F1 2013

The F1 2013 package is extremely slick, whichever mode you play, and all the classic content feels like a labour of love. It's a fitting way to conclude current-gen F1, polishing the contemporary and reflecting on the old before the next-gen version inevitably brings in the new in 2014. It’s a touching ode to an era when Formula One was truly magical.

Slicker than ever before. [Christmas 2013, p.86]

F1 2013 is a title that does not change the basics of Codemasters' simulation, but with some additions and filing makes it the best chapter in the saga.

The best Codemasters F1 game so far. The F1 Classics section adds a little touch of magic and emotions to the package, while the core games delivers a great reproduction - if not simulation - of the F1 racing experience.

It's pole position once again for Codemasters' F1, despite a lack of any real, meaningful changes over F1 2012 beyond the addition of F1 Classics. F1 2013 is still a superb racer, but we're expecting big things for next year.

For fans of F1 both casual and hardcore this is still well worthy of your attention. [Issue#104, p.79]

The game's the best it's ever been, but it's more of an update than a revolutionary overhaul. [Dec 2013, p.84]

While I'd have a hard time recommending this game to casual fans of racing, those that like steep, technical challenges will be thrilled, as will fans of the sport. I want to be clear, though. You will have to have a lot of patience and time on your hands to make F1 2013 a rewarding experience. It's tough.

F1 2013 is a great game – the best of the series thus far, in fact. For racing fans without last year's game, its acquisition is a no-brainer. However, those with F1 2012 are encouraged to try before buying. There are few changes on last year's formula and Classic Mode's potential vastly outweighs its offering this time around.

Graphically gorgeous, especially when you crank up its brilliant dynamic weather effects, F1 2013 reproduces every car and track from the current season in stunning detail (making the game’s short, non-savable replays even more perplexing).

Ironically, the best new thing about this years F1 game is something old: the possibility of racing with legendary cars and pilots.

The new classic content ultimately doesn’t soar quite high enough to justify purchase alone for F1 2012 owners but, combined with the well-honed existing content, F1 2013 is a very complete and satisfying package overall.

Codemasters maintains its consistent and true F1 driving, adding classic cars in this edition, which is great news. However, the series is starting to lose innovation. The British developers must evolve next year if they don't want a drive-through.

F1 2013 oozes quality, fully living up to the illustrious nature of its official licence, and the presence of the 1980s and 1990s cars, drivers and tracks gives motorsport nuts a real reason to buy it – which is much-needed for such an annual franchise.

The game really demands that you invest a lot of time in it before you see your labour bear significant fruit. Of course, seasoned players coming from previous iterations will be able to pick things up more easily, and this is perhaps who the title is aimed at. Those fans will find much to appreciate, as what F1 2013 does, it does with a great level of detail and precision.

The best Formula 1 racer by default, although beyond the new retro additions very little has changed in this year’s game.

It's the little things that add up to make F1 2013 feel a cut above the previous game. Revised handling, more gameplay modes and the new tyre and rule changes definitely add a lot of depth.

F1 2013 takes you on a nostalgia trip into the history of Formula One, while compelling new modes and subtle improvements layer atop a familiar, but winning formula.

For Formula 1 lovers, the "Classic" mode alone justifies the purchase of this 2013 edition, as Codemasters has managed to create a second game in the heart of a simulation that was already a reference. The best F1 races of yesterday and today are transcribed in a game that breathes the passion and love for this motorsport.

F1 2013 is the franchise’s most complete, versatile and thoughtful iteration yet. Fans of the sport will lap up what is an extremely rewarding product. For everyone else, Codemasters’ lone residency atop the podium ensures the upgrade over last year’s game is minimal, especially if you don’t know the difference between Gerhard Berger and the Nurburgring’s fast-food stand.

Without a doubt this is the most complete Formula One package from Codemasters yet. But nonetheless it feels like the team in Birmingham doesn’t do anything more than what is absolutely necessary to justify a new game.

There are enough reasons to consider purchasing F1 2013. The Formula 1 cars control better than in previous installments and thanks to new modes there are easier ways to get into some action quickly. Unfortunately it feels kind of dated on an audiovisual level. Having to pay extra for classic content isn’t modern either.

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.

The new version of Formula 1 by Codemasters is just as solid and enjoyable as the previous editions. And that's the problem here: The game is so similar to its predecessors that it cannot be justified as a "new release".

F1 fans may lap it up, but for non-aficionados the series remains as niche as ever. For something a little more accessible from their driving stable, GRID 2 may be a better alternative.

In isolation it's a great racing game, but in the context of the dreaded yearly churn to which Codemasters finds itself committed, the sensational but ultimately restrictive Classics Mode is the only meaningful addition.

Plenty of changes that mostly scratch the surface, while the new classic mode is just a temporary distraction. More of a warmup before the full round of next-gen racing. [Nov 2013]