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Demo release shows amazing promise for a great sequel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 20
Date: May 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Having been a huge fan of F1 2001 and believing that it was the first game in a new series (since F12K & Championship were just updated NFS models), having played the demo of F1 2002 it is easy to see that this one will trump its succesor. The game starts off with an improved navigation screen that is more intuitive than F1 2001. You immediately feel good because you immediately see this years drivers and the correct livery for those teams who merely updated sponsors since last year. Although the demo version didn't have all 11 teams, pre-release photos have shown the new Toyota team along with all of the rookies in this year's field. Once you proceed from the driver/team selection, the new tracks load up significantly faster than F1 2001. It is the familiar "race weekend" menu that let you navigate between the garage, the track and the new option that wasn't available in the demo, telemetry. If the telemetry section is anything like the GP3 module, then I think all players are in for a treat because you can truly focus on your slow sections just like the real drivers do as they sit in the garage with the flat screen in front of their face. The advanced set up screens are much more detailed, with a sweet picture of the car right in the middle. This version allows you to modify new bits such as max. RPM's, brake duct openings, etc...better detail that should help the qualifying setups. Now for the gorgeous part, getting into the car and pulling out of the garage on to the newly mapped circuits. Just the new sound of sitting in the garage is far and away better than F1 2001, it sounds just like Speed Channel. You can still slowly launch out of the pits, but another exciting option is the introduction of launch control, and it works like a beauty. Just hold down the key, mash the throttle and release when the lights go green, just like Kimi....the physics model has improved to new levels seen in Formula Car sims, sliding is much easier and you can't just throw the car into corners anymore or lift in turns because it will react against you. Another bonus that real F1 fans will know is the ability to now only manually downshift just like the real boys. Or you can be Minardi and have only a semi-auto....Competition seems a little more on their game this time around, and it's great to see that little Vodaphone team in your newly enlarged mirrors. So if you enjoy the sport, or just enjoy racing sims that challenge you and recreate the sport in its entirety, than pick up F1 2002 because it is far and away the best racing game out there for open-wheel cars. Highly recommended.

Fun For Everyone

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: June 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is a game that can be fun for everyone. My 4-year old has a ball playing it with a steering wheel and pedals. F1 2002 allows nearly unlimited control over your racing experience. You can do anything from practice to running an entire F1 race with all of the top racers and teams of the real F1 circuit.

Every circuit is loaded and comes with dazzling detail (limited only by your hardware). For real racing, you can control every detail of race car setup and view all kinds of telemetry. You can choose from multiple racing views and the sounds make you feel like you're right there.

If you're just starting out, I recommend the Silverstone race circuit. It is less complex than some (like Monaco or Suzuka) and lets new drivers get a good feel of the game.

One installation hint: if you see bizarre colors or patterns on the roadways, check the drivers for your video card. Because F1 2002 uses Microsoft DirectX 8.1, I needed to upgrade the drivers on my video card. The installation guide mentions this, but it is worth emphasizing. The graphics are so good that it will be well worth the effort to do it.

Best F1 Sim Currently Available

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: July 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

F1 2002 is probably the best F1 sim available today. Newcomers to this category of game won't be disappointed with EA's latest offering and players of older versions will enjoy the changes to this version.

Overall gameplay hasn't changed too much from the 2001 edition, so I'm not going to spend too much time on it (see my long review on F1 2001 if you're interested). The main things you'll notice are slicker menus, more advanced car setup and a full telemetry system. On the track you'll be treated to better visuals (which were already great in 2001), pit-car radio communication (which can be very helpful when you're trying to race and don't want to flip through menus), and a revised physics model.

EA seems to have done a good job releasing a product that isn't beta quality. The initial release of F1 2001 was plagued by problems that made it virtually unplayable for some (including me) until a patch was released. I've had no major problems with this release and haven't seen many complaints from others.

My biggest issue is with the multiplayer system. It just isn't up to par with today's games. The game selection menu barely provide any information about the servers and doesn't allow filtering based on game attributes (such as difficulty level, number of players, etc). Once you do find a game you might not even be able to connect or will be given a "Connection Refused" message with no further information.

Gameplay in a multiplayer situation isn't much better. Throw a little lag in the mix and you'll see cars hovering in the air and jerking all over the track.

As broken as they are, multiplayer games can be tremendously fun and the online community is generally small and friendly. Hopefully this area will receive some attention in a patch or the next version.

Excellent game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: July 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I purchased the playstation and PC versions of this game. By far the PC version is much easier to use while at the same time being more realistic. All the new track configurations are there along with the new teams and drivers (the playstation version did not have the new track configurations). I use this game on a laptop with the minimum requirements for video memory, 16 mb. At this minimum setting I must step down from the highest resolution otherwise the action becomes jerky especially at the start when all the cars are visible along with the realistic scenery. However, when testing alone I turn everything to the highest resolution and its almost like watching TV. There is a problem however with the Ferrari cars as the driver is displayed in full (part of the car body is missing) when viewed from the left. I don't know if this is intentional or related to my ATI Rage Mobility 128 card but you can see the arms move as the steering wheel is manipulated. This indicates the detail that the designers went to in producing this game. My system runs Windows 2000 and has 512 MB of ram. A steering wheel is a must. I use the Logitech drive force (USB) which I purchased for my playstation (there is a version for the PC but this one works fine) and was recognized by W2K as soon as I plugged it into the USB port.
I like the instruction mode where realistic models of the two and three seat versions of the Minardi and Arrows cars are used. You ride behind the instructor while looking over his shoulder while he takes you through sections of various tracks to show the correct line. Listen to where to brake, where to change gear, and where to get on the gas. Excellent.
Not so excellent is the camera mode when replaying a race. One must cycle through all the drivers to get to a particular driver. In previous versions there was a change camera mode when replaying, this apparently has been removed in this version.
Also not so excellent is the grass and traps. It is possible to drive through the traps and grass as fast as on the main circuit.
Even with this I still recommend the PC version of this game.

Fun Simulation, Great Value

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: July 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is the F1 2002 version of the game which I purchased in July. EA has recently come out with a new 99-02 version of the game which according to many is not a huge improvement. The 2002 version of the game is well supported, has LOTS of mods (ability to load differnt cars, tracks, adjust physics, etc) and has set the benchmark for F1 racing sims. Oh, and its 13 bucks. The 99-02 version will probably become the eventual standard and I may switch at some point in the future.

I am not a big gamer, but years ago enjoyed Need for Speed 2. I spent long hours perfecting my skills and I set an online world record for some of the tracks. If you are the kind of person who likes to squeeze every last bit of performance out of your car and seek the best times, this is the ultimate game. It is more of a simulation than an arcade game, but it is playable and very fun once you learn car control.

I have a background in SCCA autocross racing so I know a little bit about racing physics. The physics engine is truly realistic. When you take a turn too fast, you will push and scrub off speed. Trail braking works as expected to lighten the back of the car and help rotate. The traction circle seems to be in force and the condition of the track and your tires effect your stickiness. Trade a pair of warm tires for some new cold ones in the pit and you will feel mildly reduceed handling. Weather effects the surface and overall traction is depicted accurately. Cars travelling on the ilne reduce moisture so that on wet trrack days your trtaction is best on the line. An impressive visual and physical experience! Track gradiations effect your traction and there are some off-camber and downhill turns that act as would be expected. While you cant necessarily "feel" what the car is doing, it will sometimes squirm when it is lightened and reacts realistically to over-ambitious inputs. The sensation of drifting is there and also pushing and scrubbing off speed is accurately depicted. I have only been driving one car and havent experienced oversteer excecpt after trail braking (havent gotten this down yet) Even though I cant feel the car, I know what it is doing. I've never driven an F1 car (and probably never will), but this simulation acts the way I would expect an F1 car to act based on what I know.

On the down side, because you are racing on a computer screen, it is difficult to look ahead because your field of view is limited and (depending on your resolutions), items in your direct field arent discernable until they are too close. This means that alot of doing well on a track is a process of remembering the trrack and what is coming -- you cant always rely on visuals alone. For instance, it is hard to see a decreasing radius turn. For that matter, it is difficult to discern the radius of many turns because the whole turn is not on screen. I wonder if I had a better graphics card if this would help a little bit.

There is no outrageous throttle steer like arcade driving games. No jumps. If your expectation is to race like the dukes of hazzard, you will be disappointed. However, because this is an F1 simulation, it has a definite feeling of speed and requires lighting quick reflexes.

The grgaphics are FANTASTIC and approach photorealism. My graphics card is several years old (1.4 AMD + Radeon VE dual head) but handles everything well. The only problem is at the beginning of the race when the full grid is on screen, the refresh rate drops. I havent experimented with lowering resolution to fix this problem. Sound is also excellent.

I am not an F1 or racing fan, but this game is making me one. I was watching speed vision and I chuckled when I saw that F1 2002 uses the same on-screen timing/position graphics and car cams as speedvision does.

Car set-up is highly adjustable although I havent used this feature yet. There is a driving school mode which teaches you the best line for certain tracks as well as accel, braking points. Very fun!

There is online play (which from what I understand requires a fast server with HUGE bandwidth), but for hot lap competitions, go to www.findthelimit.com. There is a telemetry program that allows you to upload your races to their server. So while you are not competing in races with other players directly, it is very competitive and there is an elaborate scoring system. You too can vie for the world championship.

It seems that this program and perhaps F1 racing in general is more popular in Europe.

I first tried using this game with a joystick but then went out and bought a USB steering wheel (Logitech Wingman GP). The wheel is necessary to do well. (and cost 3 times as much as the game!)

Highly recommended!

Not quite Nirvana..........

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I like this game, I really do.....but it just doesn't feel right. I am upgrading from F1 2001 and, well, I prefer the feel of 2001 more than 2002. The cars are just too tight in 2002 (I know you can adjust the settings, but I don't want to spend hours finding a setup that works....then having to do it all over again on the next track). I liked how the cars could be steered with the throttle in 2001. In the new one you just seem to push with too much understeer, and backing off the gas does not do much. If you drive on the grass into a turn in 2002, you can actually drive. Why don't you spin? Oh well.

As far as graphics....night and day. Wow! Gasp! Awsome! This game looks gorgeous, and I am running an older geforce2.

Sounds? Same as graphics.... Great! Downshifting never sounded so good (pop, pop, whir, pop).

FINALLY!!!! The Mclaren wheel looks like a Mclaren wheel!

Anywho...I like it. Not a 5 star in my opinion though.
Now if they could put these graphics and sound into 2001's body.....

So real that it's a simulation, not a game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: September 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

EA Sports F1 2002 is the best and most realistic F1 simulation that I've ever played..and I've sampled dozens of them.

First of all, Kudos to EA Sports for releasing a game that's compatible with many different operating systems, including mine -Windows XP. I've downloaded and/or purchased many games the last two years that haven't been XP-compatible. F1 2002, as expected, comes with a plethora of setup options for customizing every facet of gameplay, not to mention a myriad of options to tweak the actual vehicles. Of course the game includes 17 tracks which significantly increases the game's long-term value.

F1 2002 has a few noticeable weaknesses, but it shines where it counts the most. Gameplay is almost flawless. The physics are the best I've ever experienced in an F1 simulation. With the driving aids turned off, the cars are very difficult to drive and requires a lot of practice to take the turns just right without spinning out. The graphics are near photorealistic and certainly the best I've ever seen in any racing game. The amount of detail in the tracks is incredible. Also, the game conveys a great sense of speed, though I still think that it needs to be a little faster to be more realistic.

On the downside, the sounds -though very accurate- are too digital. The engine sounds, in particular, are somewhat weak instead of pronounced. There isn't any reverberation from my subwoofer when I rev the engine (like in Electronic Arts-Need For Speed: Porsche Unleased). Also, I can't watch the saved replays after I race. Whenever I try to play a saved replay, my computer will either crash or the graphics will be botched. I've e-mailed EA Sports tech awhile ago about this but have yet to respond. Finally, some of the off-track physics are dismal. Driving and steering on the sand and grass are way too easy. The wheels will spin on grass but only when I attempt to rapidly accelerate. If one is judicious one can RAPIDLY navigate grass and gravel sections, which is impossible in real life.

Notwithstanding these few flaws, F1 2002 is one of the most awesome, challenging, and enjoyable driving sims I've ever purchased and is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in a true and accurate racing simulation.

A Great F1 Sim

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I first played the demo I was hooked to this game's sense of speed, sound effects, and realism. So, I went out and purchased the game. In my opinion, in order for one to get the true sense driving, the car should give that little "kick" when the gears are switched. That is my favorite part of the game. One aspect of the game I didn't like were the graphics. I have never seen graphics where the diagonal lines are so jaggedy. It's very frustrating. That was at 1024 x 768. I increased it to 1152 x 864 and got an improvement, but I don't get the same framerates and it's still way too jaggedy, and this is run on an Athlon XP 1800+, nForce board, 512 DDR, GeForce4 Ti. Nontheless, I recommend this game to racing fans, especially to those who have a monster system to run it without jaggedness (i.e. 4x Antialiasing, which is impossible for me). The upcoming GeForce FX should do the trick.

All that and maybe a bag and a half of chips

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Don't get me wrong, this game does have some very fine points, but where it lacks in my opion is the multi-player. It does offer it, but the interface is just..., well, to put it politely, it stinks. Racing sims to me MUST be multi-player. That's all that I am interested in. Because most times the AI is plain stupid..., I like opponents that can think for themselves. It is however fun to race off line..., and sometimes I do. But I find myself un-installing it in between those times. *S*

Best in the series, but could be better...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: January 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is easily the best EA F1 game so far. Many annoying problems in previous versions have been fixed. For isntance, the FIA rules seem to be implemented a lot better, which actually allows you to keep flag rules turned on during the game.

However, there are a number of reasons why I wouldn't give this game a 5-star rating.

For one, the graphics are good, but not truely spectacular. Pit lanes are desserted, giving you the feeling of a test day, rather than an F1 weekend. And in general, although things do look good, one would never mistake what's on the monitor for a real F1 race.

I also wish the frame rate would be higer. I have to admit that I do not have a top of the line computer at this point (it's just over a year old...), but things could be smoother. I would assume that if the frame rate was higher, it would be easier to follow other cars (which tend to jump around a bit). It also seems to be too hard to go straight (going around corners however is quite smooth, allowing you to push hard... assuming you have a force-feedback steering wheel).

Pitstops aren't very spectacular (especially compared to Grand Prix 4). However, there is a great telemetry module. The only problem is that it is hard to make something of all the numbers. Even a die-hard F1 fan like myself has a hard time with all this detail. I wish the simulation would go beyond the driving and give me a team to work with. I would love to have a race engineer for instance, who could help me interpret the telemetry data ("you seem to be maxing out on the straight... perhaps we should change the gear ratio..."). I would like to give input in a more natural way, such as "I wish I had more straight line speed", or "the rear end is a bit loose...", and have the race engineer make appropriate adjustments.

The pit crew does come on over the radion though. But the remarks are pretty simplistic, especially compared to what's possible with in-game commentary in other sports games. Overall, this feature is useful during races, since valuable inforamtion is provided to the player/driver, but things get repetitive very quickly...

One of the most annoying aspects in my mind are the long load times. Even if you race the same track, load times are very long. And while a track is loaded, the same commentary runs every time. Once you went through that process a few times, it gets old really quickly.

I am also missing the ability to speed up the time during practice and (especially) qualifying sessions. It is not realistic to do all allowable laps right away. Instead, one would go out, do 3 laps, and come back to watch the competitors. In previous versions of this game, one could do so quite nicely by speeding up the time. Perhaps I just missed it or something, but I can not find that feature in this version.

I could also easily envision a number of ways to make this game (as well as other F1 games) much more exciting. After all, this is a computer game, and not a true F1 season, so why not do some things that are possible only in simulations? I would love some extra tracks for instance. Who wouldn't want to drive a modern F1 on the Nuerburgring Nordschleife? Or how about running it on the oval in Indy? Or, or, or... Also, it would be nice to be able to drive some older cars.

For my taste, things are also a bit too static throughout the season. Doesn't my team develop new parts? This is a very important aspect to true F1. And in the age of the internet, there could be automated content updates as the real season progresses. Arrows didn't race the whole season for instance. Why couldn't that info come over the internet? How about driver updates? How about the latest pole times set in real life? These types of stats could be updated on the fly easily.

Also, nothing seems to be developing off the track. When Barichello crashes into Ralf Schumacher, why aren't there any news presented about that to me? In real life, this would be a major off-track argument between the two of them. When Fisicella's car breaks down, why don't I see a post-race interview about how annoyed he is at Honda?

Overall, this is a very good game, and the expectations I set here might be pretty high, but all of the things I describe here are possible with today's hard and software. Games from other genres demonstrate that quite well...

Addendum: I have now upgraded my machine to a truely high end rig (1GB ram, Radeon 9700 graphics card, 3GHz CPU,...) and the driving experience is a bit better. Frame rates allow for a more responsive car.

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