Review – F1 2020

Courtesy of the folks at Codemasters, over the last few days I’ve been spending some time with the expansive options available in F1 2020. Here you’ll find the usual full video review with common sense parent’s guide, along with an extended written review. If you want to find out what’s new in F1 2020, read on.

The Basics

You’ll probably have seen a little of the licensed Formula One franchise over the tears, and the foundations of the game remain the same in 2020. You’ll spend time with the latest technology available in F1 motorsports within a number of solo and multiplayer modes.

Like last year, you can find championships, time trials, single race and career modes available in solo, as well as ranked and casual multiplayer events. Classic cars and Formula Two also make a return, and F2 is again available in single race mode as well as career.

What’s New?

It’s great to see Formula Two make a return, and even better to see it much improved from last year. In F1 2019, the career mode for Formula Two was a good starting point, but was limited to just a small number of races. In F1 2020 this has been expanded so that you are able to choose between 3 short scenarios, 6 feature races, or a full F2 season with 12 feature races and 12 sprints.

The best addition, however, has to be the all new My Team mode. This new F1 career will see you both as the first driver and owner of a brand new Formula One team. You’ll start by creating the team in name, as well as creating a logo and your own livery. You’ll also have to choose an initial sponsor.

Going forward, you’ll have to manage the team outside the race weekends, picking up new sponsors, developing drivers, and even sorting the midweek calendar with marketing events. You’ll also of course be in charge of the different teams both for R&D and specific challenges and performance boosts.

Parent’s Eye View

F1 2020 is rated by PEGI at 3 and above, and by the ESRB at E for Everyone. There’s nothing really much to worry about here, and while online play of course includes player interaction, that can be bypassed easily using parental controls.

Outside the multiplayer there is so much for the younger generation to get their teeth into, and F1 2020 gives standard and casual options, with a lot of assists available for those who want them.

The Run Down

Visuals – Good: Good but not great here this year. When playing, the visuals look pretty stunning, and weather effects are as usual well implemented. Between races and sometimes during the pretty awesome camera mode though, looking too closely you can see some rough edges

Audio – Great: the music, as ever, is absolutely on point, with all the official sounds you’d expect from a licensed product. In game sounds and commentary are everything I’d expect too, and I can’t find anything to fault it on here.

Narrative – Great: Its been really excellent to see sports titles really getting the hang of narrative over the recent years. It’s not strictly a story other than what you write yourself, but the addition of the full F2 season and especially the My Team mode really have me sold here

Replay – Great: Online multiplayer, solo career with plenty of options available, single races, championships, time trials, a separate custom team mode and plenty of options between contemporary F1 and F2 vehicles as well as a range of classics spinning back to the 80s… there’s a huge amount to unpack here

The Verdict

Overall the Pixel Bandits Go Go Go Level for F1 2020 is Grab It. I usually enjoy the F1 titles, and to be honest I didn’t think this year was going to be an exception. However I wasn’t really prepared for how much more I would love it.

The inclusion of the new complete F2 season for career mode would have been great on its own, but the My Team option really knocks it out of the park here. If you like the F1 franchise but are wondering if there’s enough new stuff in here, the answer for me is a definite yes.

Pick It Up

If This one has tickled your gaming tastebuds, you can grab it on;