Consoles: PS5, Ps4, Xbox Series X,S,, One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Published:Codemasters
Developers:Electronic Arts(Ea), EA Sports
Released: June 2023
In the world of video games there are very few categories that are inspired by everyday life or sports. Such as simulation and sports. A game that has stood the test of time is F1 which is inspired by Formula 1. F1 games are released by Electronic Arts(EA) which has had the rights since 2000
when in collaboration with Visual Science they first released the F1 2000 for Playstation 1.
Twenty-three years later, EA continues to release these games. From 2009 until 2023, the editing of the games has been undertaken by Codemasters, which since 2021 is a subsidiary company of EA and is responsible for various racing games such as F1, DiRT, etc. F1 23 is the new game in the series which
was first announced in March 2023 and released in June 2023. Codemasters advertised that the game will be a new start for the F1 series of games.
The game was overall positevely received from the players and the critics alike and was even nominated for the best Sports/Racing game.
Story of the Game
Konnersport's internal problems that could cost them their future.
F1 2021 pioneered the series by introducing “Breaking point”, the game's story mode which in turn introduced us to Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, two drivers with big dreams for their careers. F1 23 continues their story through Breaking point 2. Codemasters has taken appropriate measures so that new players
who may not have played F1 2021 will be introduced to the main plot points through a brief cut-scene.
In the new racing game by Codemasters, these two drivers participate in the same team, Konnersport, which is making its debut in Formula 1. The two drivers do not have the best relations with each other and this creates various problems for them both inside and outside the races. A phenomenon that threatens
the future of Konnersport. Then external factors such as a serious illness are enough to make one of the drivers leave the wheel. Konnersport brings a new fresh face to the driver's seat who does not have the best relations neither with the team members nor with the main sponsor. Will Konnersport manage to solve their problems,
or will this be the end of them?
Thoughts on the story
The game's script does a fantastic job of depicting various in-game and out-of-game events. The plot revolves not only between Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, but also other people such as the team manager, the main sponsor and the new driver of the series, Callie Mayer who, in addition to being a new person to the game,
is and the first female driver in F1. To clarify, Callie is not the first F1 driver (in the game), but she is the first in many years. Also, the plot of the game allows us to experience the events through the eyes of various heroes, managers and drivers. In addition, at various points it shows us how the heroes go through
an interview that allows us to see what they think about the rest of the team members but also what they themselves believed E.g. the game shows us a dialogue between two heroes, and then in the next scene, it shows us one from those two in an interview, revealing to us what he really believed at that moment.
Breaking point 2 is a very good addition to F1 23 but that doesn't mean it doesn't get a few things wrong. One complaint with the game is the character development of the protagonists. In the general picture there are six main heroes in the group of which only one character had a satisfactory development, the rest remained exactly
the same or had minor changes. Of course some heroes had their Character development from the previus title Breaking point (F1 21). In the sequel the game added the new heroine Callie whose character is not the best which makes me believe that she was put into the game to represent women which the game mentions over and over again.
Also, EA doesn't have the best reputation for force/bad representation. The problem doesn't end there as the answers she gives and her behavior don't help her as a character. Callie starts out as an amazing driver who wins the F2 title. Then the game through various events makes her the protagonist. Her character is presented as
dynamic with the beliefs that she is better than everyone because of her hard work. The journalists naturally ask her to tell them how she feels about her victory, and in general about the fact that a female driver managed not only to participate but also to win in F1 (a reasonable question as there are not many female drivers in F1).
The heroine was clearly annoyed and her answer was "I don't know John, what's it like being a man in Journalism? Next question. References are made to her gender very often (to impress) and generally her reactions are childish or arrogant. The writers recognize her character and show it through her interactions with other characters
as well as in her team's interviews about her.
Gameplay
The gameplay of the game is very simple. You are a Formula 1 driver aiming to finish first on the track you are racing on. The game mechanics are very simple and anyone can play it. You drive your racing cars whose speed increases sharply. When approaching sharp turns you must also reduce speed to avoid going off track. You can
activate assistive mechanisms that will show you where to start reducing. Also, you can change the speeds for a faster restart or to reduce your speed faster. Then at any time by pressing a button you can request updates regarding the condition of the vehicle (petrol, wheels, etc.). If you see that you have a problem with any part
of the car you can stop at the Pit stop. Finally, the PS5 controller makes the experience much better as its various vibrations and speaker flatter the game.
During the Breaking point when you race you have various objectives, main and optional. These missions are of the simple type "win the race" or "pass the A/B driver before the given lap" or "finish between X-X places". Optionals, on the other hand, have a similar format that can be affected by your decisions. E.g. if you
say you think Aiden can come third/fifth in an interview, the side objective will be to come third/fifth or better or otherwise top 10. Matches usually start from the middle of the match eg 6 /15, 8/15 but in rare cases you will start from the beginning 1/12 etc. Outside of breaking point in career mode or online your goal should
always be a good position and have a good reputation. Be careful because Formula 1 is not a simple racing game as there are regulations (collision, illegal trespassing, etc.) which, as they apply in the real sport, also apply in the game with the same penalties when they are violated.
In Breaking Point as mentioned above you don't only play in the field of the match but also outside. Outside of matches you can't do much other than press a few dialogue options which will affect the game. When you are one of the three drivers, you will usually be approached by reporters after each race. The answers you give
affect the behavior and effectiveness of your team, as well as your own personal reputation. When you control people from behind the scenes(Manager, sponsors) your choices again affect the team. For example, you have invited a famous influencer to your offices, but the engineers need your attention, which will you prioritize?
In the reputation that the influencer will bring or in the efficiency of the mechanics. Such decisions usually have to be made before and after the match.
Build your dream career
When you are involved in your own career, you are responsible for everything. First you need to build your driver image. The options are minimal. You must first choose a human model, your nationality and your name. Then you can change your outfit, your celebration and your voice. In addition to the driver, you can create your own
car in the Garage. In the car you can change colors, place stickers with the sponsors and also choose your number.
You can also make various changes that will help the efficiency of your racing. You can make it respond better to the commands of the lever(handling), have better resistance(Durability), be aerodynamic(Aerdynamic), etc. Additionally, when you're careering another part to watch out for is the advertising that increases based on your
match performance, your responses to the media and your relationships with your team and sponsors. In your career you are your own boss. You have to find the balance between racing and money. Finally, you can decorate your room with various objects such as trophies, lamps, walls, floors, paintings, etc.
The EA company took the appropriate measures on their side in order to keep the game going for a long time. This is both good and bad. The positives of such a decision are the fact that the game is cross platform. This means that players/friends can play together regardless of their platform of choice, be it PC, PlayStation or Xbox.
Also the game is cross gen which allows PS4 and Xbox One consoles to participate in the matches. If you are not a cross gen/platform fan you can simply choose the turn off option with the risk of not finding a full lobby or fighting with AIs that will have the names of your friend list. You can also participate in various
contests organized by the company with various in-game prizes.
On the other hand, as expected from EA, such a decision means that the game includes microtransactions. Simply put, you can spend real money to buy something in-game. In the game you can buy the Season pass which includes various prizes. Some of them are free, which means everyone will unlock them, while for the rest you
need to have the season pass. Then there is in game store from which you can buy various cosmetics such as emotes, car models and clothing items. The point is that in 24 months there is a chance that F1 24 will be released which will probably start you from scratch again.
Another thing worth mentioning is Penny is stack with Level Power Ups. These are limited time power ups found around specific stages. The player usually will have to use them in order to manuver through level obstacles. For example, when the Yo-yo consumes a red hot chilly pepper, the Player can ride the Yoyo on top of deep water areas,can surf on lava and can also ride it vertically on walls. The
hammer power up allows Penny to hit all the enemies away from her and also break different brick walls. The ice cream will give the player a 1-up on their overall lives. The fire candle allows Penny to burn certain items and to also light up the cannons which she can use to launch herself away. Furthermore theres the helicopter ability which allows Penny to fly high up in the air.
Sound and Graphics
An important change in the new Codemasters game is in the graphics which have been renewed due to the upgrade of the Ego engine which the company mainly uses in its games. The cars look great. During the race, the reflection of the sun, the shadows and even the rain give a realistic, dynamic image. Then road marks left by the tires will remain on the track during the entire race.
If you break a sign, or if you make tire tracks in the gravel, when you return to that area the marks will remain. If you drive on gravel or grass you may see pebbles and grass coming out of the tires. The human models of the drivers are nice and especially the Breaking point characters but the same cannot be said for the Pit stop characters that appear when they celebrate your victory
as they look very generic. Then the game especially at Breaking point reuses various animations over and over again. This is evident in interviews as the same animation is used when you go to interview and when you leave. Finally, the racing tracks are very similar to the real ones which were the source of inspiration for the creators. There are a total of 23 tracks.
On the other hand, the sound field of the game is simple. While waiting in the main menu, various music pieces from various artists play (Licensed music). During the race all you hear is the sound file of your vehicle's engine which is very close to the real sound. Depending on the gamemode you are playing, you can request a match update with the press of a button and your team manager
will update you. At the breaking point sometimes the person in charge will talk to you by himself thus breaking the silence of the game. Before and after each match the presenters will present the match as in real sports. Finally at the breaking point each voice actor gives satisfactory performances in their role.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion F1 23 is one of the best experiences in the series. The game has the whole package for everyone. Casual players can enjoy the scenario of breaking point 2 and then have fun in the online/single player mode. The most loyal fans of the game can enjoy the stages to go through to have a successful career in the world of F1. The game is very close to the true F1 experience as the
sounds and visuals do a fantastic job and have a nice effect. Of course it should be mentioned that the power of the PS5 strengthens the package. The controller's haptic feedback vibrates whenever you drive into the wrong area or when a driver approaches you. The game is cross platform which helps to find game online quickly and to play with your friends. If the online experience isn't your thing,
there's Local co-op.
The game's negatives aren't enough to detract from the game's value, but they are there. While breaking point 2 has nice content, the story lacks deep character development and the new heroine doesn't get off to a good start. Then there aren't many animations as the game recycles them often. The only downside to the gameplay is that it can get boring (not online) as some matches can last up to
20 minutes, 14 of which you'll be on your own with no competition. The sound while corresponding to the real sport is nice at first but after three-four hours it becomes monotonous. Finally, the game has microtransactions to unlock some decorative items.
Gameplay of the Game
This is a video showcasing some of my time with the the Game
