What to expect from F1 2021? Our analysis

Sometimes I am surprised at myself, my timing is impeccable.

I started writing this article a few hours before the official announcement of F1 2021, and by the time he was almost ready to list all my new hopes in the title here is that TAC, F1 2021 finally comes out of the garage and shows itself with a mixed teaser-announcement that has sparked hormonal storms among those living with engine oil in their blood!

So I decided to transform the "wish list" I was preparing into something more hybrid, starting from today's announcement to discuss the series at 360 degrees, discussing what has been made official and what I hope will be announced soon.

The (not too) sudden announcement

Rumors about possible F1 2021 features had been circulating on the net for days, a symptom of an imminent announcement that arrived yesterday.

As expected, in mid-April Codemasters officially announces (as if it were needed) the new chapter of F1, the official saga linked to the premier class of motorsport.

The first thing you notice in this trailer / announcement is the color change compared to the past: the classic colors of Formula 1 and codemasters have given way to some Alpine blue graphics with splashes of green here and there. Peeping out on the cover, one cannot fail to notice the EA logo, which recently bought the English production house.

The teaser trailer didn't say much in itself, except that this new edition seems to go deeper into life off the circuit.
The background comment is taken from the official reporters of F1TV and SkySportUk, but given the "not actual gameplay" logo, we have to think (hope?) That it is a scenographic effect to increase the hype rather than a hint to the possible reintroduction of Fifa-style in-game commentators.

More and more career ...

The most awaited and perhaps most obvious news lies in the expansion of the career mode, called "braking point" (braking point).

According to the announcement, the way in which you can create your own driver and start from the bottom, from Formula 2, has been expanded and will see elaborate on much not only the world of the smaller sisters of the premier class, but also life outside the paddock.
This is music to the ears of fans, who for a couple of years have been clamoring for a change (or removal) of interviews, a nuisance they had never felt the need to and which could now turn into an important part of the career mode.

Another surprisingly announced return is that of Devon Butler, the fictional young driver who had been the rival of our virtual alter ego in F1 2019 and who obviously hadn't found a seat last season.

This announcement goes hand in hand with what is written above, with the career mode going beyond the official calendar and the sequence of races, but which will see a much more dynamic F1 in the development of the cars and teams.

… And more and more multi

If the strengthening of the campaign had already been sensed by industry experts, the real surprise of yesterday's announcement was the co-op mode. Also according to the announcement, it will be possible to decide both to play in competitive or in cooperative (in the same team, I presume), and you will be able to choose different aids for each of the pilots.

The direction that Codemasters wants to take is clear: F1 must be a free game, in which everyone plays as they want and above all with who they want. It would be too much to hope that such a thing is the prelude to cross-platform, but for the moment we can be satisfied. Also because, hidden between the lines, Codemasters has also announced the improvement of multiplayer.

It is not yet known how, but if they managed to get rid of all those pilots who go online only to ruin the game of others, we could speak of a "concrete step forward", to say the least more joyfully vulgar.

Between absent and excluded

It is clear that from the first teaser we cannot expect much, and that in the coming weeks there will certainly be more information on the game. But I want to add a small list of features, let's call it a wish list if you prefer, that I would like to see in this new chapter of the series.

DISCLAIMER: Without needing to read other people's minds, I would like to remind everyone that F1 is a game (like almost all sports titles) that comes out annually, and innovating a lot in such a short time is hard, a lot.

Many of the things listed are a hope rather than a criticism of past editions or features that may be missing in this version as well. Remember, devs (some) are human beings too.

VR

Who would have thought I'd put it first, huh?
I've tried them all, from stalking developers to conferences to annual tweets to Codemasters, but nothing at all, they don't want to know.

Our British friends have already shown that they know how to deal with VR, and after at least 3-4 years of assiduous requests from fans the excuse of the technical reason no longer holds.
Codemasters, in this 2021 must take the step forward and finally implement virtual reality in its flagship title.

Mine is not a whim, or rather, not just the whim of an enthusiast. Almost all driving simulators implement VR natively, and F1 with the evolution of its eSport section is doing a lot to become a complete simulator (while leaving a wide customization). So why persist? the ROI will not be very high, but is it really not even worth a try? In the trailer no logo or indication that can give me hope ...

Better matchmaking and cleanup of deliberately incorrect drivers

In recent years, racing games have made great strides in online, with more and more customization and a stability that is progressively improving. (There is still a long way to go, of course, but with a good connection you can finish 9 out of 10 races).

Despite this, the cancer of the pilots-kamikaze unfortunately cannot be extinguished. Regardless of whether they do it intentionally or unintentionally, online races are often studded with riders with little head and even less foot who "enjoy" ruining other people's races, throwing off the road and using any wrong move to gain a position. .

The announcement mentions various improvements to multiplayer, but it is not yet known whether it will be technical improvements or if there will be more advanced logic for matchmaking.
La pagina Steam riporta, tra le altre cose, “Compete online in Multiplayer: Social and Ranked races, new Quick Join format, Leagues, customisable liveries, and Weekly Events”.
In short, it means everything and nothing, the kamikaze risk is always around the corner.

More dynamism in the race

This first announcement from Codemasters spoke of improvements on and off the track, but what is still meager is what happens in the meantime, in that transitory phase between pre-race and race. For years and years there has been firm opposition from the development team towards elements such as the pit start or the red flag, but now is the time to take this step forward.

To have a truly immersive experience where you feel like real pilots, it's time to introduce even these small elements that can make a COLOSSAL difference. Sure, the Safety Car already does a good job of making AI crashes useful for the race, but it's always a lot, too artificial. If three cars remain stationary on the track or the rain becomes too intense, the red flag is required, complete with a restart and a reconnaissance lap if in the race or a suspension if in practice / qualifying. The same applies to other events such as the alignment lap or driving towards the pits at the end of the race.

A brand new AI

Here the above disclaimer is worth more than ever, and the guys at Codemasters will forgive me, but the AI ​​is so much, too contrived.

Even the walls know that manual starts are practically impossible to manage compared to AI, and practically all the withdrawals that are seen in every mode are linked to breaks, almost never to errors. Of course, compared to years ago the difference is already between day and night, but we are not there yet, the AI ​​still does not give the feeling of being maneuvered by pilots with a real head and feet. I would like to see many more skidding, flat tires, riders on the wall in difficult corners, I would like a game in which I am not the only variable that can alter a race.

The same thing must be said of Jeff, who bluntly is unworthy of a game of this caliber. Wrong, inappropriate, late comments, meaningless advice, and above all a range of questions that are not useful when you are in the race.

It's time to use a little budget and create a new engineer. If F1 2021 won't allow me to say “Bono, my tires are gone” I will be very disappointed.