F1 22 review: A premier racing experience for Formula 1 enthusiasts

F1 22 is an upcoming Formula 1 game developed by Codemasters and published by Electronic Arts. With early access starting on June 28, 2022, the game will officially be released soon after July 1, 2022.

Being a Formula 1 fan, it is safe to say that I have been eagerly waiting for this game to launch. This is especially true because F1 21 was probably one of the best racing games I have played in a long time. It had well-developed graphics, a brilliant story mode with “Braking Point,” and an expansive career mode.

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Apart from that, the multiplayer mode of F1 21 was also quite vast, even though I was never really involved in the competitive side of the game. Thus, all of this made me crave more.

Fortunately, F1 22 delivers equally well, polishing everything that makes F1 21 so good while further expanding on it with newly added features.

F1 22 brings back everything players loved about the previous games and more

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F1 22 is arguably one of the premier racing experiences for the calendar year. As expected, it brings forth everything the previous games had, including a career mode, manager mode, and an in-depth multiplayer.

However, it has also introduced some new aspects that are bound to excite players. The first thing worth mentioning is the introduction of VR (Virtual Reality) for PC players.

This is something that PC users have been asking for ages, and finally, Codemasters have listened to their prayers. The VR system will support all forms of devices, including Valve Index, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, Cosmos, and others. I did not get to experience it personally, but I am sure a lot of players will be eagerly waiting for this.

Miami International Autodrome (Image via F1 22)

Apart from that, F1 22 also introduces the Miami International Autodrome. It is a track that is located right at the heart of the city and has a total of 19 corners and 3 DRS zones. On a personal level, I am not a big fan of the Miami track, but being something new, it definitely adds to the experience. The circuits in Spain, Australia, and Abu Dhabi have been revamped based on their real-life counterparts as well.

There is also a brand new social hub that has been introduced to the game, called F1 Life. This is basically a sort of interactive social experience for the players where they get to showcase their achievements, collections, and trophies. F1 Life is also the new multiplayer lobby where players can get to check out their friends. In short, this new feature makes everything a lot more inclusive for gamers.

I personally did not get to experience the full ins and outs of F1 Life within the short time I had for this review. However, I am willing to see how it develops in the future.

However, when it comes to player experience, there is one brilliant thing that F1 22 has done. This is the introduction of a feature known as Adaptive AI. This is basically a system where the AI reacts and adapts itself based on how the player is performing within a race.

If someone is performing better, then the AI becomes more difficult to deal with. However, if someone is performing poorly, the AI gets more lenient.

Lastly, for those who are interested, I must mention that F1 22 does introduce brand new sporting regulations as well as aero rules. The cars featured in the game have been changed based on those rules, which will lead to a new racing experience.

Thus, Mercedes is no longer the strongest as Red Bull and Ferrari are here to compete. So, players should think wisely before choosing their preferred manufacturer.

In any case, with those out of the way, it is now time to focus on some gameplay aspects for F1 22.

F1 22’s single player provides an inclusive experience for both new players and veterans

As I mentioned, this game has everything, including a deep single-player mode and a wide and vivid multiplayer mode. This, in turn, provides an all-around experience for casual players who just want to enjoy the game leisurely and veteran players who want to challenge themselves at the highest level.

Firstly, coming to the single-player experience, the game offers a career mode where players get to play as a proper Formula 1 driver alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. Players will get to create their own character and select any team they want to be a part of (Mercedes, Redbull, or any other).

I was kind of disappointed with the character creation as it still feels extremely back-dated with bare-bone features. While I understand that over 90% of the time, players will not see their faces, the fact that this feature is so neglected even now is something that will put a dent in the expectations of the fans.

In any case, after the selection is made and the character creation is complete, players will get pitted into the game's career mode. Once the career mode begins, gamers will get to select several things, including the length of races, practice timings, and other aspects.

If players want, the race can end in 5 laps or continue for over 60 laps. I must say that deciding to go for full-length races is definitely not recommended as it soon gets very tiresome to continue.

Various choices regarding the length of races (Image via F1 22)

Nevertheless, newer players can also choose to make the races easier through features like automatic gear transmission and auto-steering correction. However, veterans would definitely want to do those on their own.

In any case, while that is all there is to it when it comes to playing as a driver, it is definitely not the end of the single-player mode for F1 22. There is also the option to play the manager mode, where players can get to run their own Formula 1 brand.

The manager mode includes three new levels known as Newcomer, Challenger, and Front Runner. The expectations from choosing a Newcomer are definitely lower than when it comes to going for a Front Runner. At the same time, the starting money for the latter is also higher than the former.

Various choices in manager mode (Image via F1 22)

In the manager mode, players get to create their own driver, choose sponsors, and pick engine manufacturers. Obviously, players also need to create their own team, and they cannot select the ones that are already in the game. Hence, those who dream of running a Lamborghini team can make it a reality in F1 22.

Lastly, for the single-player experience, there is also the option to play Sprint Races, a brand new game mode where players will get to play a 100 km race with the top-end finishers being rewarded with prizes.

Another aspect that I would like to mention is the presence of Formula 2. When starting a new career, players can decide to directly race in Formula 1 or start as a rookie in Formula 2. It is just a more immersive means to start the career mode at F1 22.

F1 22’s multiplayer allows players to enjoy leisurely racing with friends or challenge their skills in ranked mode

I am quite sure that, once players have played the single-player mode quite a few times, they would now want to race some real people. Fortunately, the multiplayer mode of F1 22 provides an abundance of options to do so.

The massive multiplayer mode for players (Image via F1 22)

Within the multiplayer, there are various options to choose from, the first of which is social play. This mode is directly connected to F1 Life, where players will get to create their own races and invite their online friends to play with them. In fact, there will be ready-made lobbies that players can also search and join.

Apart from that, there is a weekly event where players will get to take part in an ongoing race from time to time. The start of the event is provided right on the screen itself, so players will have no trouble getting into the queue.

There is also the option to go splitscreen, where players can choose to play with their friends using two different controllers or keyboards on the same device. This further adds to the immersive experience.

Lastly, for truly hardcore players, there is the ranked game mode. This mode has both short races (One shot qualifying and 5 lap race) as well as standard races (One shot qualifying and 25% race). Standard races are definitely harder as they require tire management and pit strategy from players.

In any case, this is it when it comes to the gameplay aspects I got to explore for F1 22. However, it more or less covers everything that was available at the time of review. Unfortunately, most of the multiplayer modes had no players, but I did get to enjoy quite a decent chunk of the single-player mode.

This more or less covers everything that players will get with regards to gameplay within F1 22. This is definitely a lot of content, and it will keep gamers hooked for quite a while. However, I am sure players will also want to know how this game looks and performs.

Thus, it is time to focus on the graphics and optimization aspects for F1 22.

F1 22’s graphics are definitely stunning, but it does not add anything extra from its previous iterations

F1 22 is definitely a beautiful-looking game. Everything from the cars to the tracks looks quite stunning, which adds to the game's overall experience. However, I felt that the graphical changes did not bring anything new that F1 21 did not have.

Maybe a few upgrades here and there and a few tracks that look a bit smoother. Apart from that, everything is sort of intact. Now, this could be a good thing as well as a bad thing for players depending on what they prefer.

Graphical upgrades do not feel as impressive (Image via F1 22)

However, on the topic of graphical fidelity, I would also like to focus a bit on the optimization aspect of the game. I tested the game on my PC, and I would say that it more or less feels quite smooth, to begin with.

While on track, I have not experienced any freezes or stutters at any moment, which is definitely a welcome experience. Apart from that, personally, I have not experienced any issues like a crash to desktop, which is often the case with several games before release.

Even then, I must mention that the user interface feels a bit laggy. I am not sure if this is because of F1 Life or something else, but at times navigating through the various features on the main menu feels quite sluggish.

Finally, when it comes to player experience, I would also like to introduce players a bit to the soundtrack of F1 22.

F1 22 introduces an EA Music playlist for the first time in the series

F1 22 has made some great changes regarding the game's soundtrack. The developers have re-recorded and expanded the game's commentary for multiple regions.

In other words, every bit of commentary in various languages has been re-done from scratch for this particular game.

Apart from that, dynamic on-track music is also present for players to enjoy. However, the most crucial aspect of the audio changes in the game is the introduction of an EA Music playlist featuring top electronic tracks like Take Control by Yasmine Jane and Channel 43 by deadmau5.

The EA Playlist features a variety of songs (Image via F1 22)

This brand new EA playlist is something that will help ease the tension for players in between difficult races. I would say EA has always been known for its in-game music.

This has been the case for games like FIFA as well. So it is no surprise that they continue to innovate on the same to make music and audio even better for the F1 series as well.

Final Thoughts

F1 22 is a great racing game to pick and play. It has everything including an immersive single player mode, a co-op mode as well as a massive multiplayer mode that is meant to attract all forms of players into the game.

But I would still say that F1 22 is not for everyone. This is mainly because, ultimately, it is a Formula 1 game that has a niche audience. The whole idea of circuit racing under strict conditions will not appeal to many people.

In any case, for those that it does appeal to, this Formula 1 game will be quite an experience. From a personal point of view, I would say that the limited time I had with the game was quite enjoyable.

This game may have a niche audience, but it will attract enthusiasts across (Image via F1 22)

While I mostly got to experience the single-player mode, I am sure for those who enjoy the competitive aspect of Formula 1 games, there will always be a lot to look forward to. People who are into the multiplayer aspect of things will bring the best out of this game.

This is because, even though the single-player mode was fun, I must emphasize that there is only so much a player will enjoy after going through the same campaign over and over again. They can try a few permutations and combinations, but ultimately, players will always end up with the same sort of experience.

However, those who love challenging themselves against better players in the multiplayer mode will never feel bored as it will provide them with a scope to improve, which will keep the experience fresh and fun.