F1 2013

Codemasters is looking to set their own record for consecutive F1 championships with F1 2013 Classic Edition. They've carried over everything from last year's excellent game and they've also added in a timely set of classic drivers and circuits.

While F1 2013 is certainly improved over 2012, like the subtle new lighting effects, most of those changes don't make for substantial additions. The move to include features from past eras is a promising step for the future of the series, but carving out half of that content as DLC leaves the remainder as a briefly entertaining pit stop before moving on to business as usual.

Players looking for an in-depth simulation of F1 racing have just found their porn.

So it’s F1 2013’s ability to recreate a boring season in a fascinating way, rather than its ticket to oil-stained memory lane, that makes it a worthy purchase.

If you have no interest in the classic cars, then there may be no real incentive to pick up F1 2013 over last year’s release, but you’d be missing out on something very special. It is probably the best release yet, there is plenty packed in and oh, those 80s cars are things of absolute beauty.

It looks good, sounds good, feels good, and is crammed with plenty to do.

F1 2013 is a solid outing for the series, taking the successes of the past and building on them incrementally, whilst adding an exciting glimpse of what’s to come with F1 Classics. It might leave me wanting more, but F1 2013 is the best and most comprehensive release so far.

Codemasters brings us a new Formula 1 title again this year, adding interesting options to this ever-entertaining racing competition. The inclusion of eight classic models and the new Scene mode are the most important new features, while the rest of novelties are in line with what we could see in the previous title.

F1 2013 keeps the pace of last year. The Classic Edition is much better, because the standard edition is highly trimmed. Good job for Codemasters, but a season low risk, transition to next year and next-gen.

It does evolve little from the playable foundations of the previous episode, but the classic content is indeed a reason big enough to give it a try this year, especially if you like the historic side of the F1 Championship.

There's definitely fun to be had here for the F1 faithful, but we can't shake the feeling that Codies is taking the foot off in preparation for the inevitable next-gen follow-up. [December 2013, p79]

F1 2013 suffers from a problem most sports games have: they lack innovation. There is a new mode - Classic Mode - and there are minor tweaks, but that doesn't hide the fact F1 2013 resembles his predecessors a lot. Despite of that, F1 2013 isn't a bad game. They game looks breathtakingly good sometimes and the gameplay is one of the most rewarding there is.

While still being a great racing game, we were not too convinced by F1 2013. Yes, the career mode is properly fleshed-out (though we've seen it all before) and the classic mode is a nice addition to the franchise, though we could do without the weird paywall construction that demands players to pay extra for all the content. The visuals are also rather boring and the game's intro aims perhaps a bit too much at franchise rookies, which might annoy experienced players.

Codemasters is back on the track with a classic F1 car and the same old "almost arcade" Formula (pun intended). The engine's still good, but the car's age is starting to show.

In a sport that symbolizes the cutting edge of car technology and the pinnacle of racing, the F1 series' slow progress is a contradiction. I enjoy the racing itself, but that only counts for so much. It's getting to the point that I'd rather see how other series like Forza incorporate F1 cars rather than play this franchise – and that's a bad sign.

Codemasters continues to deliver solid sequels that take small steps forward. The races and challenges are as rewarding here as ever but the classic mode is far too hollow to make a larger impression. F1 2013 is otherwise a solid and stuffed racing game but with little to offer owners of last years model.

The new game is stuck in the same artless quandary as far too many annual series updates. [Issue#141, p.113]

At its heart, F1 2013 is a minor update to F1 2012, and while the inclusion of tyre management and tweaks to the handling make for a far smoother racing experience, it feels all too familiar far too quickly.

I'm sure it will delight true fans but at the same time, it is difficult to disguise some signs of fatigue. The next year’s version promises profound changes accompanying the announced transformation of the sport itself, but my curiosity is pointed to 2015, when Honda will come back to reissue its historical partnership with Mclaren.

A relatively modest upgrade from last year's release that doesn't detract from the series, but doesn't really make itself a must-have, either.