F1 2020: the history of the Codemasters series

Index

The arrival on Nintendo Wii The downturn Back on track 2020 is a very important year for Formula 1. On May 13th, in fact, the seventieth anniversary of the first Grand Prix held in 1950 was celebrated, the year in which the FIA ​​started the assignment of the drivers' championship. This event is therefore traced back to the beginning of the glorious history that led Formula 1 to grow to become as we know it today, seven decades after the race on the Silverstone circuit won by Nino Farina on his Alfa Romeo. A story that over time has offered more than a source of pride for us Italians, who have always been linked to the world of Formula 1 not only because of stables like Ferrari, still in business today, but also for the exploits of winning drivers like Alberto Ascari and Farina himself, the first ever to graduate champion. But reducing everything to a local phenomenon would be wrong, because the charm of Formula 1 over the years has been able to involve the whole world thanks to the achievements of drivers of all nationalities, becoming for long periods a real mass phenomenon followed by the least fans of motorsport and motor racing.

With a following like that, it is only logical that the world of video games you are interested definitely early in the Formula 1. What is today the only bulwark of their gender, F1 2020 , in fact, comes as the last of a long series of titles that have their roots even to the last of the years '70. Among the major exponents of the racing game dedicated to Formula 1 in many people will remember, without doubt, the legendary Formula 1 Grand Prix 2 is linked with the name of Geoff Crammond, whose heritage is in the last few years in the hands of Codemasters. A name that in reality he was already tied to Formula 1 in 1988 with the old Grand Prix Simulator , and then move to implementation of other driving games before returning in time now relatively recent to the circus world champion with the series F1. Taking advantage of the first decade of the new course of Codemasters dedicated to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and colleagues, we retrace together the history of this franchise.

F1 2009

The arrival on Nintendo Wii

Before the license of the Formula 1 passed to Codemasters to stay up to date, for almost a decade was Sony to exercise the rights of the championship. For several years, then, those who wanted to race in a Ferrari was forced to own a PlayStation console, for which he worked, the former team of Sony, based in Liverpool, born in its turn from the ashes of the glorious Psygnosis. When the license was picked up by Codemasters it was 2009 , and from the last Formula One Championship Edition were three seasons that the Formula 1 has not seen an official video game.

In a first moment, in reality, Codemasters spiazzò all, taking his first F1 2009 was developed by Sumo Digital only on Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation Portable. It seemed indeed strange that the inaugural edition of the new course of the English company came on what was the home console and more away from a possible new life of the Formula 1 virtual, especially for its limitations, from the technical point of view. In anticipation of better times, F1 2009 did, however, appreciate some of their features would have remained at the base of the series F1 for years to come. First of all, the game was already then with the same philosophy simcade that also accompanies F1 2020 ( here our review ), proposing also a career mode that in later years would have played a key role in the success of the various chapters.

in view of the limitations of the Nintendo Wii, to see a game that can satisfy from a technical point of view the fans of Formula 1 had to then wait another year. Even if the series was already established with the previous edition, we can say that the arrival of F1 2010 on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is what marks the true debut of the series developed by Codemasters, without the involvement of Sumo Digital. A recurrence in the recurrence, since we are talking about ten years ago exactly, for the game that after a year of fasting from the titles of Formula 1 dedicated to powerful platforms was promoted with votes, good enough. It is from this point that Codemasters will make the series F1 is an annual event and thinking of a model of "FIFA" dedicated to the Formula 1. As all the brands are intended to get out of every twelve months, even the series F1 would have then discovered the right side of the potential criticism, in the moment in which an issue had not shown any differences compared to the previous one. In fact, the years later up to F1 2013 have helped to broaden the view of the series, improving in turn the features of the game, and enriching it with important elements such as the classic cars that we find today. However, something short-term would be jammed, and as is often the case with franchise annual, there is a generational change in the middle.

F1 2013

The decrease

The transition from one generation of console to the other can be problematic for a series accustomed to the recurring appointment. The most painful is to Konami with the PES franchise, which has put us several years before returning to its former glory, but the warning applies to all of the developers that are measured with this type of video games. Also why have a host of fans who follow you can be a double-edged sword, especially in the moment in which they themselves are transformed in the strictest judges starting to not forgive you any false steps.

For the series F1 the last generational change was not as dramatic as that of PES above, but there is still need a period of adjustment. Already with F1 2014 (the last out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) Codemasters gave up something to bring home the bacon. Even if that year there was the alibi of the substantial changes in regulation real, it was sensational the decision to eliminate the classic mode introduced in the previous year, raising the ire of the fans who had enjoyed very much this addition. The fear of seeing the other denominations was also seriously with F1 2015 , perhaps the lowest point of the entire series in terms of content since it was deleted, even the career mode. What until that moment had been one of the pillars of the new course weblog Codemasters disappeared, literally, putting in a state of shock to fans despite of the progress in terms of technology, registered with the transition to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Fortunately, it was only an accident of path, seeing that already starting from the year following the career pilot would be back in the series F1.

Return to the track

Inflicted the blow of the passing of the generations, with F1 2016, returning to the career mode, and we pulled all breathed a sigh of relief. The edition of four years ago represents the starting point for the strand that brings us up to the current edition, with all probability, the last that we will see on the current generation of consoles. While maintaining its basic equipment, the latest releases have allowed the series F1 to enrich themselves more and more from the point of view of content, pulling in of itself new elements to the career mode, the ability to run with the cars of Formula 2 and the latest joke mode, My Team , with which Codemasters has tried to intrude in the genre ruolistico/management. Not to mention the multiplayer, where the series F1 has made huge strides to find its own dimension in the world of esports, involving in the recent period of lockdown, even pilots like Charles Leclerc. But this is another story, which we will address shortly. In the meantime, with F1 2020, we can say that in front of the title of the series is more complete than ever, a net of some kind of technical issue that will hopefully be fixed soon.

Came to the conclusion, with the hope that we make it to the series F1 is to be able to make the leap that will bring it to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with the right dose of courage. And for those riding at 300Km/h, and passes that should never be missed.