2020 rolled down the grid in turbulent air. You know something has gone wrong when Codemasters releases the latest in its annual Formula 1 series in line with the start of the real F1 season. Usually the developer is late in fashion; this year, thanks to a global pandemic delaying the start of the season, it is downright on time. We've grown accustomed to seeing modest changes to the series on a yearly basis – there's only so much you can change for an already superb Formula 1 sim, after all – and the same is technically true this year as well. . However, given that it's the only way to get a full motorsport season in 2020, it might be a bigger release than usual - especially for the fans.
All 22 official tracks feature in F1 2020, including the revived Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, with its long, high-speed right-handers that make for exhilarating driving, and the all-new Hanoi Street Circuit in Vietnam, which is as one of the greatest successes of many racing favorites. Both of these tracks were scratched from this year's schedule due to COVID-19, but they're both included here as if we were in an alternate timeline. Perhaps inspired by real-life events, this year you can also turn off many tracks and have a stripped-down championship if you want to keep things realistic. As with the other tracks we've already fallen in love with, the two new additions have been recreated with exemplary attention to detail. The brief helicopter flyovers before the race, as David Croft and analyst Anthony Davidson read their – admittedly sometimes stark – commentary, add to the spectacle.
One of the most successful additions last year was the Formula 2 junior series, although it's bare bones and a contextual tool more than anything else. This year we have the option of competing in a full or half Formula 2 championship, where you can test your mettle against Mick Schumacher and Giuliano Alesi, before hitting the big time. We're thrilled with this addition, but unfortunately it comes at the expense of the leanness we experienced last year. We think that's a shame because, while hardly a predictable cameo in 2019, it showed promise and provided context for our rider's career. We were hoping for a more fleshed out narrative this year, but instead it was scrapped entirely.
On track, however, the game is still excellent. You really feel the difference when you upgrade your car with new parts and the tires wear out on the track. Even when you turn to embrace the apex a little too enthusiastically, the cars feel good. In many ways it is so accurate that the game enhances your understanding of motorsport.
With no real deal in the past few months, pro pilots, celebrities and YouTube influencers have been battling their way into esports tournaments, showing just how accurate and thrilling a simulator can be. Even away from the online community, computer AI is as competitive as you'd expect. It's the kind of game that pushes you to your limits, requiring focus and skill - especially when dialing in the difficulty with a full suite of assist toggles and a sliding AI difficulty bar. With this, even for beginners, you can work your way through the game, gradually increasing the difficulty as you master your car.
Speaking of which, you really can have your own car in F1 2020. In the new My Team section, you have a career-style mode where you form the eleventh team on the grid. This means creating your own team from scratch, deciding on your team name, defining your team colors and livery, recruiting drivers, and managing all the business deals and expectations that each of them places on you. Truth be told, it's a complicated mode – you're responsible for everything you'd be in Career Mode, like directing the car's research and development, testing and racing, plus a whole lot more. It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the on-screen text, though the game does its best to remind you what needs to be done via voice prompts. This might seem a bit too F1 Manager to us, preferring the more focused longer-term Driver Career mode, but it's clearly a welcome addition and your mileage may vary.
In the absence of a driver story, we feel more than ever the possible improvements that could be made to what surrounds the sport away from the track. Journalist interviews are nice, but how about setting the stage with a pre-race grid walk interview? When your car's livery is revealed before the start of the season, how about a press corps taking pictures? During R&D development, maybe the engineering team could ask us questions, modify the results and make them pass or fail based on our collaboration rather than a percentage chance? The rivalries that are developed on the track are great, but contextually, wouldn't it be cool if you could see those relationships spill over into the post-race trailers? For such a team-oriented sport, there is sometimes an odd sense of isolation that perhaps doesn't do justice to the spectacle that surrounds the sport. But we are picky. Where it matters most, F1 2020 really excels as a motorsport simulator and it's an extremely comprehensive package.
Conclusion
This is the most comprehensive series to date, with a full Formula 2 season, followed by up to 10 consecutive senior campaigns in an exciting Formula 1 career. New My Team mode allows for an even more personalized pilgrimage , and on track everything sings. It's a shame we missed the story featured in the previous entry and we hope Codemasters will come back and flesh it out in future releases. But all told, F1 2020 includes a frightening amount of content that makes it a staple for motorsport fans. This is, after all, the only full Formula 1 season in 2020.
- Breathtaking F1 simulator
- Tons of content
- The full Formula 2 season is a welcome addition
- Great career, now with a full team management option
- Lots of customization and difficulty options
- Missing story from previous entry
- I would like to see more show away from the track
- Comment still a little wooden at times
Super 8/10
Scoring policy
Review of the copy provided by Codemasters
