F1 2019 (video game)

F1 2019 is the official video game of the 2019 Formula One and Formula 2 Championships developed and published by Codemasters. It is the twelfth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio. The game was announced by Codemasters on 28 March 2019. The video game is the eleventh installment of the franchise, and it features all twenty-one circuits, twenty drivers and ten teams present in the 2019 Formula One World Championship. Codemasters has stated that the game was in development for nearly two years, and described it as "the most ambitious release in franchise history".[1]

F1 2019
International Cover art featuring Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton
Developer(s)	Codemasters Birmingham
Publisher(s)	Codemasters Deep Silver
Composer(s)	Miktek Formula One theme composed by Brian Tyler
Series	Formula One
Engine	EGO Engine 3.0
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One
Release	WW: 28 June 2019
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Features

F1 2019 is the first game in the series to feature driver transfers, with AI-controlled drivers able to switch teams during or at the end of a championship year.[2] These moves will be randomly-generated rather than scripted events.

The game includes 18 Formula 1 cars from F1 2018 from the 1972–2010 seasons, with the DLC having a focus on the careers of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. The DLC also includes the 2010 McLaren MP4-25, driven by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and the 2010 Ferrari F10, driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. These cars were included to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Codemasters releasing the Formula 1 game on the seventh and eighth generations of consoles.[3] Two Ferrari cars, however, are noticeably absent. These are the 2002 Ferrari F2002, and the 1995 Ferrari 412 T2.

Players are able to design liveries—including fictional sponsors—for a generic 2019 car in multiplayer modes.[4]

Within the game Racing Point's SportPesa sponsorship is replaced by SpScore.com due to SportPesa being a betting company and the game being PEGI 3 rated. Scuderia Ferrari's sponsor Mission Winnow was also completely removed because of it being an advertisement for the tobacco company Philip Morris International. In a later update, the 90 Years logos were added, along with the real car, to celebrate Ferrari's 90-year involvement in motorsport.

Codemasters revealed the presence of the FIA Formula 2 Championship in the game, with a Dallara F2 2018 shown at the end of the announcement trailer.[5][6] The game initially featured the teams, drivers and calendar of the 2018 championship with content based on the 2019 championship added to the game via update in September 2019.[6] The Formula 2 championship is integrated into the game's career mode as a series of short scenarios designed to introduce driver rivalries. It includes two fictional drivers, Lukas Weber and Devon Butler, who act as team-mate and rival to the player respectively, and who will graduate to Formula 1 alongside the player. The full Formula 2 championship can be played separately to the career mode.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic PC: 87/100[7] PS4: 84/100[8] XONE: 89/100[9] Review scores Publication Score Game Informer 8.75/10 GameRevolution GameSpot 9/10 IGN 8.5/10 Jeuxvideo.com 9/10

F1 2019 was well received.

GameSpot said "The Formula 2 cars are superb to handle, and the new additions to career mode, like driver swaps, add some much-needed drama and excitement that real Formula 1 has been missing for some time now." Game Revolution said "There's enough here to take you well into next season (and beyond), while the Career Mode has finally shaken off the cobwebs to emerge as a genuinely thrilling highlight". IGN said that "it definitely doesn’t always seem like a new game."

The game got to number 2 in the UK sales chart, behind Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[10] It reached number 7 in Australia.[11]

The game has been beset by handling and braking issues since release. Codemasters have declined to comment on when a patch will be introduced.

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref
2019	Game Critics Awards	Best Racing Game	Nominated	[12]
	The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards	Heritage Award	Nominated	[13][14]
		Best Racing Game	Won
	Golden Joystick Award	PC Game of the Year	Nominated	[15]
	Titanium Awards	Best Sports/Racing Game	Nominated	[16]
	The Game Awards 2019		Nominated	[17]
2020	23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards	Racing Game of the Year	Nominated	[18]
	NAVGTR Awards	Game, Franchise Racing	Nominated	[19]

References

1. "F1® 2019". Codemasters. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
2. Freeman, Glenn. "F1 2019 game includes official driver transfers for first time". Autosport.com.
3. "Dominate Your Rivals And Celebrate Victory In F1 2019". Retrieved 25 June 2019.
4. "F1 2019 Will Launch In June And Feature An Extra Team With Custom Liveries". WTF1. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
5. "F1 2019 game: trailer, F2 championship, customisable cars and more". The Week UK. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
6. "Formula 2 added to F1 2019, the official video game of Formula 1". FIA Formula 2 Championship. Formula Motorsport Limited. 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
7. "F1 2019 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
8. "F1 2019 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
9. "F1 2019 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
10. "GFK Chart-Track". www.chart-track.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
11. "Top 10 Charts Australia". iGEA.
12. Nunneley, Stephany (27 September 2019). "E3 2019 Game Critics Awards – Final Fantasy 7 Remake wins Best of Show". VG247. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
13. Stephenson, Suzi (19 September 2019). "TIGA Announces Games Industry Awards 2019 Finalists". The Independent Game Developers' Association. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
14. "2019 Winners". The Independent Game Developers' Association. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
15. Formula 1® Game (20 September 2019). "We're very excited to announce that F1 2019 has been nominated for @GoldenJoysticks PC Game of the Year award!". @Formula1game. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
16. "Titanium Awards 2019". Fun & Serious Game Festival. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
17. Winslow, Jeremy (19 November 2019). "The Game Awards 2019 Nominees Full List". GameSpot. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
18. Chalk, Andy (13 January 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
19. "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.