F1 2002

If you are a Racing fan, then this is a must have game. EA Sports has hit the nail on the head with this adrenaline pumping, white knuckled F1 Racer. It's got enough assists to make it easy for a beginner, and enough gearing, suspension, and downforce adjustments to make it a real challenge for the experienced driver!

EA Sports has done it again! This game has all the bells and whistles you could want in a racing game, so lets dive in and take a quick look.

Options, options, options, that's the ticket here. There are way too many to list individually, so I will give you a quick overview of the main options, but this list is far from complete.

*Controls, this game supports just about every type of controller out there, keyboard, stick, gamepad, and wheel. And from the controller set up page you can remap your controller to your preferences. Force feedback is supported. *Cameras, you can control your cockpit cameras as well as the onboard, circuit, and swing cams. Heck you can see everything from just about any angle!

*Assists, here the beginner can set the car with a variety of assists from steering to brakes to rev limiters, and much more. With all the assists on the car almost drives itself....almost. With them all off...well this is where the white knuckles come into play.

*Car Adjustments, if you like tweaking your car then this game is a dream. You can adjust and tweak everything you could on the real car. Shocks and spring rates, gearing, downforce, tire type and compound, and the list would go on and on.

*Display, here you tweak the game to fit your computer to give you the best possible visual effects and game speed (this game will also benchmark for you and test your system to give you optimal performance)

This list could go on and on, there are so many options, but I think we have hit the most important ones.

So how does the game play? GREAT! I am a racing fan at heart and I can really get hyped over a good game. This game has me doing backflips! It's visuals are stunning, the game physics are very very good, and the amount of detail that went into this game is nothing short of amazing. The high pitched whine of 20+ F1 engines is very intense. Your pit crew keeps you informed of events on the track as they happen, and where you stand in the race.

You can play as any driver on any team (even the new teams from Toyota and Renault) on all the tracks (even the new Hockenhiem layout) in the 2002 season. Race several practice sessions, qualify, warm up, then race against some very very good AI drivers, or hop online and join in against some really good real life drivers! The tracks are very well done and super realistic as are the cars (right down to the onboard LCD display in the steering wheel).

Using the assists makes it easy to advance from novice to veteran, turning off or down the assists as you progress and become better. Oh, and talking about getting better, did I mention the telemetry feature? Yup, you can now view the telemetry on your car to make adjustments to cut those thousandths of a second that can win you the race. Heck, the guys at EA Sports have even included a driving school, and a guide in the manual that includes driving tips and the effects that each adjustment will have on the car. WAY COOL! (helpful too)

An Install Guide is also included (EA is really good about this, and the install guides are the best I've ever seen) This guide will direct you step by step to install this game so that you have optimal performance and zero problems. In the case you do have a problem, the guide does have a good trouble shooting section.

Be sure you follow the guide, install the latest drivers, and upgrade your Direct X for the best performance from this game.

I have to give this game ten thumbs up...well OK, two thumbs up plus eight fingers. Love to race? Gotta get it!

Gameplay: 9.5
This game is a blast to play. It is intense and very realistic. The amount of options make the game completely adjustable to any driver. The fact that it supports all game controller types is a major plus. This game never gets old, it's different every time you enter a race, especially with the variable weather effects, could be warm and sunny or cool and pouring rain. The only thing I didn't care for was the long line up call before the beginning of the actual race, but heck, it isn't all that bad.

Graphics: 9.5
This game uses the newest Direct X 8.1 and supports all newer video cards, the better the card the better your graphics will be. With my 64MB card the game was amazing, the best graphics I've seen in a racing game so far. The scenery is very well done as are the special effects. The shadowing is superb!

Sound: 9
The sounds for this game are as good as the graphics. Your pit crew will give you updates to track events as they happen as well as keep you up to speed as to where you stand in the race. The F1 engine whine is very realistic as is the approaching sounds as cars come up on you from behind. Tire squeal and other sound effects are very well done and very believable. Sounds are adjustable.

Difficulty: Easy to Hard (this game is so adjustable that the difficulty level is what you make it. With all the assists on the car will almost drive itself, with them all off, the car is very touching and considerably harder to drive)

Concept: 9
While F1 racing games have been around for quite awhile, and every year there's another one for that years season, this game has pushed the limits and given us the most realistic F1 game to date. They have covered every detail and aspect of the car, driver, race, and race season. What more could you want?

Overall: 9.5
Overall this is the best F1 racing game to date, every detail, has been covered. The game plays great, the graphics are top notch, the sounds are realistic, and the ability to tweak and adjust everything in the game is fantastic! This game was a pleasure to review and play, and play, and play.........GO GET IT!