F1 2012 Playable Demo PS3 review

[jim g]

The demo of the latest instalment of F1 from Codemasters is up on the PS3 Store, I guess EU will get it today.

Weighing in at 1.9gb the demo takes you through some driver training before your allowed to complete a 5 lap race in Monza. The training is useful and no doubt serves as the method to get into better teams in full game. Once completed you choose a rival to compete against in the race proper.

For me handling, graphics and the overall feel of the game seem way better than last years effort. I have only completed one race so far, but it felt really good. In Auto Transmission you can now manually override and change up and down gears whist still in Auto mode, which is quite useful. I really enjoyed my race and the corner cutting penalties seemed less harsh than last years effort. I am off back to have another go.

I recommend downloading the demo and trying it out to any F1 fans. I might just buy this now!

[Harry]

I am pretty unhappy with the demo, the handling feels rubbish with my Logitech Driving Force Pro. It is so easy to run wide in a corner even when you aren't carrying a huge amount of speed & that's the least of my issues with it.

• The framerate is still nowhere near as good as F1 2010.
• The anti-aliasing is still nowhere near as good as F1 2010.
• The graphics - colours/textures are still far worse to the 360 version.
• For some reason, in 'season challenge' the car handles completely different in the 1-lap quali session to the actual race.
• I have spent about an hour trying to get a decent wheel configuration compared to F1 2010 where the default settings were already perfect.

It really agrrivates the hell out of me, and this comes from a regular player of F1 2010. I own 2011 and find that to be an abomination. It's certainly an improvement over that game but still! All I want is decent Force Feedback and a decent framerate.

[jim g]

I don't have a wheel but thought handling was better than 2011. but hey maybe my memory is fading (well I am 54!). I only played 2011 for a couple of hours as I didn't like it

[Roddie]

Now up on the EU PSN.

[FSW]

and F1 2010 wasn't as good as F1 CE. Sad times.

[analog dog]

I quite like this given that I didn't enjoy 2011 at all.

They've done well with the AI, seems to be quite racey always looking to take advantage of a mistake. Had a ding dong with Button and Hamilton at Monza, it was a great race. I'm going to buy it (which I had no intention of doing before the demo).

FSW is right though F1-CE is still the best.

[Harry]

and F1 2010 wasn't as good as F1 CE. Sad times.

I've still got F1: CE and have played it quite a bit this year because of this league I set up:

http://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=250033

It's a great game but there are some things 2010 did better; such as multiplayer and graphics. The multiplayer on CE doesn't even work anymore.

[JU!]

Enjoy waching F1 so was lookin fwd to trying this. Played it and enjoying the Demo and Young Driver training. How do i get past Free Run? Do i get to race after around Monza. Can't believe they did not put a proper full race option in though from the start. Unless I am missing some thing. Just the season challenge thing, which while good to try a new mode and the rival thing, with The Williams car, I wanted to try a proper race though or is that the proper race? As Button's car seemed to be a ghost car.

[MisterBubbles]

Tried the demo and loved it, but theres so much out or coming out in the next few weeks, will pick it up at some point.

[Harry]

Has anyone been playing the full game? It's utter dross in my opinion and handles like a bag of arse with my steering wheel (Logitech Driving Force Pro), the force feedback is the weakest I've ever experience in a racing game, you can't use the full turning circle (i.e. full lock) or you run wide, massive understeer if you full-lock the wheel as well. It's laughable. I had more fun playing Formula One for Playstation last month I got at a boot sale for £1 than this. It's atrocious.

I read somewhere that Codemasters Birmingham had a lot of staff leaving after F1 2010, and if that's true it makes perfect sense. Both F1 2011 & F1 2012 for the PS3 are awful in my opinion.

I'm stupid for buying it on release I know, but the thing is I REALLY wanted to like this game. I was hoping/preying even that it would stand up to the quality of the first game from Codemasters but am bitterly disappointed, if there was a contender for worst annually released game the Codemasters F1 series would take the cake.

I am going to sell it, losing £9 for the privelledge of experiencing something horrid. But atleast I will be done with it.

I don't see why a developer (Studio Liverpool) can get my main complaints of this game perfect back in the year of 2007. Uh.