Formula One 2004 (PS2)

While you have the normal options of Arcade, Simulation and TimeTrial modes (where you can make up whatever races and/or weekends you like), the Career mode is a whole different concept.

In career mode you have to make your way up through the ranks from test driver to a race seat, and then negotiate contracts, and of course do well in the races. Do well and the big teams will come knocking - do badly for long enough and even Minardi might fire you.

The cars of the various teams perform pretty much as you expect, but the makers of the game have kept them sufficiently close that you really can make the difference with a bad car once you get good at the game. The temptation to beat Schumacher around Spa in a lesser car is immense :)

The graphics are very good - fantastic tarmac, trackside scenery, shiny cars, clouds of brake dust and sand, and of course clumps of grass when you lose it. The sound is also very good - although not immediately outstanding. You hear a lot of ambient sounds around the track such as wind, and the PA system from the grandstands floating across the field...

Gameplay is probably the most important thing in a F1 game, and it doesn't disappoint here. The car setup can be changed right down to things like bump damping and wheel camber - and it all makes pretty obvious differences to the "feel".

While racing, the game (thankfully) isn't a total simulation - you can get away with a fair amount of wheel-banging before anything breaks or gets ripped off. In my opinion this is a good thing.

So there you have it - the best F1 game on the PS2, and probably one of the best games full stop.

f1 o4 improves on all its descendants by increasing the AI difficulty, bettering the car dynamics A LOT and it just feels a lot more solid. However (and as such the reaosn for the title), the AI is still way too easy for hardcore fans. That is, players that want to spend more than 5 minutes a day playing it and want to actually get good at the game. There are still way to many occasions when the AI cars come almost to a standstill around some corners ot just go way to slow anyhow (thinking especially of almost every chicane in the game). Fans who are good at this game and take it seriously may find themselves going as much as 3 seconds a lap faster than the opposition. Not even driving a ferrari either. On hardest difficulty i am getting close to winning the championship on my first season in a minardi. The last race in indianapolis i won by 30 seconds. on a 15 or so lap race. yes....very realistic. and i play maybe for an hour a day.

However, this is pretty much the same with almost every f1 game around at the mo. maybe excluding the geoff crammond series and atari's 'actually quite good' grand prix challenge.

The online mode is worth some mention though regarding this subject because it is possible to download player ghost cars for every circuit. There are some mighty good drivers out there so that may be where the hardcore challenge lies.

Everything else about this game is good or very good. Graphics: typical ps2 quality. aging a little but still solid. frame rate good and stable. gameplay: actually feels like you are driving an f1 car. got to be a good thing if you are spending £40 on an F1 game. longevity: good if you are online. else if you get good quickly you may find the fun short lived. extras: tv mode is cool although not much happens. there are also bits and bobs to unlock if you spend enough time with it.

So please Sony, up the difficulty for the next one. it cant hurt if you keep low difficulty levels as well for those who just want to thrash around. but for dedicated f1 fans, would be a pleasant and welcome surprise.