Formula One is finally back, following an interrupted season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and now so is its official videogame. With F1 2020’s release date just around the corner, reviews have begun to go live around the web. So what do critics think of the latest in the longrunning series from Codemasters? Will it be in pole position or at the back of the grid? And how many other racing puns can I fit into this introduction? Let’s take a pit stop and see.
Well, it seems Codemasters has indeed achieved a podium finish: the critical consensus suggests this is a successful entry in the series. Our very own Phil Iwaniuk, for example, calls the game an “exemplary release that demonstrates how to build on last year’s additions [and] bring new challenges”. You can read more in our F1 2020 review in progress – we’ll follow up with a final verdict once we’ve had a little more time on the track, but for now it’s on to a winner.
Other critics seem similarly enthralled, too – check out what some reviewers think in the selection below. If you’re after more driving games in the meantime, check out our list of the best racing games on PC.
PCGamesn – no score (Review in progress)
“At a time when every other annualised sports series I can think of is showing signs of chronic fatigue, F1 2020 is an exemplary release that demonstrates how to build on last year’s additions, bring new challenges, and somehow simulate a sport that at the time of writing hasn’t even happened yet this year. In these old bones of mine the Fortnite-style Podium Pass feature doesn’t feel like the best way to add greater depth of customisation to driver-manager mode, but you’re probably too busy flossing by now to care about that.” – Phil Iwaniuk [Full review in progress]
IGN – 9/10
“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.” – Luke Reilly [Full review]
Eurogamer – Recommended
“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.” – Martin Robinson [Full review]
WIndows Central – No score (Review in progress)
“F1 2020 is drop-dead gorgeous, enormous fun and the new my team career mode is the icing on the cake.” – Richard Devine [Full review]
The Sixth Axis – 8/10
“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.” – Thomas Harrison-Lord [Full review]
Only a few more days to wait, racing fans!