F1 2018 F1 2018: Impressive First Drive and Early Impressions

[Paul Jeffrey]

We take the upcoming F1 2018 videogame from Codemasters for a first drive and give our (very) early impressions of the new title.

Stop! Before I go any further and whilst I have your attention... please, do me a favour and subscribe to the RaceDepartment YouTube channel. It would make me nice and happy, so give us a subscription if you haven't already please

Ok, back on topic...

Codemasters have been in possession of the official FIA Formula One licence since the 2010 racing season, and in that time the British developers have doggedly worked away at the yearly franchise to bring the spirit and feel of Grand Prix racing to home computers. Sometimes the games have been sublime, and sometimes it has felt like too much has been missing in order to classify the releases as a genuine contender for the hearts and minds of the gaming public.

Last year Codemasters made what I consider to be a considerable step forward with the F1 series, and early indications are that the developers have raised the bar once again for this upcoming new release.

If I'm perfectly honest I've never really been into the Formula One game series, although I've always ended up reaching into my wallet in the hope that the latest game stands up to the admittedly high expectations I held prior to taking it out for a drive. Well I think I can be reasonably safe in saying that for the new game, F1 2018, Codemasters have got the closest yet to matching those high expectations.

Still several days away from a public release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, RaceDepartment managed to get our hands on a early access copy of F1 2018 to review and share our opinions, and if I'm being perfectly frank with you, what I've seen so far has impressed me a great deal.

The new game feels like it has been improved in almost every aspect over previous titles. Obvious things like the inclusion of ERS and yet more classic content strike you from the moment you turn on the PC, but it's the little things that really make the difference. Presentation is slick as usual, however the way the developers have incorporated the new corporate image of F1 into the game is praiseworthy indeed, with nice and flowing introduction scenes right the way through to the way the drivers have been modelled to look like their real life counterparts.

But it's out on the track where the game really picks up and shines in my opinion. I'll admit I've not spent much time with it yet (that will change over the next few days), but from what I've seen and felt so far, the game provides a very nice and robust feel, with much improved handling and a very solid FFB right from the get go, without the need to spend hours tweaking my Fanatec CSW V2 to get the finest level of detail - as I say, pretty impressive.

First impressions of F1 2018 for me are overwhelmingly positive. I'm a sim racer through and through, so normally I'd be reluctant to spend much time in anything that I consider to not be the closest the developers can get to real world physics, however somehow it feels like F1 2018 manages to bridge the gap between the needs of people like me, and the desires of those looking for a more accessible experience impressively well.

I'm going to be spending more time with the title in the next few days, and of course will be making more videos as I go along, and at this moment in time I'm pretty excited to see what I uncover, not something I was expecting to say after the first day of running the game.

If I was a betting man, I might just have to say Codemasters have hit gold with F1 2018 after nine years of trying, and the results are pretty darn good.

Formula One 2018 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC August 24th 2018.

For more news and discussion around the upcoming new Formula One title, don't forget to check out the F1 2018 Sub Forum and get yourself involved in the discussion today!

Like what you see here at RaceDepartment? Don't forget to like, subscribe and follow us on social media!

 
Do you like the look of F1 2018 so far? Are you interesting in trying it when it releases later this month? Let us know in the comments section below!​

 

[Durge Driven]

Xbox , PS4 will outsell PC by how much ?
ProjectCars for PC was like 10% of sales or something silly ?
so why do they even have to worry what PC users want ? lol
and if someone could buy the F1 licence and make a proper PC "sim" they would not break even

catch22

 

[vlasovas]

Finally more of the same, but at least a more realistic dirigibility, and not as floating as it was in F1 2017! I did not like 2017 which in my opinion, is only good with mods! It remains to see if the classics will have a physics really good and faithful as it was in 2013! Because the 2017 was not

F1 2014 was a great game for it's time.
Let the number of downloads here on Racedepartment testify. Biggest of all F1 series titles and second overall, just behind Asseto Corsa. Looks good to me.

This looks more like a classic case of chronic constipation to me.

F1 2014 was one of the best F1 ever made, I had many opportunities with mod on it! It was only misunderstood to not have a classics!​

 

[Spinelli]

I love F1 2017. Very fun game. Although it's not a "sim," it's not some arcade game you play for 10 mins and then never play again.

Controllability at the limit of oversteer is even better than most sims (some sims-engines are flat out broken when it comes to vehicle oversteer behaviour).

I must be the only person in the world that noticed a "hidden" traction control though in F1 2017. It would kick in when you get wheelspin over a curb while accelerating. I noticed it the first ever time I played it (all assists fully off). I asked a lot of people about it and not a single person knew what I was talking about when I first broght it up yet I noticed it on my first ever lap. Maybe something is wrong with the curbs' programming? I hope this is gone/fixed for F1 2018.

I couldn't handle the Codemasters F1 games until David Greco started getting involved. Those older ones were terrible to me with all sorts of weird or just arcadey things happening. Codemasters seems to have gone in a new direction around 2 or so years ago. The vehicle behaviour is generally much more natural recently.

 

[Slowdive]

Jesus H, this "no VR no buy" get's on my male mammary's. End of rant.

I could buy your argument more that the game is not geared toward nerds with sim rigs, if not for the fact that they include force feedback in the game. I mean, if sim racers are not the target audience, why include something as obscure as FFB?

 

[Andy_J]

I could buy your argument more that the game is not geared toward nerds with sim rigs, if not for the fact that they include force feedback in the game. I mean, if sim racers are not the target audience, why include something as obscure as FFB?

There is and has been for many years basic FFB in most console games. Hence control pad rumble and basic wheel rumble, hardly obscure. I think every one knows that sim racers are not their target audience, merely a small cash cow for the sake of porting to the PC. Easy extra money.

 

[Slowdive]

There is and has been for many years basic FFB in most console games. Hence control pad rumble and basic wheel rumble, hardly obscure. I think every one knows that sim racers are not their target audience, merely a small cash cow for the sake of porting to the PC. Easy extra money.

Most console gamers, the vast majority to be sure, do not have force feedback wheels. The Venn diagram of console gamers with a FFB wheel and sim racers has quite a significant overlap I suspect.