F1 2011

The most authentic Formula 1 simulation to date – bravo, Codemasters!

This is the "F1 2010 that should have been". With this year's edition, Codemasters offers a truly remarkable racing experience that should not be missed by fans of Formula 1.

All over, F1 2011 is a fantastic simulation of the greatest motorsport in the world. It's sacrificed a little more game in favour of a little more sim this year - but the spirit of F1 is there in oodles, and for any F1 fan this year's game is a must buy.

F1 2011 is not a necessary purchase for the more casual racing game fan. Only the purists will opt to upgrade, in order to play it online, access the latest gameplay enhancement, and dive into the F1 racing world with updated cars and racers. A large update, indeed, rather than a completely new title. But the enhanced AI, better online play, and refined simulation still make for a very welcome addition ; let's hope next year's edition will also feature visual improvements.

The strides forward over last year's game really do place Codies' F1 series amongst the most dynamic sports series in video games today, ensuring that if you played and enjoyed last year's game then you'd be mad not to get in on the ground floor of this year's improvements.

It's the little things that the core F1 audience will appreciate: the oscillating body work, revamped pit stops, improved tyre degradation, a dynamic cloud system. While casual players might question whether much is different a year down the road after 2010, those in the know - those whose second home is behind a steering wheel - will agree that F1 2011 is the most complete representation of the sport to date.

Codemasters seems to have learned from its mistakes and have delivered a masterpiece for the circuit lovers.

F1 2011 is exactly the kind of racing game the previous one should have been. No one that enjoys F1 should ever miss out on this one.

F1 2011 is an incredibly satisfying experience. A masterpiece for F1 lovers.

Codemasters puts you yet again behind the wheel of a great game. There are a lot of extra options that give F1 2011 some extra depth, making this one of the best racing games of the year. Some people might however have a lot of trouble with the high difficulty of the AI.

Overall, it's a steady but unspectacular evolution of a top racing series. More a dominating Vettel victory from pole than a last place-to-first Button turnaround, really, but a win's a win.

F1 2011 is a good game built on a solid foundation that is only improving with each annual installment. Still, Formula One racing is not every gamer's cup of tea. It's strangely addictive, but it doesn't have the pick-up-and-play nature of a Burnout game. Dirt and Grid are more down to earth than Burnout, but F1 makes them look a lot like OutRun.

Although F1 2011 is visually rather underwhelming and suffers from excruciatingly long loading times, this is still the best F1 game yet.

For those who require a hardcore simulator and are willing to put in the time, this is the game for you.

Play it properly, however, and F1 2011 is an incredibly satisfying experience. Difficult and draining, but ultimately extremely rewarding. Few, if any, other racing games can truly match its intensity.

This new edition takes important steps forward. The tires are more important and the different types are more noticiable when driving, and the addition of DRS and more strategy options changes the way to race. It has also added much needed features like the safety car or the possibility to manage the whole Grand Prix event, from the free training durint Friday to the race on Sunday. It still has plenty of room for improvement and it is not the perfect simulator yet, but Formula 1 fans will be pleased again by this product.

Formula One 2011 is an excellent racing game that respects and loves the sport. It's all about practice, precision and performance. All great components for a racing game.

This years model. F1 2011, improves on last years's game in almost every way: qualifying is real, pitting works, and the handling no longer feels ripped from the Dirt series. [Dec 2011, p.68]

If you love Formula 1 games this is an absolute must, and it's the best F1 simulator on the market. Unfortunately it's not accepting of newcomers, so if you haven't watched the sport on tv or played a lot of heavy racing simulators the high difficutly level, time consuming races and the lack of tutorials may prove a problem.

F1 2011 is showing signs of a good development. Codemasters is accommodating itself better and better to the franchise and this edition reunites again sufficient attributes to be successful with enthusiasts of the sport.

It's not a wholesale reinvention, but rather a confident leap forward from a publisher in tune with its sport. The career mode lacks a bit of personality, but it's still a good frame for what is most important - the racing.

The best F1 game PS3's had - yet issues with AI stupidity remain problematic. [Nov 2011, p.100]

F1 2011 has got the talent, but it needs to learn to love itself before it can be truly great.

The game's real resolution seems lower than 720p but still cars are very detailed and the dynamic weather system is unrivalled. Overall, Codemasters did well to improve on F1 2010 but there still are some minor issues to be dealt with. [October, p.64]

Quotation forthcoming.

F1 2011 offers a fun driving experience and a welcome change to the traditional career schedule, but in the franchise's second year running, it's in need of a pit stop and some fresh tires.

If you're a fan of Formula 1 and/or F1 2010 then this is a must buy, the new features and improvements making it more than worth your time, money and effort. Anyone not so ingrained in the sport will struggle to see the upside of spending another £40, however. No matter what though, this is a better game than last year and (once again) the bar of expectation has been raised going into F1 2012.

No rest, no pity, no remorse - it demands 100% of your attention. [Oct 2011, p.99]

Much like Madden, NHL, or any other hardcore simulation of a sport, F1 2011 is really meant for fans of the sport, and little else. More casual racers won't find what they're looking for here. If you're a hardcore Formula One fan, this is your holy grail.

The big reason to upgrade to this year's version would easily be the online career mode, but otherwise there isn't a whole ton that was really changed, besides polish. All in all, it is still the best F1 game to date and does out do F1 2010.

F1 2011 creates a great and exact rendition of Formula 1 racing, but it doesn't give new fans a reason to play it.

F1 2011 is full of detail but keeps things simple, a solid racing title across the board.

F1 2011 is a great sequel that faithfully represents the thrill and difficulty of driving the world's best racing cars.

A lack of sustained excitement and some truly horrendous graphics hold back all the good work. [Issue#211, p.93]