Closing out F1 2010
I spent my entire day doing Grands Prix in the 360 version of F1 2010 so that I can wrap up my review this week. I’ve had a good handle on the strengths and weaknesses of the PC version, but I’m glad I took some time with the 360 version. I definitely needed to explore the easier difficulty levels and there are some definite buyer beware issues when you try to play this with a gamepad.
I’ll explain more in the review, but the bottom line is that I don’t think the higher difficult levels are even usable with a gamepad. When 75 percent throttle takes you through a corner at high speed, and 80 percent sends you into the wall, you really don’t want to be relying on the trigger buttons.
But there’s no getting around how gruesome this game, or any game, can become when you’ve got to start powering through it to hit a deadline, or to test some game elements that have seemed problematic. When I took this review, my goal was to bring it up to the same standard as Bill Abner’s sports game reviews, and now I realize how much effort that requires. Especially because, unlike an EA Sports game, a racing game doesn’t let you simply sim a racing season while you check the stats against reality. You want to see how a season plays out in F1? You drive.
But it’s worth it to me. There aren’t a lot of legit racing sim reviewers who can approach these games from a perspective that’s useful to the people most interested in them, and I feel like this is one game where I can provide a uniquely strong and informed perspective.
Still, I’ll be glad when I’m finished. I hear engines and gearboxes all the time now, and the room seemed to be spinning for like a half hour after Monaco. Man, fuck Monaco.
I think the odds are fantastically against me ever playing an F1 game (or any racer that doesn’t spell cart with a K). Nevertheless, I’m thrilled to see that _someone_ is bringing a seriousness to the task of reviewing such games.
Enjoy the writing, and please link when it goes up…
What did you think about the Singapore GP? Another city road track but at night.
The race or the way it is in the game? In the game, I think having fireworks going off is pretty silly and annoying over the course of a long race. And the track really leaves me cold. It’s everything I hate about street circuits. Not as bad as Monaco, though. Still, it felt like the longest race in the game.
I didn’t ever know you were into F1. I’m not really a fan of F1, but I did play a lot of racing games in my former life. Are you going to be doing a review of Gran Turismo? I’ve got it on pre-order and can’t wait!
Probably not reviewing GT5. I’m going to be focusing on some feature work for the next couple weeks and don’t have time for that monster.