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F1 Grand Prix Mini Review
Chris Leyton
26/08/2005
Hands up F1 fans who want to see an arcade recreation of the motorsport...
Being the exclusive licensee of Formula One itās inevitable that Sony would turn upon the franchise when launching the PSP. While Team Liverpool worked hastily on the return to its futuristic racer with Wipeout Pure, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has turned to ādevelopers-for-hireā Travellerās Tales to bring both Formula 1 and World Rally Championship to Sonyās handheld.
In a confused attempt in search of the PSP experience, F1 presents an arcade take on the motor sport, which is unlikely to satisfy the F1 aficionado and leaves the target market questionable given the fact racing fans in general would be better off with Wipeout Pure or Ridge Racers.
The overall handling of the car removes all of the complexities of F1, with the vast majority of corners needing no knowledge of racing lines and braking distances; in fact the brake button is rarely applied during the entire race, and the only aspect even bordering on difficult is keeping the hyper-twitchy handling under control.
Collisions within the game highlight its arcade direction as cars pop away from each other unrealistically, while a message indicates damage but doesnāt actually have any visual indication on the actual car. F1 buffs will likely scoff at the lack of setup options presented to the player, with three generic configurations providing slight superficial variations to the carās speed, acceleration and handling. If any more evidence of its arcade direction were needed then the pitting mini-game takes the top spot; likely to infuriate the fanatics it actually proves to be an enjoyable diversion without the frustrations featured in those that take the sport slightly more seriously.
All of these factors add up to create a cheap experience; itās often more successful to cut corners and barge your way through the pack, techniques you simply canāt use in the real world of F1.
That said itās not a bad game as long as itās not the most accurate simulation youāre expecting. Thereās a wide selection of game modes to suit different scenarios, from the less then enthralling āWorld Championshipā mode to the short, sharp fix of the excellent āScenarioā system designed to test different aspects of F1 driving, unlocking progressively harder challenges along the way.
If the arcade style experience is likely to put off the F1 fanatic the accuracy of the 2005 season, complete with new circuits is likely to provide some appeal, largely because thereās little competition in the F1 videogame stakes. Information before the gameās release suggested the ability to download actual data from the current season including grid line-ups and qualification times, however itās something we were unable to find.
The strongest aspect of F1 is the visuals which maintain the same quality laid down by the likes of Wipeout Pure and Ridge Racers. The vehicles sport an impressive level of detail with the various accompanying decals, while the environmental mapping truly polishes the overall look. The environments are faithful replications of the various circuits; however itās the unwavering frame-rate that creates a blistering sense of speed despite an abundance of cars onscreen which truly rounds off the experience.
Another source of annoyance stems from the game only featuring 6 licensed songs; not only is this a weak amount but during the race only one track loops continuouslyā¦ Information about the game suggests the ability to transfer songs from the MemoryStick, which would be a big plus but we simply couldnāt work out how to do it. Thankfully the game removes the typical tedious commentary, which is most definitely a good thing since Murray Walker left the mic.
As customary with PSP titles, F1 features Wi-Fi compatibility for up to 8 players to engage in Ad-Hoc multiplayer although thereās no Game Sharing option making this feature almost redundant unless youāre amongst fellow F1 fanatics.
F1 on the PSP is a confusing title; on one hand its arcade style is likely to put off its target audience, but at the same time it presents a reasonably enjoyable experience to anybody who isnāt too worried about black flags and racing lines.
If youāre after a racing game for your new PSP thereās no doubt that Ridge Racers and Wipeout Pure provide more exhilarating and enjoyable options, however F1 presents a down-to-earth experience despite its lack of authenticity.
