EA Sports F1 24 on PS5
In the sport of Formula 1 racing, dominant dynasties are not exactly a new thing. In just the past decade alone, the likes of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton have swept multiple championships, making it hard for others to compete while drawing the competition one step closer to being a predictable affair. Put the spotlight on EA Sports F1 24, and the same problem persists for the annualised series.
Developed by Codemasters and published by EA, there is no arguing that the series has always offered excellent racing experiences. However, the action on the asphalt isn’t always accompanied by similar quality elsewhere, and what players will find is an ultimately familiar time that may not always warrant jumping into the next numbered entry.
My Team is still there for wannabe team owners who are into both the driving and management aspects of the sport, F1 World returns but remains utterly undercooked and still too grindy for our tastes, and there is no Braking Point drama to enjoy this year as well. The episodic Challenge Career currently centred around Verstappen is a nice leaderboard chase, but the biggest addition has to be Driver Career, a laser-focused affair that is the star attraction in F1 24.
Players can take their pick from the current crop of superstar drivers and take them to the top, or rewrite history as past legends of the sport. There is also the option to pick an F2 driver to climb the ranks or create a custom driver to make a name for yourself. Then, it all comes down to your driving and making sure you make the podium every single time, building a reputation for yourself and dismantling your rivals’ bid for the championship.
It helps that the handling has never been better, with the new Dynamic Handling system making it a joy to get behind the wheel. While talk of new suspension kinematics, tyre models, advanced aerodynamic simulation, alongside new engine and car setup options, might not be everyone’s thing, the result is an extremely enjoyable driving experience that trades realism for a slightly more accessible time. In a sense, the game helps you drive like the stars you watch in real life, and that’s not exactly a bad thing.
Of course, the AI is not going to go easy on you, and they benefit greatly as well from the new additions. Most, if not all, races are usually tight affairs, and the more competitive players can always adjust the sliders to increase the level of challenge on the tacks. That should help you get up to speed if you wish to compete in multiplayer against other human drivers.
Whether you win or lose, you are always making progress in the new Driver Recognition system, which influences other aspects of Driver Career in F1 24. What that boils down to is completing goals throughout your career, be it during races, the season, or contractual obligations. The better you do, the more leverage you’ll have during negotiations or even research and development, feeding into your progress both as a driver and as part of a team. In fact, you can do all of that in a two-player career, adding another layer of intrigue to the proceedings.
However, there are bumps in the road to consider, namely the in-race objectives and the mechanic of secret meetings. For the former, the ideal situation would be for your race team to ask certain things of you that would help get you closer to victory during a race, but there is a lack of connection in practice. More often than not, we found ourselves ignoring the objectives in favour of securing victory, and the lack of meaningful consequences doesn’t help either.
As for the latter, entering secret talks to join another team definitely ties into the inner workings of the sport, but the implementation is not perfect. Take a deal to jump ship, and even before the actual parting of ways happens, your team is going to be upset. Stay loyal, and somehow, the outcome of the secret talks is made known and you will get a nice loyalty bump. It appears that there are no secrets in the industry after all.
All of this is wrapped in what looks like the best-looking game in the series yet, with Codemasters outdoing themselves in F1 24. The tracks will make you feel like you are driving on the real thing, and updates to the likes of Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone, Jeddah, and Lusail make them as current as possible. The same goes for the drivers, whose likeness improves with each and every year.
Audio-wise, you are going to get a kick out of the on-track action, with the sounds of high-octane racing helping with the immersion. The limited driver chatter isn’t the best, while the commentary is best saved for more general play, with those hoping for more situational talk likely to be disappointed by what’s being offered through the headsets.
Just like how you could win a race instead of the season, F1 24 remains an excellent way of enjoying the sport with you at the helm in an instance. There are a ton of things to get busy with, and options to help tweak the experience to suit what you need. The caveat is that you will have to be new to all of this to avoid feeling like everything is just a tad too familiar, even with the welcomed addition of Driver Career. Rather than a bold new contender, the sight of a seasoned veteran is what players will have to con
EA Sports F1 24 is now available on the PS5 via the PSN Store.
SavePoint Score
Summary
F1 24 remains an excellent way of enjoying the sport with you at the helm, the caveat is that you will have to be new to all of this to avoid feeling like everything is just a tad too familiar.
