F1 2012 Review

It's that time of the year again. You know, when Codemasters serves up an annual dose of FIA-endorsed Formula One experience on your favourite console or PC and rakes in obscene amounts of money in the bargain. Although F1 2012 plays markedly better than Codemasters' first Formula One outing with F1 2010, it only offers minor incremental improvements over F1 2011. Then again, this glacial pace of evolution is usually the norm for such annual franchises. The fans really don't care either, as long as the games keep steadily improving year by year. By that standard, F1 2012 is pretty much par for the course.What I liked most about the game is how it eschews the needlessly complicated and unwieldy motor-home inspired menu with a no-nonsense GUI that focuses on getting the job done quicker. This way, the action is more accessible without the tedium and repetitiveness of some half-assed attempt at recreating a driver's lifestyle. Despite that, F1 2012 still maintains the drama and tension from a driver's perspective with deeper commentary from the engineers during the race and detailed analysis of your performance after.This simplicity is evident in the mandatory Young Driver's Test in the proving grounds of the Yas Marina race track in Abu Dhabi. The game gives you a primer in basics such as proper modulation of accelerator and brakes to control over and understeer, to lifesaving tips on cornering that go a long way in improving the chances of complete n00bs. Even those who already know driving fundamentals will benefit from the introduction to the basics of KERS and DRS systems, which has a great impact on lap times when used effectively. Click here for full story