use a Bodnar set up, i don't know why am i failing in the last sector, is not that i wanna make the pole position in the first race at career mode, but it seems unfair, so i tried with an xbox 360 controller, same stuff, same problem at the 3rd sector of melbourne.
Liverys and stuff, well, you guys have made a great work with the original ones and not the s**t codemasters sold us for 49 dollars -which in my country is a lotta money-. I downloaded some mods and now the game has something fun to play: cameras: i use the cockpit camera, i need that camera, i don't use another to play, they should've taken the helmet cam from nfssu2 and the vertigo from it, make it realistic as f*ck and let us play.
I think those options will come in 2015, as same as making your own character, more realistic crashes, i don't mean beamng, but if it's possible, cool then.
I might be asking a lot for them, but they're charging us 49 dollars for a game that doesn't go with our expectations, is a mere arcade game in a PC, PS3, PS4, XBOX and whatever console system is out there.
I need realism, i need tyre lock, i need camber, caster, roll bars, front wing angle, not single numbers from 1 to 11, i need a more technical stuff, like Grand Prix 2, or rFactor.
Just needed to say that, but the game is kinda fun to play, except for the AI, sometimes i think stupidity is spelled AI.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

I saw on youtube that the Ferrari was massive overpowered in the straight line. Is that true in the final release too? It was so unrealistic: over 330km/h in almost every track.

That's correct, Ferrari seems to have the most powerfull engine and best straight line speed, often i see myself one gear above the Williams at a short straight when i'm driving the Ferrari.

While i'm on the subject of gears, the ratios are god-awful and the shift leds are useless.
Power delivery is weird, if you have the steering straight you have almost infinite traction, if you have even a little bit of steering input you have none, and because the FFB is terrible you have to "guess" how much grip you have.

 

[Brian McManus]

I got the game friday.
Their has been some fun and some disappointment.
I have only driven the ferrari so far which has no grip at all.
The steering wheels are not genuine.
No Ers,the onboard sounds are not correct they are too high pitched,
The teams need adjustments,the williams are not competitive enough ,the red bulls are too competitive.
The game has all the same old features.

Codemaster had a full year to get the game right even with using f1 2013 as base.
They could of released a polished finished game in that time frame.
The game is not worth 50 euro's.

But thankfully we have a talented community to make this series worth playing every year.

It wont stop me playing and enjoying the career mode even with all the problems.