F1 2014 F1 2014 Game Preview

F1 2014 The Game (Codemasters)
F1 2014 Night  racing.jpg

This year's new F1 regulations represent some of the most radical changes to the sport since it began.

The F1 division at Codemasters has promised to represent these substantial changes in their final installment of the series for the older consoles (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3). They will start fresh for the new consoles with F1 2015 available only on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. So, F1 2014 aims to be more of an update to 2013 with some added features than a complete new game, as they will shift their attention towards next year.

So does F1 2014 deliver? Or is it left languishing in the gravel like the 2014 Lotus?

The game starts off with a bang. Powerful thundering music, excellent sounds and fly by shots of cars, as always the opening video is quite impressive. Following that, the game launches you directly into the driver evaluation test at Bahrain, which is also somewhat impressive. Between the fact that you are driving at night under the lights around the track, and the fireworks booming in the night sky it makes for a truly epic scene. Codemasters' budget allows them to implement some great features. They have rain (which also looks quite good), fully animated pit crews, a dynamic track, and all the official sponsors to make for very good visuals. When you go off track the car jumps accurately, with the sudden loud sound of the gravel. When you spin and are passed closely by other cars at high speeds, yours shakes with the draft of the passing cars.

But once the immediate awe of the visuals subdues, other things begin to become apparent...

The first thing I noticed was, with the sound of the fireworks, audience and random ambient noises, I could hardly hear my engine unless it was at peak rpm. Yes, the cars are quieter this year... by 11 db. They have gone from approximately 145 dB (which is only slightly quieter than a jet engine) to 134 dB which is still over the threshold of pain (130 dB). Although this is "quieter" it is still dangerously loud and can cause hearing damage quickly without hearing protection. This effect seems somewhat overdone, so much so that at lower rpm's it can be very difficult to hear the engine of your own car. Upon letting off the throttle the car became near silent, with only slight, quick noises on downshifts.

Next, I noticed that the virtual wheel was making movements (as much as 20°) when cornering or going over bumps and kerbs, that my wheel was not making. After many tweaks to the force feedback (FFB) settings, I was not able to get rid of this effect.

Once the driver evaluation was complete, I was recommended the most difficult setting of "Very Hard", which I chose. Hoping the FFB issues were steering assist and are related to the difficulty, I tried a single grand prix to see if it had changed. It had not.

As someone who is a member of the "simracer" group, this was especially annoying. If it is due to bumps or kerbs, I should be feeling it in the FFB. If it is steering assist, it should be off, as it is set to "off" in the settings. However, it has been discussed many times that these games are "simcade" and not a true simulator, as they do aim to a more casual gaming audience. So with this in mind, I continued on.

The user interface has not changed from previous years, so navigating it is no problem. Game types are primarily the same also, with Young Driver Challenge replaced by the Driver Evaluation Test and shorter career options (I was not able to test this feature). All in all, it is very familiar to those who have played F1 2013 or even 2012.

It was apparent that they had tried to emulate the effects of reduced downforce, and more torque, requiring more precise manipulation of the throttle. Sadly, the FFB felt numb and disconnected, making this effect difficult to predict and control. Despite, the tendency to oversteer at every opportunity, it didn't seem to ever get out of control and go all the way around. This made it feel overdone yet restrained at the same time, as odd as that sounds.

It would appear that Codemasters may have not given this game the time it was due, as it lacks a certain attention to detail. If you are a casual gamer you probably won't notice at all, and shouldn't be deterred by this. But to a full blown F1 enthusiast or fan, they can be quite obvious. One example is visible in the screenshot above. Look at the steering wheel in the Lotus, you will notice it is the same as (or very similar to) the wheel used in the Mercedes. The real car does not use this wheel, it uses the same wheel from the previous season, with a red led display, rather than the black and white lcd used in the game.

All in all it is not a bad game. If you are a casual gamer, or F1 enthusiast, you will most likely enjoy F1 2014 thoroughly. Here at RaceDepartment however, many if not most of our readers, prefer the challenge and reality of a simulator. For those who call themselves "simracers", I'm afraid this game doesn't quite stack up. With the FFB feeling numb and lifeless, the virtual wheel making movements I'm not making, and the sounds out of proportion, it just doesn't provide the immersion we crave. In even the closest racing moments, you never get that feeling in your gut. The feeling when your pulse goes up, you start to breathe slightly heavier, and you start to sweat. The feeling you get, when it feels real.

Join the discussion in our F1 2014 forums, and get racing in our F1 2013 clubs & leagues while you wait for October 17th! While you're at it, why not check out some awesome videos and screenshot in our F1 2014 gallery?
If you would like to have your product or game reviewed, contact me at ryan.ogurek[at]racedepartment.com
 
I din't recall GSCE having a F1 2014 season with all the car shapes, the sounds of the turbo's, the pit stop strategy, the emails, the manager interaction, the tracks of F1 2014. etc etc. If there is such a mod, point me to it Lou.
:unsure:
:)
The major thrust of my post was meant to be humorous - hence the winky.

Certainly can see from your perspective those items you listed as being important to a F1 fan. Not being a one myself I only care which sim gives the best, most realistic, and fun F1 driving experience. And, for me, that is GSCE. And yes I have tried the Codemasters games.

Apologies for leading the thread astray.
 
"Here at RaceDepartment however, many if not most of our readers, prefer the challenge and reality of a simulator. "

Not arguing with this statement but I took a look at the RaceDepartment forum statistics. Codies F1 series is the most popular forum in terms of discussions and messages. This surprised me.
 
Is there really a strict difference between Sim-Racers and these who play more arcade style games?
I mean, I also like simulators and I´m not that bad with them, but I also like to just take a spin in a arcade racer. Yet, my favourite racing game is GRID Autosport, it´s not that realistic, but I really had some nice races and I think I could use some learned things when playing a sim-racer once again.
 
Is there really a strict difference between Sim-Racers and these who play more arcade style games?
Not for me at least. Every sim racer has to start somewhere and so far the F1 series have been a great product for newbie simracers.

A large amount of players have converted to other more realistic sims over the years so for that alone games like F1, Grid, Dirt, Forza, Gran Turismo and Project Cars are already great products as its good for the sim racing niche as a whole.
 
There's all different levels of simracers and gamers, with plenty of inbetweens. Personally I like anything that is immersive, which is something I only really get from something that feels realistic. I too am someone who was converted from arcade games in some ways but once I had found truly immersive sims, I was hooked. But it doesn't have to have the most realistic physics to be immersive to someone, it depends on what they are personally looking for. What I think makes the difference in this case is the lack of feeling in ffb. For anyone who has experienced more realistic sims, it will feel numb enough to kill the immersion. For those who have not felt accurate ffb the difference may be negligible. Codemasters have done much better ffb in the past, which makes this stand out even more.
 
For all the criticism i throw towards them, the F1 games do a lot right, which sadly only makes the unrealistic aspects scream at you.

It took a while to get there but now corner, and straight line speeds are reasonable.
Lap times, braking distances are reasonably accurate too.
I can "buy it" on those aspects.

But then i when i run a bit wide and put some wheels on the grass and the car just ignores it, and keeps going without any loss of speed and grip, that breaks immersion.
Same thing applies for when you "rape" the curbs and nothing happens.

Glad to now that the car is moving around a bit more this season, even if it doesn't "bite you", extremely sad that the lackluster ffb is unchanged, shows a tremendous lack of concern with the simracer crowd imo.
 
I still like simulation games and codemasters games. I've played F1 Challenge, it's pretty much rFactor 0.5. No ffb on my wheel too, so I don't know anything about that aspect

But sim-cade games are meant to be fun, while sims require a lot more driving skill, and are a lot more challenging. Again, I don't know how ffb changes this, but for me (and pad users), it's like this :D
 
I enjoy both kinds of game (sim and arcade) depending on what mood I am in, but I won't be buying F1 2014 simply because it is too similar to the last 4 yearly versions I've bought. For me it isn't worth the full price (I only picked up F1 2013 when it was on a good sale). Same with FIFA; I only buy that every 3 years or so.
 
Nobody noticed they used the 2011 steering wheel for the Williams... seriously are they mentally challenged ? The fact they couldn't even just copy and paste the 2013 steering wheel for the Lotus and that they used the 2011 steering wheel for the Williams instead of just passing the Redbull steering wheel... The drivers are positioned too low, they didn't fixed the fact that the driver could never enter the car (in the garage intro) because the harness is already installed !!! Fire the idiots please.
 
Nothing like a little simcade fun every now and again, but I would really love to be able to change my FOV on the fly with this one instead of delving deep into various files manually.
 
  • Deleted member 161052

Nobody noticed they used the 2011 steering wheel for the Williams... seriously are they mentally challenged ? The fact they couldn't even just copy and paste the 2013 steering wheel for the Lotus and that they used the 2011 steering wheel for the Williams instead of just passing the Redbull steering wheel... The drivers are positioned too low, they didn't fixed the fact that the driver could never enter the car (in the garage intro) because the harness is already installed !!! Fire the idiots please.
Agree with the entire post, except the last sentence :p
 
Certainly not a pure sim, but the Codies F1 series gives me the immersion in a F1 season I've always been looking for.
Plus, it's the only game that makes me literally sweat with tension and concentration...

All the same, I'll probably pass on the 2014 opus.

Haven't still finished my 1st 2013 season anyway, with 250 hours of logged playtime! (and I don't play online at all...) :roflmao:
 
Last edited:
I must buy F1 2014 otherwise my collection isn't complete :) Haven't spend a lot of time with the series since 2012 so I am good to go again :)
 
View attachment 65506

"Feel the power of new turbocharged FORMULA ONE™ cars in the most accessible FORMULA 1™ video game yet. F1 2014 features all the cars, drivers and circuits from the 2014 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, including new tracks in Russia and Austria, the return of the Hockenheimring in Germany and the 2014 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX which ran at night for the first time in 2014. A new driver evaluation system which tunes the game to your level, shorter career options, refined handling and new Very Easy difficulty level brings FORMULA ONE alive for absolute novices. Experienced gamers can customise their settings to enjoy a more serious simulation of the demands placed upon FORMULA ONE drivers. An expanded Scenario mode, extensive online multiplayer options and split-screen racing enhances F1 2014’s recreation of the world of FORMULA ONE for long-established fans and newcomers to the series." - Codemasters

This year's new F1 regulations represent some of the most radical changes to the sport since it began. The F1 division at Codemasters has promised to represent these substantial changes in their final installment of the series for the older consoles (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3). They will start fresh for the new consoles with F1 2015 available only on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. So, F1 2014 aims to be more of an update to 2013 with some added features than a complete new game, as they will shift their attention towards next year.

So does F1 2014 deliver? Or is it left languishing in the gravel like the 2014 Lotus?


The game starts off with a bang. Powerful thundering music, excellent sounds and fly by shots of cars, as always the opening video is quite impressive. Following that, the game launches you directly into the driver evaluation test at Bahrain, which is also somewhat impressive. Between the fact that you are driving at night under the lights around the track, and the fireworks booming in the night sky it makes for a truly epic scene. Codemasters' budget allows them to implement some great features. They have rain (which also looks quite good), fully animated pit crews, a dynamic track, and all the official sponsors to make for very good visuals. When you go off track the car jumps accurately, with the sudden loud sound of the gravel. When you spin and are passed closely by other cars at high speeds, yours shakes with the draft of the passing cars.

But once the immediate awe of the visuals subdues, other things begin to become apparent...

The first thing I noticed was, with the sound of the fireworks, audience and random ambient noises, I could hardly hear my engine unless it was at peak rpm. Yes, the cars are quieter this year... by 11 db. They have gone from approximately 145 dB (which is only slightly quieter than a jet engine) to 134 dB which is still over the threshold of pain (130 dB). Although this is "quieter" it is still dangerously loud and can cause hearing damage quickly without hearing protection. This effect seems somewhat overdone, so much so that at lower rpm's it can be very difficult to hear the engine of your own car. Upon letting off the throttle the car became near silent, with only slight, quick noises on downshifts.

Next, I noticed that the virtual wheel was making movements (as much as 20°) when cornering or going over bumps and kerbs, that my wheel was not making. After many tweaks to the force feedback (FFB) settings, I was not able to get rid of this effect.

Once the driver evaluation was complete, I was recommended the most difficult setting of "Very Hard", which I chose. Hoping the FFB issues were steering assist and are related to the difficulty, I tried a single grand prix to see if it had changed. It had not.

As someone who is a member of the "simracer" group, this was especially annoying. If it is due to bumps or kerbs, I should be feeling it in the FFB. If it is steering assist, it should be off, as it is set to "off" in the settings. However, it has been discussed many times that these games are "simcade" and not a true simulator, as they do aim to a more casual gaming audience. So with this in mind, I continued on.

The user interface has not changed from previous years, so navigating it is no problem. Game types are primarily the same also, with Young Driver Challenge replaced by the Driver Evaluation Test and shorter career options (I was not able to test this feature). All in all, it is very familiar to those who have played F1 2013 or even 2012.

It was apparent that they had tried to emulate the effects of reduced downforce, and more torque, requiring more precise manipulation of the throttle. Sadly, the FFB felt numb and disconnected, making this effect difficult to predict and control. Despite, the tendency to oversteer at every opportunity, it didn't seem to ever get out of control and go all the way around. This made it feel overdone yet restrained at the same time, as odd as that sounds.

It would appear that Codemasters may have not given this game the time it was due, as it lacks a certain attention to detail. If you are a casual gamer you probably won't notice at all, and shouldn't be deterred by this. But to a full blown F1 enthusiast or fan, they can be quite obvious. One example is visible in the screenshot above. Look at the steering wheel in the Lotus, you will notice it is the same as (or very similar to) the wheel used in the Mercedes. The real car does not use this wheel, it uses the same wheel from the previous season, with a red led display, rather than the black and white lcd used in the game.

All in all it is not a bad game. If you are a casual gamer, or F1 enthusiast, you will most likely enjoy F1 2014 thoroughly. Here at RaceDepartment however, many if not most of our readers, prefer the challenge and reality of a simulator. For those who call themselves "simracers", I'm afraid this game doesn't quite stack up. With the FFB feeling numb and lifeless, the virtual wheel making movements I'm not making, and the sounds out of proportion, it just doesn't provide the immersion we crave. In even the closest racing moments, you never get that feeling in your gut. The feeling when your pulse goes up, you start to breathe slightly heavier, and you start to sweat. The feeling you get, when it feels real.

Join the discussion in our F1 2014 forums, and get racing in our F1 2013 clubs & leagues while you wait for October 17th! While you're at it, why not check out some awesome videos and screenshot in our F1 2014 gallery?
If you would like to have your product or game reviewed, contact me at ryan.ogurek[at]racedepartment.com


"They also have rain ( which is quite good ) " !!!?

Could you tell us which sim sim/arcade have better rain ?? If any ? Although I haven't played the game yet..it seems you already had a biased opinion before you gave your " opinion "
 

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