Formula One 2010: Just Around The Corner

Formula One has been a missing genre in next-generation gaming for what seems to be a lifetime.
Codemasters acquired the rights to the Formula One series from Sony after the 2006 season. A ‘pilot’ release last year saw Nintendo Wii and Playstation Portable owners able to play with the new drivers, on what appeared to be a work-in-progress engine. It certainly fulfilled the basics, and bought Codemasters some time.

Now, details of Codemasters’ first full release are beginning to emerge. With a release scheduled for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Windows, the features are beginning to shape up nicely.

Firstly, Codemasters are trying to recreate the importance of grip and weather to the sport. With dynamic weather, they have researched all aspects in which this can affect the driver, and how this can evolve over the period of a race. This should give the gamer a unique drive every time they load up their F1 2010 game.

The new details are even more interesting. Codemasters have confirmed that the gamer will indeed be able to walk around the paddock, and that media will play a big part in context to the career mode.

This, for me, is fantastic news. An avid F1 fan and gamer, I have missed the series. The lack of media seemed to take an element out of what has to be the most glamorous sport in the world.

F1 games on the HD consoles have been sorely missed. The crisp colourful graphics are impressive, using the same Ego Engine seen recently in Dirt 2.

So the game is coming along quite nicely. Let’s just hope that the tentative September release date doesn’t go off the track on the first corner.