I’ve been racing Formula 1 games for years and this weekend I raced the latest official Formula 1 game from EA Sports, F125.
Each year we expect better graphics, physics and more aspects of living life as a virtual F1 driver and thankfully this year, F125 delivers.
Everyone’s setup will be different and their experience may vary, but those with racing sims and a direct drive wheel setup will benefit from improvements in the physics. Driving with the Logitech G Pro wheel and pedals, bolted to the Next Level Racing GT Track racing sim, the setup feels more connected to the car than ever before.
The vibrations caused by riding the ripple strips feel particularly realistic (or at least what I imagine them to feel like in an F1 car). The feeling of driving across different surfaces is great, but its the overall feeling of immersion that I think made a great step forward this year.
The graphics are of course stunning, complimented by the audio queues, but it’s being able to drive the new 2025-spec F1 cars around the circuits which really sets this game apart and has me wanting to be back in the driver’s seat again.
This year’s game also has a healthy dose of promotion for the F1 cinematic release (in theaters later this month).
When it comes to gameplay, there’s a great mix of your regular Career mode, along with Breaking Point, F1 World and that promotion for the F1 Movie. Not only can you watch the movie trailer in the game, but you can climb behind the wheel of the APXGP, the fictitious F1 team, as Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt).
What’s great to see in the menu is a very clear and available ‘Local Multiplayer’ option. This allows both Splitscreen and LAN game options. I really would encourage more game developers to go back to offering these options as not everyone wants to pay for a subscription to challenge their friends.
One criticism about the game is that it’s title UI is only available in 16:9 aspect ratio, so those of using 32:9 ultrawide displays can experience the game across the full pixel count, the cut scenes and menus are not.
Such is the speed of movement in Formula 1, we do see at least one aspect (the driver lineup) already out of date, despite the game just shipping. Unfortunately Aussie Jack Doohan is no longer in the category, having been replaced after poor performance.
While other racing titles have offered it for a while, F125 has finally added a new feature, the ability to race around some of your favourite tracks in reverse. It is strange that you can’t race every track in reverse, just a selection, the British, Austrian and Dutch Grand Prix circuits.
I love that this adds a new element to the tracks we enjoy and while the landmarks don’t change, virtually everything else does. The corners you know and love all change, with your entry and exit lines, braking markers and muscle memory all needing to be reset.
Avoiding the need to scan a new track, additional Reverse Tracks are certainly something developers are likely to rollout as part of future DLC.
As you race, you’ll earn points that help fund the critical research and development of powertrain and aerodynamic components on your car. This part of the game does a great job of reflecting the real-world upgrades we see between circuits. Different teams invest their finances differently in a desperate attempt to get a leg up over competitors.
Another critical aspect to this are personnel upgrades. This aspect reflects the team aspect of the sport, as having the best engineers and mechanics can also contribute heavily to your on-track success or failure.
The game also adds a new livery editor. Again this isn’t ground braking in the world of racing titles, but it is special to see it come to Formula 1. I’d describe the editor as a good first version, but there is a long way to go. The placement of logos is limited specific locations on the car which can limit your creativity.
There is one aspect of off-track action that I could definitely have done without, the Fortnite-inspired eMotes. Customising the look of your character to match your own attributes is fine, and selecting a race suit and helmet combo makes lots of sense, I can even get behind the casual outfit. Character Poses however. is not necessary or useful in any way related to your driving.
Perhaps one of the best measures of how far we’ve come in visual fidelity is the podium celebration. This has typically involved some of the most number of polygons, even more than a highly detailed F1 car and circuit.
When the champagne flies, it’s a great opportunity to see how well the game does particle animation and adding to that we’ve got the confetti cannon going on.
At the end of racing for a number of hours this weekend, I’ve really enjoyed myself and that’s all I could ever want out of a new game. I feel like I’ve already experienced a lot of great moments with the newest cars around the latest tracks and thoroughly enjoyed the top-tier of motorsport simulation.
I look forward to more hours with this game, completing the career mode and racing online against competitors and hopefully some local races against mates.
More information at https://www.ea.com/games/f1/f1-25
