F1 Race Stars

Well, at least it's a lot better than we thought it would be, with its fun gameplay mechanics, attractive visual style and well-developed multiplayer modes. F1 Race Stars is, however, a bit too repetitive and isn't as packed with content as we'd hoped, which makes it a little difficult to recommend.

F1 Race Stars is fun, looks pretty and has the F1-license, but the magic vanishes very quickly because there are not enough tracks and not enough variety. It's a solid fun-arcade-racer with the well-known F1-stars but nothing more.

Despite its simplicity and presentation that seems geared towards a younger audience, F1 Race Stars a fun game to pick up and play.

Despite being a kids game, F1 Race Stars uses its license to the bone. Cars are properly branded and colored with the right sponsors and every driver of the 2012 season showed up, plus four imaginary drivers, including three women. [January 2013, p.74]

F1 Race Stars isn't a disaster by any means, but it certainly needs improvement. More importantly, it needs to take itself less seriously in some areas. There's still some fun to be had here, though.

Race Stars makes sense when taken as a distilled caricature of everything F1 – rainstorms sweep in and temporarily change the landscape, safety cars slow down the leaders and bobble-headed heroes shout insults in vastly exaggerated (casually racist?) accents. It's a chocolate pretzel of a racer that's worth a spin for anyone looking to avoid the chin-stroking of F1 2012.

If the handling was better, this would be a perfect fit for the MK-shaped hole on PS3. Frantic, flawed fun with the F1 world. [Jan 2013, p.101]

An interesting twist for the Formula 1 classic games. Not as good as Mario Kart, but nonetheless highly recommended.

F1 Race Stars is just another karting game that doesn't do nearly enough to make it stand out from the competition and in fact seems trite and lazy in comparison. The F1 license isn't enough to make it worth your time.

The game itself is in need of a good bit of work. [Issue#226, p.82]

A creative way to use the F1 license – F1 Race Stars is Codemasters' variation on Super Mario Kart. Unfortunately the outcome is merely okay. [CD-Action 1/2013, p.64]

For the hardcore supporters of the sport looking for a different experience, this is an option that makes sense.

An ok karting game, especially fun when playing with friends. But there is a low budget feel to the game, and it's a little low on content.

Doesn't change anything about the kart racing genre, but still decent fun.

You'll never powerslide around a corner. Seems odd, doesn't it? Kart racers in general have implemented this move since day dot, and while it's one missing attribute that sets Race Stars apart from the competition (apart from the official licence, of course) it feels weird and frustrating. Tight corners need to be taken wide as the karts are especially stubborn in the twisty bits. [Christmas 2012, p.80]

Junior F1 fans will love it - and maybe older enthusiasts will find it lifts their spirits just a bit in the off-season, too.

F1 Race Stars could have been wonderful, with just a couple of tweaks to the handling. However, the stoic adherance to sim-esque cornering has meant that the driving needs to be approached with far more care than it should, something that's at odds with the presentation, track design and the fact that at any point you could be blasted with a weapon from behind – and they're not blockable either.

F1 Race Stars isn't the worst choice for those desperate for a kart racing fix, but it's truly a title reserved for Formula 1 fans and their offspring. While the racing is enjoyable, its lack of polish and unique features make it play second fiddle to Mario Kart.

F1 Race Stars is hindered by a lack of courses, while the omission of drifting and lack of customisation ensures that it doesn't have the same longevity and levels of excitement as the likes of its contemporaries.

F1 Race Stars is a competent kart racer that fails to go that extra mile and, as a result, outstays its welcome sooner rather than later.

It can be fun and addictive at times, but it came out almost the same time as LittleBigPlanet Karting and Sonic Racing Transformed which are far superior than Codies' latest.

For a caricature to succeed it must capture the likeness of the original but exaggerate it in a way that raises a smile. But F1 Race Stars rarely achieves this.

A benign but relatively feckless take on the whole kart-racing thing. Fun, but too lightweight. [Feb 2013, p.72]

F1 Race Stars tries its best to adapt the F1 license into a fun and quirky racer, but it ultimately fails to deliver a charming take on the typically serious sport. As with other titles in the genre, the game really shines as a way to pass the time with your friends, but the frustrating, luck-based gameplay effectively cancels out all of the things that the release does right. Younger fans of Formula 1 will love seeing their favourite drivers rendered as cartoon caricatures, but when it comes to race day, gamers of all ages will be left frustrated by the title's complete disregard for skill.

Formula 1 crossed with Mario Kart is almost made to seem an inspired idea, but the restrictions of the licence drag this promising racer down.