F1 23 Review - Should you buy it?

F1 23 looks to provide one of the best Formula 1 games yet and is a huge step up from what Codemasters brought in 2022.

F1 23 has provided fans with what could be one of the best Formula 1 games. A week after releasing we have tried all aspects of the game so here is what we think.

F1 23 Handling

The handling on F1 23 is amazing and huge step up from what F1 22 gave us. Say goodbye to understeer and hello to grip, on the new game you can now throw the car into corners and know that you are going to come out of the other perfectly fine. Codemasters seem to have finally found what F1 22 was missing when it came to the overall handling of the game. You can finally go flat through Silverstone's Copse corner flat out and not run wide or slapped with understeer as you make your way through the esses at Suzuka. Slides are also so much easier to catch and save on the exit of corners and wheel spin in fourth or fifth gear on corner exits is finally gone. This for us was a big on F1 23 and is a huge reason why we love it. When in game chat that is all any of us could talk about. Whether you are a seasoned pro or beginner on either wheel or pad you will be blown away by this game.

F1 World

New for F1 23 is F1 World which is meant to be the main hub for this years game. It can feel overwhelming at first but after using it a couple times it does become easier. All single player and multiplayer modes besides career mode have been moved to F1 World which was a bit weird at first as multiplayer is one of the most used game modes but you can see that Codemaster have placed in F1 World so that players have to use the hub. In F1 World itself you can complete a wide variety of challenges, develop a car to have certain abilities so that it is faster than other players at specific venues. There is also stickers to collect as you play through the game which are related to drivers, teams and circuits.

F1 23 Career Modes

Nothing much has changed in regards to career mode. All the features are still the same. There has been updates to the on screen displays when it comes to practice session objectives when trying to earn development points for your car in either Driver Career or MyTeam.

F1 23's New Circuits

As soon as we got our hands on the game the first thing we did was head to time trial to complete laps at both Las Vegas and Qatar. Vegas is a very quick track that is the newest addition to the races in the United States that is a mix of both Miami and Baku with long fast straights and fast sweeping corners. Qatar is one of our favoruite tracks on this game hands down. The new handling model makes this track feel amazing and the speed you can carry through some of the corners especially in the middle and final sectors is something we have never witnessed on any other racing game it is just that good and a credit to Codemasters. Spain's final sector has also been updated to remove the chicane where players can witness high speeds. Meanwhile at Zandvoort the track has been updated on various corners and widened which was needed after the track felt sluggish on F1 21 and F1 22. Unfortunately the aesthetics for Spa have not been updated but it is not that much of a let down. Codemasters have also promised that the revamp to Singapore's final sector is coming post launch and will be included in a patch soon.

Braking Point 2

First things first the animation in this game is to the standard that EA always give their other games and Braking Point 2 proves this. With stunning visuals and animation on each characters face it is truly a step above previous games. The story in Braking Point 2 allows players to control the returning Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler who were the main characters in F1 21. As well as those two you can also play as Callie Mayer who races in F2 when you first meet her and a bit of a different approach is that you can make decisions as the team principle of Konnersport Racing for this years game which is a fun side to the story mode. In the story mode you will take Konnersport Racing from midfield team to competing at the front for the Formula 1 World Championship.

Verdict

F1 23 is definetly worth your money. The new handling model alone makes this game feel like other racing game, yes it may still not be the F1 simulator some players would hope it could be but you have to remember it needs to be a balance of a sim for die hard F1 fans while still 'arcadish' enough so that casual players will enjoy it on a pad just as much. F1 23 is very much a step up and beyond from F1 22. While career is still very much the same there is other things to keep players coming back to this game whether you race in leagues or want to complete weekly challenges in F1 World. Braking Point 2 has a great story and is one that deserves to be mentioned with it having a much longer play time compared the F1 21 game.