Although several major racing games come out every year, few can boast as passionate of a fanbase as the Formula 1 franchise. Codemasters take on the iconic motorsport tournament is renown for releasing some of the most intricate and simulative racing games of the modern era, with the fanbase behind the franchise heralding it for its authentic recreation of the Formula 1, its tracks, and the unique single-seater vehicles that make it so interesting to experience.
The newest entry in the series, F1 2020, releases in just a few days' time, dropping officially on July 10. However, it seems the review embargo for the exciting next entry in the popular racing franchise has officially lifted today, meaning critics can finally impart to viewers whether the next step in the F1 franchise is a roaring success or a debilitating failure.
With several of the biggest publications in gaming chiming in on F1 2020, it seems the critical consensus is surprisingly unanimous. So, what are the critics saying about the next big video game release for the motorsport phenomenon?
IGN (Luke Reilly)
"F1 2020 is simultaneously the deepest yet most accessible Codemasters Formula One experience to date. The heavy reliance on recycled vignettes and the same old faces we’ve been seeing for virtually an entire generation admittedly means F1 2020 doesn’t necessarily look as fresh as it feels but, between My Team and splitscreen, this is the most fun I’ve had with the F1 series for years."
Score: 9 / 10
The Digital Fix (Seb Hawden)
"Brilliantly authentic, incredibly immersive, F1 2020, for me, is one of the best racing games I have played for a long time. Managing your team is a brilliant addition that will perhaps entice new players on-board. The game is very user friendly, It has a massive amount of modes, features and options that will suit any type of player of every skill level. It looks good, sounds great and performs very well. Right, I am off, this F1 team is not going to manage itself."
Score: 9 / 10
Noisypixel (Victor Aparicio)
"F1 2020 is by far the most accessible simulation racer available, without sacrificing what genre fans love. There are dozens of menus to get lost in with customizable options, but also just as many accessibility features for newcomers. Sadly, the differences between My Team and My Career aren’t as vast as I’d have liked, but nothing really takes away from the fact that this is a damn good racer."
Score: 8.5 / 10
The Sixth Axis (Thomas Harrison-Lord)
"If it wasn’t for the addition of My Team, F1 2020 would go down as being great for newcomers, but past the best before date for those who have enjoyed recent iterations. Some elements are now very tired, but being able to oversee the running of your own team proves to be incredibly satisfying and just enough of a distraction – for now. F1 2020 highlights just how much of a team sport Formula 1 is, and that can only be a good thing."
Score: 8 / 10
TheGamer (Josh Coulson)
"F1 2020 wants to appeal to as many people as it possibly can, and it does a better job of that than any other F1 game to have been released in recent years. In terms of adapting the game for the established players, although it has added new modes and features, the gameplay itself feels a little too familiar. There's just enough added to F1 2020 to make it feel different to F1 2019, but there were occasions when it slipped our minds that we were playing a new chapter in the series. A terrific offering overall from Codemasters for hardened and casual players, but we wouldn't say no to an overhaul of the established systems and features in place for F1 2021 which we're assuming will be the series' first foray onto next-gen consoles."
Score: 4 / 5
Push Square (Jacob Hull)
"This is the most complete series entry to date, with a full Formula 2 season, followed by up to 10 consecutive senior campaigns in an enthralling Formula 1 career. The new My Team mode allows for an even more personalised pilgrimage, and on track everything sings. It’s a shame we’re missing the story introduced in the previous entry and we hope Codemasters return to this and flesh it out in future outings. But all things considered, F1 2020 includes a frightening amount of content that makes this an essential for fans of the motorsport. This is, after all, the only complete Formula 1 season in 2020."
Score: 8 / 10
Hardcore Gamer (Cory Wells)
"F1 2020 is as good as it gets on the current generation of consoles. Codemasters has perfected its craft to make F1 2020 the pinnacle of the series. My Team is fantastic and will keep people interested in a single player experience engaged. Featuring Michael Schumacher was the right decision for the adding the classic cars, but having him as an actual presence in the game would be better. The casual difficulty should help attract some new players, while the overall racing gets a boost thanks to refinements and the new Overtake Button. The online multiplayer needs a new innovation as the current state still leaves a lot to be desired."
Score: 4 / 5
Eurogamer (Martin Robinson)
"Across this current generation, though, Codemasters' F1 series has gone from strength to strength, and F1 2020 is a consolidation of all that. It's open-armed, nerdishly specced out - with its dynamic weather and evolving track, this still has a feature list that should well be the envy of other console racers like Forza and Gran Turismo - and above all it's an awful lot of fun... It's not perfect, just as the real thing isn't - but just like the real thing, with its surge of likeable new stars and a regular helping of on-track drama, you can't help but feel that F1 is in safe hands right now."
Score: N/A
All in all, it seems F1 2020 is a strong next step for the series that adds several important new features that enhance what made previous iterations so special. From the incredible addition of My Team, which highlights the behind the scenes exploits of F1 racing teams, to the overhauled additions to the franchise's staple gameplay, it appears the title is full of brilliant new ideas that better every aspect of its core gameplay and systems. Luckily, players won't have long to wait before they too can get their hands on the game, with it launching this Friday.
F1 2020 releases July 10 on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
