F1 22 Review - Excelling on a Yearly Basis

After two previews and a very long 12-month wait, EA and Codemasters are ready to unleash the newest racing simulation, F1 22. In my last two previews, I dove into some of the latest additions, improvements, and refinements for this year. With that in mind, delivering a game that feels new and exciting is always tough, especially for a licensed racing title, because rarely do the circuits change, do car models vary, and typically the driver differences are minimal.

However, Codemasters was blessed this year as there is a new F1 car model, new aero rules and tire model, a new circuit addition, and improvements to prior courses that were already on the schedule. Plus, Codemasters has finally delivered a long-awaited addition to the franchise, the ability to play F1 in VR.

When you add in the ability to drive and collect supercars, and the addition of the new F1 Life, there is a lot to consume here so let’s get into my F1 22 review.

F1 22 Review

 What I Like

Career Mode

For F1 22, the option to create a solo or co-op career is back, as well as the ability to choose between starting in F2 or jumping in head first with F1 to begin battling with some of the best drivers in the world. For this review, I chose an F1 solo career, but for those interested in the co-op option, it is back and as good as before, with a few more options and additions.

F1 22 also allows you to join a solidified team or start a brand-new group. You can choose to start with nothing or a king’s ransom at the beginning of your journey. I decided to start with Hass Racing with Mick Schumacher as my teammate and mid-tier funding.

What has always grabbed my attention with career mode in F1 remains here with the newest release. I have the ability to not only participate in full race weekends with practice, qualifying, and the race itself, but I also help build the team up from its current status.

With Haas Racing, there was a lot of room for improvement. I watched my research and development team busily work away at creating a more efficient car based on the funding I helped provide, which was incredibly satisfying. It sounds odd, especially for a video game, but seeing the team climb up the ranks and earn respect gave me a fun sense of pride and ownership. It does so because Codemasters has created an exceptional model that is captivating to start and continues to add components that keep career mode growing.

The mode also allows you to compete in a partial or complete season, and regardless of what option you choose, the game offers you the ability to grow as a driver through XP and acclaim points to boost your rating and the team’s respect. If you drive well enough and perform on the track, you never know who may be picking up the phone to call you and offer you a position to drive for a team that is already a contender.

Career mode in F1 22 is about as complete of a package as can be delivered in a console video game simulation, and yet, I know next year Codemasters will have something new up its sleeve.

Beauty And Flair

I will almost always separate a title’s ability to deliver in terms of graphics and presentation. Still, in the rare case of F1 22, they often go hand in hand and complement each other so very well. It all starts with the fantastic introduction before F1 22 launches, which mirrors the real-life F1 production, and that’s only the beginning.

In terms of raw graphics, very few sports titles can match what F1 22 does in terms of delivering stunning venues, stadiums, and courses. The tracks are alive with excitement, and they’re filled up with beautiful and realistic car models. In short, F1 22 comes as close to delivering a lifelike experience on the next-generation consoles as any game.

Combined with the excruciatingly detailed track breakdowns, garage walkthroughs, grid walks, and venue captures, it often feels like watching an actual F1 race on television or at the track itself. Not only does Codemasters deliver in every way in terms of presentation and excellent graphics, but it also does so in a way that allows me to enjoy them quickly and move onward towards the race.

The developers accomplish this by creating quick-hitting flashes of the track, interviews, convenient wipes, and fades, and rarely does the presentation aspect ever have you searching for the “skip” button to pass through the pre-race presentation, although that option is available. I wish more companies understood how to balance the idea of expedited presentation with actual content while moving the player quickly to the game or race itself. Not many do, but thankfully Codemasters does just that with F1 22.

Online Options

I do not usually give a game’s online options much credit, and that’s in part because usually online play is not ready when the review comes out. That is not the case with F1 22, as the complete online options were ready and waiting. While Codemasters delivers another outstanding single-player game, the online set of options is just as good here, which is rare.

F1 22 online allows you to compete in an existing Grand Prix created by other players, or you can create your own and let others join, or keep it private for just you and your guests with the remaining opponents to be filled out with AI drivers. As I mentioned earlier, F1 22 also allows a full career mode online to be played with another, but also gives the creator the option to race with his human teammate or have the AI fill in until further notice.

Add in online leaderboards, livery creations and downloads, weekly events and leagues, and F1 22 is loaded with both solo and multiplayer options to keep you returning well into next year.

What I Don’t Like

F1 The Life

The Life is an in-game hub of sorts that allows you to showcase your collections, badges, highlights, supercars, and more. While the idea isn’t new, as I compared it to the PS Home in the early F1 22 preview, The Life goes a bit deeper in some cases than that of PS Home. However, it’s lacking enough that it feels a bit tacked on for me, and might even feel like a waste of resources in some ways if the title were not as solid in most other areas.

My biggest issue with The Life is that it’s billed as an area for others to visit and see what you are about, your accomplishments, and virtually hang out. Yet, there is nothing that allows you to showcase who you are. I was hoping for the ability to create logos and icons and layer them into my living area, but that option is nowhere to be found. Instead, I am relegated to utilizing in-game furniture, wall art, and other items that are all pre-rendered and express nothing of who I am or what I like.

The Life also allows other real-life players to visit and give your place a “thumbs up” if they like what they see. The problem with this is we all have the same limited options in terms of what we display, so all the areas resemble each other in a very mundane way. The majority may end up liking The Life option, but for me, it feels like something many will forget within a few weeks of release.

Bottom Line

F1 22 is an imposing title that delivers on almost every front. Codemasters could have easily added the Miami circuit, upgrades to the other courses and new car models, and called it a day. Instead, they went to work and refined and improved almost every aspect of the game. As I mentioned previously, delivering an outstanding yearly sports title is a lot harder to pull off than many would like to accept, but Codemasters excels at it.

Whether you are into career mode, online racing, or even the all-new VR setup, F1 22 delivers a deep and immersive game that allows you to race in whatever manner piques your interest.

With F1 22, the developers allow you to take the simulation aspect as deep as possible, or if you’re a newcomer, ease your way into it. Regardless of your approach, the difference in difficulty and accessibility is noticeable without losing fun and excitement. Whether you’re a die-hard F1 racing fan or just looking to get into the sport and have some digital fun, F1 22 deserves a spot in your rotation, and it will take a heck of a game to knock it out.

F1 22 is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows.