F1 Career Challenge
Score: 70% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Europe Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: Formula 1 racing is one of those sports genres I was never able to get into. I've tried to watch races from time to time, but could never get into the races. This is rather odd when you consider that I can sit through a full NASCAR race. As with most things, I'm sure there's an audience for the sport, which sooner of later leads to a game version. F1 Career Challenge is EA's newest entry into it's long-running F1 series and though it presents an interesting concept, the execution and presentation is flawed. For me, F1 Career was all about taking the good with the bad. Unlike other EA sports entries, F1 never seemed like a complete graphical package. If you've played any of the previous games in the series, you already know what to expect. For those who haven't, expect great looking cars, nice tracks and a whole lot of eye candy. The attention to detail in this aspect is great - cars show damage, sunlight reflects off of nearly anything shiny and rain splatters off the camera. There are even some nice looking camera angles that really make you feel like you're in the action. The thrill is unfortunately tarnished by the alien-looking, yet surprisingly well-animated, pit crew. I don't know who designed some of the uniforms, but I've got to be honest -- they're terrible. I know this isn't EA's fault -- but some of the crew jumpsuit designs would even make Liberace turn away. Thankfully you won't have to stare too long at these fashion disasters once your crew removes their helmets and display their giant, emotionless heads. Seriously, watching my crew cheer and clap after I won a race scared the hell out of me. Shiver... Sound isn't much better, but it suffices. Background music is restricted to the menus and pit commentary is like something from a PS1 game. Race sounds aren't much better, at least until you really get your engine revving. Until then, you'll have to settle for the fierce purr of a lawnmower. About the only good thing you'll hear is the sound of your car skidding around the track (or off it).
Gameplay: On paper, F1 Career Challenge looks like a winner. Customize the entire F1 racing experience around the player by allowing them to create their own driver and have them go up against real ones during a full racing season. At least, that's the theory behind the game. Once you start playing, it's an entirely different experience. From the start nothing works out -- customization of your driver is very limited, allowing you the leeway to input your name, nationality and choosing from one of three helmet designs. Anyone hoping to play as their favorite F1 drivers is out of luck since you're never given the chance to race as one of them. After creating 'yourself' (as the box boldly proclaims), you're put through a series of tests meant to teach you the game's basics, most of which can be picked up within minutes due to the game's surprising lack of depth. After earning your Super License, you're thrown into the meat of the game -- the Career Challenge. Once again, the theory behind the game is better than the game itself. The actual presentation is excellent and really does a great job of making you feel like the new guy in the circuit. As you rise through the ranks, teams will offer you positions to race for them via your PDA. This is where things really begin to fall apart. Not only is the PDA interface lame, but the only difference between teams is their colors - sometimes making jumping ship pointless. Races are straightforward and feature few frills. Progressing through a race week follows the same format as other games - you enter, you qualify, you race. That's about it. No, really... In fact, you get to progress through not just one repetitive season, but four! Of course, this doesn't really play into the game much since the only noticeable differences are new decals on cars and drivers quitting or starting their careers. Also, in a surprising turn of events you can't race the 2003 season, and instead are limited to the '99-'02 series. And well, that's about all there is. As incentive for playing through the Career Mode, there are a plethora of unlockable features to purchase with points earned during races, such as new pit girl outfits and car upgrades.
Difficulty: Competition is somewhere between adequate and just plain dumb. On the plus side, drivers aren't perfect and are prone to make just as many mistakes as you. The game also doesn't gun for you and try to make the race miserable for you by constantly trying to ram you into walls. This is about as good as it gets since opponents also feature some interesting design qualities. For example, whenever you stop, everyone does. This makes for a moderate to sometimes non-existent challenge.
Game Mechanics: One of the better aspects of F1 Career Challenge is the control. As dull as I found the game's racing setup, the actual racing is surprisingly fun - if you're willing to take the time and learn how to drive. F1 Career takes a very sim approach to control, and requires a lot of touch on the part of the player. Perhaps the biggest adjustment that needs to be made is using the analog stick to steer instead of the D-pad. It is nearly impossible to steer with the D-pad since one tap can be enough to slam a car into the side of a wall. Braking and acceleration require just as much care since it is really easy to skid out if you gun the accelerator too soon after braking. As the race progresses, fuel will deplete and tires will wear thin - making steering that much harder, so plan on pitting at least once a race. When it comes down to it, F1 Career is all about unmet potential. The theory behind the game sounds like a winner - make the player the star of the game. But the execution sorely lags behind. The lack of modes and variety ends up killing any replay value the game would otherwise have, making this game a weekend rental even for fans.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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