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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.

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!

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.

THE BEST RACE SIMULATOR ON THE MARKET

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you want to race like an F1 driver with the realisim of a real F1 car than this is your game, buy it it the best F1 racing game on the market, it has all the tracks with an incredible graphics it looks as if you where actually there.

Worth it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What a great formula sim. The real treat of this game are the free mods that give you way more replay value than you could have imagined. How does adding GTA3 cars and tracks sound? Grab it and look up the mods. You won't be disappointed if you're a racing fan.

Great F1 racing game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: October 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best racing game I have ever played. It is very addicting and it has all the good stuff. I played this game over and over for about a year now and I'm still not tired of it. This game is great. The graphics are tremendous, the controls are easy, and the sound is pretty good. I think the best part about this game is the mods. I only have one of the mod, but that's the only one that I play. I don't even play the F1 2002, I play the mod. The game itself is super good, but if there is mod for it, that means this game is a must have. Also, you don't need a fancy computer to run this game. The system requirement is small and this game is amazingly FUN! I gaurantee you that you will have fun with this game. This is one of the best racing sim if not the BEST. So get this game right now!

Awesome game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've played the full version of this game...all I have to say is [DARNIT]...next thing I knew the clock was 2-3 hours past what I had previously seen it to be...a REALLY addictive game! Awesome for the racing enthusiast!

Finally excels to the top levels of Formula One simulation

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've been a connoisseur of Formula One sims for a long time, from Grand Prix 2 to 3 & 4 by Geoff Crammond, and while Grand Prix 4 offers the highest fidelity to true track mappings via GPS, F1 2002 is the best simulator for it's physics, balance, and detail. Truly fun and exciting for any F1 sim freak!

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