F1 2022

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 1 JULY PUB EA / DEV CODEMASTERS / PLAYERS MULTI

- Miami nice

Racing has changed. Or, at least, Formula 1 has. For the 2022 season, dubbed the 'new era', the real-life sport has had some serious work done under the bonnet, and it's the culmination of a host of tweaks that have been in the works for years. Going hands-on with Codemasters' annual videogame version the same rings true the fundamentals have been overhauled in a way that mirrors what's happening out on the track.

There are down sides. There's no equivalent of last year's Braking Point story mode, which we loved. That mode took about two years to develop last time, and creative director Lee Mathers says it wouldn't have been possible to include a story mode along with everything else the devs have had to put together, though he's not ruling out its future return.

But it's forgivable. The F1 rule changes are substantial, meaning there's more to this annual release than simply changing skins or the like (though Codemasters has never been one to phone it in anyway). The changes are the biggest implemented since Codies has had the licence, and it's worked with the F1 authorities to make it authentic.

OFF TO THE RACES

Sitting behind the wheel, the difference is immediately obvious, and it matches up to the sport. There's a slickness to the speed, and closer wheel-to-wheel racing means getting into the crush is more thrilling than ever, with the pack shuffling much more than you might be used to. Even though pit stops have become less important within the sport, there's still plenty of strategy involved in deciding when and how hard you take turns to keep your battery charged, and when you try to overtake.