Codemasters have released images of all 10 car models for the current season in F1 2019. Take a look at how they compare to the real thing, plus the game’s new lighting effects.
There’s a few things wrong on the Renault like the Castrol branding on the Halo as well as the mirror arms being a different shape. The lighting needs further work (especially at night with diffusion) but overall it does look very good.
Can I just point out the ludicrousness of having programmed a video game, yet apparently being unable to recreate 1:1 the photos they’ve chosen to show off their work?
They are the developers, they can literally put the car(s) and camera exactly where they were in real life.
I preordered the game and casually told my wife so: she said “you have to cancel your preorder”, so it seems that I’ll have my copy as a gift… or that my wife simply doesn’t want me to play.
I’ve been a huge fan of Geoff Crammond’s GP series, and I had high hopes when this game was announced, but it is an understatement to say that I was disappointed. This is not a serious game. This is an arcadey flick.
The game is not trying to recreate the real thing, it is just trying to imitate it.
Well what is the difference, you might say, between recreating the real thing and imitating it?
Well, quite a big one actually. Let me give you an example. If you wanted a bird as a gif, let’s say a Bird Of Paradise, but you can’t afford one, you’d have two choices.
Getting something close to a real thing would perhaps mean getting a pigeon. Getting something that’s an imitation of a real thing, means getting a strelitzia flower.
In the context of F1 games, if the ideal product is a Bird of Paradise, I’d rather have a pigeon, than a flower.
I’ve played GP4 recently and honestly I prefer F1 2018. GP4 has a rather basic driving model and though F1 2018 is “easy to drive” it is actually challenging to drive well during mid to long distances on harder difficulty as car model evolves well taking in account the usual variables (tyre wear, petrol, rain etc.). And it is great in a sense that it becomes harder and harder to be really good at it (especially online). I don’t care if it isn’t trully faithful to a F1 driving experience, I’ve never had the chance to sample an F1 car. And I believe it’s nigh impossible to do it well without the G Forces, the vibrations through your b.. etc. giving you additional information. I’d rather play a good game with a good driving model and a well balanced learning curve than try and recreate a F1 simulator that will just give me frustration and not even the exhilaration of feeling of speed. (which to be honest won’t be interesting without the right hardware, a dedicated engineer, a 40°C chamber…)
Plus I always suspect some people equate “hard to drive consistently = good”. I don’t suscribe to that view for a game which is going to be played 95% in non optimal setting with non optimal hardware, by both beginners and hardcore gamers / sunday drivers / racers.
I don’t care if it isn’t trully faithful to a F1 driving experience, I’ve never had the chance to sample an F1 car.
Absolutely spot on – i would say that over 99% of people who end up playing this or any other “game”, hasn’t driven an actual F1 car, let alone in “Race Conditions”….. so the majority of whinging and whining that there will inevitably be are essentially hot air
Spot on. As an ex small formula racer I find these games pretty much stupid as to the real thing. All the driving has to be visual as that’s the only input; in real life there are lateral g loads, bumps, head in the air stream with buffeting and, most importantly, the braking cannot be simulated as the only reference is visual; there is no feedback from pushing the pedal harder so no way to interpret deceleration except scenery. Braking is one of the great thrills of racing; these games can never come close. Anyone who believes a game like this can be useful training for the real thing is delusional.
I asked the game director this a few weeks ago and he said they’d reduced the competitiveness of the Ferraris between the end of testing and the start of the season:
I know Electroball76 asked that in jest, but it’s somehow even funnier to read that Codemasters actually revised the car’s competitiveness after seeing Ferrari in Australia.
Homerlovesbeer (@homerlovesbeer)
6th June 2019, 7:27
There’s a few things wrong on the Renault like the Castrol branding on the Halo as well as the mirror arms being a different shape. The lighting needs further work (especially at night with diffusion) but overall it does look very good.
More importantly, will it be fun to play?
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
6th June 2019, 7:32
@homerlovesbeer: If many here are to be accurately modelled, then no, it won’t be fun to play. ;-)
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
6th June 2019, 7:38
Can I just point out the ludicrousness of having programmed a video game, yet apparently being unable to recreate 1:1 the photos they’ve chosen to show off their work?
They are the developers, they can literally put the car(s) and camera exactly where they were in real life.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
6th June 2019, 7:40
Oh wait, were those photos chosen by you, Keith?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
6th June 2019, 8:29
@proesterchen Yeah they were. All the images with F1 2018/F1 2019 branding on are from Codemasters, the rest are ours.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
6th June 2019, 9:18
Ah, thanks, that explains it.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
6th June 2019, 9:15
I preordered the game and casually told my wife so: she said “you have to cancel your preorder”, so it seems that I’ll have my copy as a gift… or that my wife simply doesn’t want me to play.
Joao (@johnmilk)
6th June 2019, 9:25
The McLaren is the wrong shade of orange
Phylyp (@phylyp)
6th June 2019, 9:30
@johnmilk – hush, or the game’ll be delayed a month in the paint shop! ;)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
6th June 2019, 16:03
@phylyp See what you did there :-)
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
6th June 2019, 17:28
@phylyp LOL :-)
Biggsy
6th June 2019, 9:41
It won’t matter, if the game play is not good.
I’ve been a huge fan of Geoff Crammond’s GP series, and I had high hopes when this game was announced, but it is an understatement to say that I was disappointed.
This is not a serious game. This is an arcadey flick.
The game is not trying to recreate the real thing, it is just trying to imitate it.
Well what is the difference, you might say, between recreating the real thing and imitating it?
Well, quite a big one actually.
Let me give you an example.
If you wanted a bird as a gif, let’s say a Bird Of Paradise, but you can’t afford one, you’d have two choices.
Getting something close to a real thing would perhaps mean getting a pigeon.
Getting something that’s an imitation of a real thing, means getting a strelitzia flower.
In the context of F1 games, if the ideal product is a Bird of Paradise, I’d rather have a pigeon, than a flower.
Tango (@tango)
6th June 2019, 10:34
I’ve played GP4 recently and honestly I prefer F1 2018. GP4 has a rather basic driving model and though F1 2018 is “easy to drive” it is actually challenging to drive well during mid to long distances on harder difficulty as car model evolves well taking in account the usual variables (tyre wear, petrol, rain etc.). And it is great in a sense that it becomes harder and harder to be really good at it (especially online). I don’t care if it isn’t trully faithful to a F1 driving experience, I’ve never had the chance to sample an F1 car. And I believe it’s nigh impossible to do it well without the G Forces, the vibrations through your b.. etc. giving you additional information. I’d rather play a good game with a good driving model and a well balanced learning curve than try and recreate a F1 simulator that will just give me frustration and not even the exhilaration of feeling of speed. (which to be honest won’t be interesting without the right hardware, a dedicated engineer, a 40°C chamber…)
Plus I always suspect some people equate “hard to drive consistently = good”. I don’t suscribe to that view for a game which is going to be played 95% in non optimal setting with non optimal hardware, by both beginners and hardcore gamers / sunday drivers / racers.
G (@unklegsif)
6th June 2019, 13:25
Absolutely spot on – i would say that over 99% of people who end up playing this or any other “game”, hasn’t driven an actual F1 car, let alone in “Race Conditions”….. so the majority of whinging and whining that there will inevitably be are essentially hot air
SteveR
6th June 2019, 15:04
Spot on. As an ex small formula racer I find these games pretty much stupid as to the real thing. All the driving has to be visual as that’s the only input; in real life there are lateral g loads, bumps, head in the air stream with buffeting and, most importantly, the braking cannot be simulated as the only reference is visual; there is no feedback from pushing the pedal harder so no way to interpret deceleration except scenery. Braking is one of the great thrills of racing; these games can never come close. Anyone who believes a game like this can be useful training for the real thing is delusional.
Jere (@jerejj)
6th June 2019, 12:57
Why are all the real-life images from the same circuit (Melbourne) rather than from a variety of the tracks F1 has been to so far this season?
G (@unklegsif)
6th June 2019, 13:22
Probably because Keith is very busy and its easy to retrieve images from a single folder (assuming he organises in such a way)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
6th June 2019, 16:05
@jerejj @unklegsif I used Melbourne as usually the first race is the reference for the car specifications in the game.
Jere (@jerejj)
6th June 2019, 16:13
@keithcollantine OK, I hadn’t really noticed that before, and by that, I mean with the previous editions of the Codemasters’ F1 game series.
Ryan
6th June 2019, 13:41
It’s because Codemasters model the car designs on Australia specs.
Electroball76
6th June 2019, 13:57
Do you win the campaign automatically if you choose the Merc?
Ruben (@)
6th June 2019, 14:27
Haha would be nice. Maybe you have to thank the team, the car, the audience and what not to complete the campaign.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
6th June 2019, 16:06
I asked the game director this a few weeks ago and he said they’d reduced the competitiveness of the Ferraris between the end of testing and the start of the season:
https://www.racefans.net/2019/05/03/f1-2019-first-play-the-new-f1-and-f2-gameplay-senna-vs-prost-and-more/
Phylyp (@phylyp)
6th June 2019, 21:40
I know Electroball76 asked that in jest, but it’s somehow even funnier to read that Codemasters actually revised the car’s competitiveness after seeing Ferrari in Australia.