2.
I didn't get too involved in reading the hype before this game came
out - so therefore went and bought it (as my fourth PS2 game) not
really expecting any specific features. I'll describe it as I
experienced it.
The game boots up fairly quickly taking you to a very straightforward
menu system (bravo Sony) with no bells and whistles. The only downside
to this of course is that you have to wait again to actually join the
track (you do get a progress meter though while you're waiting).
Once you do get out onto the track, there are several "driver aids" to
help ease your way into playing it - and I have to commend Sony on
them - they are done brilliantly.
Gameplay.
This is the first console racing game that really gave me the sense of
immersion that perhaps GP2 and GP3 gave us. The sense of speed is
fantastic, and the feeling of an 800bhp car weighing less than a Mini
carries over very well. Lapping quickly with no driver aids is
definitely a test of courage and skill rather than luck. For the first
time in a console game, driving accuracy/efficiency is rewarded in
your laptimes. The GPL brigade are going to eat the competition for
breakfast if they get their hands on it.
The tracks are modelled brilliantly, and the interaction between your
car and the track is fantastic. Whole new games are there to be played
with crests and cambers - in many cases your braking points are
dictated by the lay of the land rather than the track layout. In
addition, all the different surfaces grip as you would expect - put a
wheel on the grass while braking heavily and the car snaps sideways
just as you would expect in real life.
With the aids switched off, you can all too easily lock tyres entering
corners, and flat spot them in doing-so. Lock ups are another area
where the game mirrors real life in an uncanny way - in many late
braking panics, I've locked up and the car has fishtailed wide, but
held the corner. Never seen that happen in a game before (it does in
real life).
One major thing that did occur to me when I first got into a powerful
car (the cars all have appropriate performance) - was the
Montoya/Australia feeling. Did anybody watch the Australian GP this
year? Did you see Montoya sliding the Williams under power from the
corners? While accelerating out of sweeping corners without traction
control switched on, the cars do the identical thing - each time the
clutch is dropped or the throttle pedal hit, the whole car lurches
sideways from the power being put down. Fantastic.
While lapping the track, the tyres go away from you much as you would
expect in real life - you get a few really good laps, followed by a
long sustained period - then they start to go off. I notice some
people aren't too impressed by the amount the tyres go off - to notice
it you're going to have to be driving without aids, and then you're
only going to lose maybe a couple of seconds a lap if driving on the
limit - which is what would happen in real life. Heavy braking on old
tyres becomes a very dangerous pursuit :-)
The Opposition drive as well (probably better) than any racing game
I've ever played. They are hard but fair. On Pro level I went through
4 corners alongside Mika, with neither of us giving more room than
absolutely necessary. It was all very "correct" from a racing
standpoint. That's not to say that all drivers are going to do that
though - I've been ploughed into by Frentzen a number of times (quite
realistic really) - I can imagine him blaming me in the interview with
Louise Goodman.
Controls
The pad is used very well, but of course is never going to be as good
as a wheel and pedals. The sticks on the pad are nice and progressive
- allowing fast reactions without being twitchy. I have got the
impression though that you would need a wheel and pedals to compete at
the highest level - and then the more talented of us would probably
destroy the computer opposition.
Graphics.
The game looks gorgeous. It's not as polished as maybe GT3 or GP3, but
it moves very quickly and smoothly - which I for one would rather have
than out-and-out photo realism. The rain I would argue is better than
GP3. The spray is certainly better than any other car game I have
seen.
Sound
The game sounds good. Not great. Just good. What I would say though is
that you can hear exactly what you are doing, and who's to say that F1
cars don't sound like this with a helmet and ear-plugs in? It's nice
to hear an engine and clunking of a gearbox behind you and then notice
another car in your mirrors. If anything (from real experience), the
noise of other car's gear changes is not loud enough. Real F1 cars
make a hell of a bang.
Short-Comings (so far)
You Cannot change the controller configuration. I would have loved to
switch the axis around on the controller to put steering on a
different stick, but having stuck with it for a couple of days it's
not a major issue really - would have been nice though.
The car damage isn't severe enough. Even on pro level, you can slam
the barriers and other cars far too hard before damage is inflicted.
While this is good for keeping you in the race, it's by no means
realistic. Also, the cars don't break into enough pieces. It would be
nice to see chunks of car in the track which you have to avoid.
The options menu caught me out - you have to actively save and exit to
keep your choices. If you just exit to drive the car, you lose your
settings.
You cannot save custom driver aids settings - they default to the
difficulty level you have set in options (driver aids are switched on
and off inside the game). It's a bit of a pain while learning on the
lower levels to go back in and switch off the things you don't want.
I had the game crash after completing the "challenge" mode (an
international competition to see who can do the fastest three laps of
Spa with a pre-defined car setup).
Summary (for this newsgroup!)
Formula One 2001 is probably the most complete F1 game on any format -
console or PC. These are words from somebody who played GP2 to death,
played GP3 a lot, and continues to play GPL when he has time (notice
that as the games have come along and I've got older, less time has
been available to play them :-))
The game is sufficiently good to cause my Fianc to call me "obsessed"
yesterday evening when I booted up the PS2 to have another go....
Being serious for a moment, it is probably the most accessible F1 game
available. The scope for "just another go" is huge, as are the rewards
of doing quick laps.
Please feel free to e-mail me and we can rave about our "exploits" on
the game :-)
Appendix of abbreviations used...
GP2 - Grand Prix 2 (PC Game)
GP3 - Grand Prix 3 (PC Game)
GPL - Grand Prix Legends (PC Game)
GT3 - Grand Turismo 3 (PS2 - Out July)