The new F1 23 video game has been widely welcomed by the fans, who have been underwhelmed by last years’ version (F1 22) for various reasons.
Last year’s F1 22 has left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans across the board, due to poor racing and handling models, poor AI behaviour, and a lack of overall content that left too much to be desired.
Fast forward to F1 23, with the newest release from EA SPORTS/Codemasters, and fans are already very happy with this year’s iteration, that has arrived along with marked improvements for the franchise quite evident.
So what has changed, and what makes F1 23 better than its predecessor? Let’s have a look.
The car handling has changed significantly
First things first, the handling models on this year’s Formula 1 cars is a massive step up. The cars behave almost exactly how they should compared to their real life counterparts, making cornering, braking and acceleration a little easier to manage.
They are much easier to predict, particularly under braking and slow speed corners, as giving too much throttle too quickly will spin the wheels, causing loss of traction, and in turn, valuable tenths in lap time. This means one has to re-learn braking zones, and learn how much throttle to apply when exiting a corner, to allow maximum traction, making for a much more engaging lap.
No longer will one unpredictably lose the rear of the car, and struggle to correct it, resulting in a spin that would ruin one’s race. A few laps around Bahrain or Jeddah are enough to get up to speed.
As mentioned, correcting the car is so much easier now, making for a better overall racing experience.
Story mode returns with ‘Braking Point 2’
After a one year hiatus during F1 22, Braking Point returns to the fold with a sequel entry into F1 23, aptly called ‘Braking Point 2’ (BP2).
BP2 takes many leaves out of Netflix’s Drive To Survive, as there is plenty of drama, interviews, and character rivalries that match that of the ever popular docu-series. One can choose to play as returning main man Aiden Jackson, who now races for the fictional team of Konnersport Racing, taking on scenarios and challenges, bringing both driver and team, to the top of Formula 1. The story is a major breath of fresh air, never being afraid to be exactly what it needs to be, while giving much more development to the established characters of BP1.
A very welcome addition to the story, is female driver Callie Mayer, who represents an ever growing diverse side of motorsport, and the females within it. It’s great to see, with her character being amazing and given quite a lot to do. Her driving is top notch by the way.
F1 World is the innovation that the fans needed
F1 World (F1W) is a brand new way to explore and play F1 23. F1W brings together many established modes into one area, such as Time Trials, Multiplayer Races, Grand Prix Events, and Super Car Time Trials, while adding in the brand new Series playlists, that change on a weekly basis, in accordance with the real life Grand Prix weekends.
F1W allows the player to create a car and a driver, introducing new mechanical parts to develop the car, be it gearboxes, brakes or engines, that use a rarity system reminiscent of many looter games we’ve seen before. Essentially, every lap a player drives in F1 23, across Career Mode, BP2, Multiplayer, and Time Trials, all count towards his/her F1W progress, as cash and resources are earned to improve one’s car, and enter into more challenging events, earning players even more rewards for their cars, driver appearances, and their personal home, which can be decorated quite uniquely.
There is also a sticker book, that allows the player to put stickers into a massive compendium, and by completing the relevant sticker collections, he/she is rewarded handsomely. A very welcome addition one might add.
Conclusion
This year’s game is an absolute joy to play, with reworked mechanics and handling models, updated graphics that are stunning to look at, a brand new story mode, and the ever growing F1 World. All of these features combine to make the game a true Formula 1 experience, and any fan will find something to like here.
F1 has been on a massive resurgence in all aspects with new venues, and new fanbase developing in recent years, and all of this is reflected in F1 23. There is racing, there is glitz and glamour, and there is drama.