Layout of menu’s
The setup of the first profile was nice and quick. It asks you for the following:
- First Name,
- Surname,
- Short Name,
- Country,
- Helmet,
- Then to confirm.
It only takes a couple of minutes.
Then you are given the following options:
- Quick Start,
- Single Player,
- Multi Player,
- Options,
- Records Room.
Quick Start
Quick start is good for an arcade style quick race.
Single Player
Career
This lasts for three years and you start with either BMW or STR. You are given a target number of Championship points to get for the year. If you complete this target, you can either re-sign or move to a better team. I guess you become a test driver if you do not.
Challenge
The Challenge mode is lots of fun. I have completed level one and nearly level two.
Here is a list of all the different types of challenges:
- Burning Lap – Complete a flying lap in the shortest time possible,
- Race – Win the race,
- Overtake – Pass as many cars as you can,
- Checkpoint Race – Pass as many checkpoints as you can before the time runs out,
- Cornering – Corner to score! Take each corner as fast as you can without leaving the track.
On level one, there are six challenges:
- Checkpoint Race – Spain,
- Checkpoint Race – Bahrain,
- Race – China,
- Race – Italy,
- Burning Lap – Brazil,
- Overtake – Spa.
When you have completed a challenge, you are given a grade from A to D. I have completed Level one with everyone A bar Brazil Burning lap where I got a C.
Before you get to level, two you complete a special challenge called the “Heavens Have Opened” at Spa. You are leading the race and it is raining very hard. You are in a Renault and you have to complete the last two laps of the race and try to score, as may points as you can. I got a C grade and finished fifth. It is very hard.
Next to, level two:
- Overtake – Brazil
- Race – Melbourne
- Cornering – Bahrain
- Burning Lap – Spain
- Checkpoint Race – Brazil
- Burning Lap – Spa
I will add the special challenge between level two and three and the level three challenges when I get there.
Time Trial
In time trial, you can choose any car, driver and circuit. You can use this feature to tune car setups, go for fastest time trial metals (Bronze, Silver and Gold) or just learning/Practice tracks.
Grand Prix Weekend
I would recommend is for all hardcore simulation gamers because you run every session just like reality. During the practice sessions you can learn the circuit, tune your car. One problem I have found with this now is you cannot adjust the amount of fuel in the car during a run. Therefore, you could want to go out a do a long twelve lap run on a set of tyres but you may not have enough fuel. The tyres are marked like real life so when you are out on track or watching from the pits you can see which tyres the other drivers are using. While in the pits if you bring up the standing table and press A, you get a live timing, which is a welcome addition to the game. If there is no number in any of the sectors, there are on an out lap. The standard car setups are quite fast to. I would suggest if you are a hardcore gamer to tweak the setup because you can find lots of time. In addition, because the team upgrades where caped around Monaco even if you drive the wheels off, say the McLaren at any race you will not be as quick as the Brawns, Red Bull, etc. I would have liked it setup so you could be quick with a Force India at Monza but at other circuits Force India where slow.
Quail – Much better than in Formula One 2006, you can finish the lap your on after the session ends, etc.
Race – During the race you can get into a much better consistent rhythm than previous games with the ability to push before pit stops
Pit Stops – When you enter the pits you control the car until the limiter line then it is computer controlled, pit stops are lower than on TV.
Race Settings/Setup
You can choose a Difficulty at the top from Beginner, Advanced, Expert or Custom.
Under that, there are seven options to tweak to your liking:
- Race Distance – 3 Laps, 10% of Full Race, 25% of Full Race, 50% of Full Race, 75% of Full Race or 100% of Full Race
- Opponent Skills – Easy, Medium or Hard
- Vehicle Damage – Off or On
- Fuel Use & Tyre Wear – Off or On
- Weather – Off or On
- Component Failure – Off or On
- Penalties – Off, Relaxed or Strict
Damage Model
The damage model is ok but could be better if you have a accident you can touch the rear and front wing, lose your wings, break a wheel (like Vettel in Melbourne 09), etc. All problems you just return to the pits and it is solved for you. You do not end the race because you have damaged your car; the damage model is not good enough for that.
Fuel use & Tyre Wear
This is very good if you are going long over 25% of full race distance but under that and there is no point.
Weather
The weather affects the cars a lot more than in previous games, you lose traction, pressures and grip. If your in a race in the wet with Slicks on it is a challenge to stay on the track (remember Hamilton and Kimi – Spa 08/Timo Brazil 08).
Component Failure
If you switch this on it means your engine, Gearbox, Kers, etc could experience faults or failures during the sessions breaking.
Penalties
This on strict is very interesting if you cut the track or hit someone within 30 sec’s the penalties will be given out. Also if you don’t let someone by with 3 blue flags in quail you are put back ten grid slots, in the race you will be given stop go’s or drive thoughts. On comparison to Formula One 2006 there has been lots of improvement in this area. The stupid rev limits have gone and better penalties are here.
Championship
There is not much difference between career and champion. The big difference is that you can choose the driver and team you want to race for.
Multi Player
In Multi player split screen you can race together, complete a complete championship or complete different challenges.
Options
Under options, you can tweak and change options for Controls, Profiles, view credits, camera settings, screen layout, audio and Driving Aids.
Records Room
Driver Resume
From here, you can see what you have achieved on the game. Awards, Total game complete, trophies, medals are all shown. In addition, there is a table show stats about your game play. Total laps completed, Top Speed, Total Distance Driven, Game Time (Hours) and Favourite Constructor are shown in the table. I will publish a post today with my Driver Resume, which I will update once a week.
Awards
The awards are stuff you have unlocked throughout the game. They are split into three sections: Easy, Medium and Hard. I will also add my awards to the Driver Resume post plus awards still locked.
Trophy Cabinet
These shows all the trophy’s you have won in the game for every race plus drivers and constructors championships. Trophy data will be to the Driver Resume post.
Versus
If you have more than one person each with there own profile you can compare them in versus mode.
Lap Records
The lap Records for each track are located here and when you pick a circuit in either Race weekend, Championship, etc your best lap time is shown on the screen also it will tell you if you have been on pole at that circuit before. My records will be on the Driver Résumé post.
Formula One Vault
In the vault, you will find three options:
- Circuit Guides
- Driver Biographies
- Team Profiles
Just a note to say all Statistics in the Vault reflect the start of the 2009 session.
KERS
In this game, every car has Kers, if you are quick at a circuit you do not have to use it much. If you do not use it at all, you can still be quick. I forget to use it every lap of a race. I think it is there for overtaking more than lap time gain. Nevertheless, it works fine, I have tried to use it on the grass/grave/sand and the programming is good enough that while off the track the Kers is not usable. In addition, if you use it while sitting on the grid for example it does not work. When you get more experienced with circuits over a race weekend, you can see where it is more affective and where you could get a gain in lap times.
Racing Wheel Attachment
When I ordered the game I got the Race Wheel attachment now though I am using the Wii remote and the nunchuck. In time, I will practice with the racing wheel but there are dead spots. If you turn the wheel, too much the Wii hits the dead spots and is not as responsive.
Packaging
The packaging the game and attachment come in is very nice looking and it comes with a small book about the controller layout and buttons.
Driving Aids
Visual Aids
Racing Line – Unless you know all the lines, I would leave this on
Mechanical Aids
Steering Assist – If you use the Racing Wheel, I would leave this on until you are very experienced. With the Nunchuck and remote, you could put this on for beginners but after a few hours of experience, you will want to turn this off.
Predictive Breaking – Beginners can leave this on but this game is not like over game in that you have to try to break, you cannot just hold the power down all the time and steer. I switched this off straight away, as you will get used to breaking very quickly as an advanced or expert player
Anti-Skid & Anti Wheel Spin – In other words Traction Control and Stability Control renamed. I have left these on because without it, you cannot pull away from the grid properly and you wear the tyres quicker. Expert players only consider turning these off.
Gearbox – You can use a manual box but one I do not know what the controls are for change gears using the Nunchuck and remote or the racing wheel for that matter. Also two during a full-length race you are so busy with Racing, breaking, lines, KERS, pits stop, the gap between everyone, listening to your race engineer, etc that it is much easier to use a manual. Experts may turn this off as you can gain lap time from perfect manual gearbox changes.
Music and Race Engineer
The menu music is OK but after a while, you may want to switch it off. During other games (F1 06), you are informed about the fights all the way down the field but with F1 2009, you are only told what you need to know. For example, if someone retires, people you are racing pit, you receive a penalty, etc. It is very direct which is good because you do not care about x and y fighting for 17th for example if you are fighting for a win or podium. The engineer during Quail is fantastic; you are informed if some one does a lap quicker than yours, if you do into the drop zone, when the sessions end, etc.
Sum up
Pros
If are on the game for a while and you Wii remote is low on power it will come up and pause so you can switch with a different remote.
Race Engineer Brilliant
Handing is very good
Kers works and you can get a gain when used in the right way
Easy to navigate screens
Wii saves very quickly no need to wait for it to save (Auto-save)
Both compounds of tyre used in the race rule applies
In a race weekend the all sessions but especially Quail is split so you can complete each then close the game and complete the rest later.
Cons
Damage could be better
No Safety car – maybe in 2010 game
No internet playing (like Mario Kart) – Not even internet leader boards for fastest laps, etc
Only two players can play whereas other Wii games four players can play
You cannot save more than one race weekend, etc at a time – so if you want to pause from one and start another you will lose the first one
It could feel a big more hilly on some circuits, it looks it but does not feel it.
Have your say and share your views in the comments – get writing now…
