F1 22 Review: 2022 Formula One Official Video Game (PC)

First, you need to know that the 2022 Formula One season faced some of the most significant regulation changes, especially on the aerodynamic department. As a result, we were a little skeptical because back in 2014 (when the last important rules changes were made), Codemasters released arguably the worst title in the franchise.

However, the mechanics are done properly. If you play F1 2021, you will definitely feel a loss in the agility and quickness of the cars over the curbs. Mainly this happened because they have less top-body downforce, plus a primary focus on the ground effect aerodynamics that pulls the vehicle as close as possible to the asphalt at high speeds. Another thing you need to pay attention to is the exit of slow corners. From what I see playing the game, it's much easier to spin out than the previous version. As a result, you have to be pretty delicate with the gas.

An unexpected successful addition in F1 22 is this thing called adaptive AI. Everybody who played F1 games knows that it is hard to find that sweet spot on the difficulty scale, significantly when the AI is unbalanced from track to track. Now, the new adaptive mode keeps the game balanced to the skills of every player, from less-experienced to veterans of the franchise.

For example, I played every game of the series from 2010 until now, and the adaptive AI made it hard and challenging, but not impossible like it was on the Ultimate level last year. At the same time, my girlfriend (who had never played any F1 games before) said that the difficulty was good to feel the excitement of playing a racing game. Balanced enough, she still had to work for overtakes while simultaneously keeping her ground against attackers.

Now, you need to understand that there is more to F1 22 than just some tweaks to the driving mechanics, latest cars, drivers and tracks. For example, we have new post-race and podium celebrations cut-scenes, which is an improvement from the already overused video cuts from the past years. Besides, we have a changed race engineer voice and the option to switch out commentator David Croft for Alex Jacques, which is a nice touch. The best additions are the Sprint Races and the VR support for PC players, even though the F1 franchise is a little late to the VR party. Still, this can add so much to the realism aspect.

The F1 Life mode replaces the Braking Point series that Codemasters discontinued for the franchise's newest title and promises to attract more players than ever. However, I believe F1 Life is nothing more than an unneeded addition where EA will make money from microtransactions inside the game. When you launch the game for the first time, you are immediately thrown to the Life tab to interact with all available options.

Basically, it's just a place where other players can watch your interior design skills. And this is just sad because instead of classic Formula One cars, we have a couch, a table, a lamp, and others. Don't get me wrong, the V6 coffee table is lovely, but you will look at it for 15 seconds at best. Even the customization of your Avatar with brand names and the use of supercars from Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Mercedes in different challenges gets boring after two hours of playing.

Now, let's move on to the exciting part. The excellent My Team mode remains the same as the previous one but is slightly improved. So, if you played My Team in F1 2020 or F1 2021, you will know your way around. In addition, you can choose three different ways to start your career in My Team, from a newly formed private team (for example, Haas) to a rich team (like a manufacturer) ready to battle for the championship.

Sponsorship decals that don't disappear from your car despite re-signing existing partners is a sweet, minor fix that took away an annoying element from the video game. Plus, the games look beautiful (especially on next-gen consoles), with the collaboration between Codemasters and Criterion being evident. Use the instant replay options in the menu to get a hold of all the incredible details available in the game.

Conclusion

F1 22 is a continuation of the evolution of Formula One games, being the wealthiest game regarding features, options, and others. Even though it has some reused elements from the past and the F1 Life is more of unnecessary addition, the latest game from Codemasters is still the best motorsport game available on the market.