Formula 1-97

One of the major gripes about the original FI was that the other cars weren't subjected to pit stops. Associate producer Pete Smith concedes: "Yeah, there was a bit of a problem with the pit stops. Obviously, everything like that's been fixed as well as enhanced. We've now also got failures, so your car could stall on the start and another car might stall as well. Your engine could blow up halfway round, just like real life. Or something could happen to your engine that will slow you down, so there's a possibility that you then might have to limp round to the pits.

"We've also got pit lane commentary, so the actual guys in the pit lane will tell you that for example, 'Your tyres are running low' or 'That was a bad crash, do you want to come in for pits?'. This adds a little bit more strategy to the game as well, because although they may say 'Come in for pits now,' you'll think 'Do I want to? I might go in later "

The AI in the original FI was hardly Mensa material, but all should be well for this one. Producer John Rostron explains: All the telemetry is based on stuff given to us by Jordan, so all the other cars should race around in sort of realistic times, and they can all adapt their own race strategies. When we went down to Jordan, they gave us speeds into corners, speeds out of corners, stuff that Ralph Schumacher was actually doing. In the game you can even have a printout of that, and save the files.

"There's a training mode as well that will work out where you're losing speed and so on. There's also a training mode where they've got a racing line, and it'll put a red patch on the racing line to show where your ideal braking position is. And obviously, if you're somebody like Michael Schumacher, you'll brake after that particular patch."

Psygnosis prepares racers to enjoy the thrill of F-1 racing with Formula 1 '97. This fast title features multiple viewpoints, statistically correct and random weather conditions and car options such as steering and braking assistance. The Al is also very sophisticated by incorporating car reliability and aggression levels.

You can sense the teams' differences when they are next to you on the track.

Last year Psygnosis' F1 was hailed as being one of the best racers ever conceived on a console. So how do you top that? Rather than just do the usual yearly update. Psygnosis decided to create the ultimate racing experience. And that they did.. They've rewritten the Al to make 4the opposing drivers much more competitive, the driving dynamics have been tweaked, the tracks and cars have been remodeled and detailed and the cars now have twice as many polygons as before. Best of all it now runs in the hi-res Full Screen Mode at 30 fps.

Matt Birch, the game's lead programmer, took us through the changes. The main news is that race is now in, and can be Viewed either vertically or horizontally. The arcade game is now a lot wilder, with sharper graphics and a much improved Al on the opposing cars.

But it's the Grand Prix Mode which will attract the most interest. New for '97 are: collision damage, on-track debris, mechanical failures. Training Mode including in-car telemetry, dynamic weather conditions and tire compound selection.

There's also a new in-car cockpit view 1or 1997, to really give you a feel for the action. The graphics look awesome, and well ahead of Andretti and Need For Speed 2.

The bugs have been worked out from last year's game and with that said, this is easily going to be the most realistic racing sim, bar none, this year.

As racing heats up on the PlayStation this fall, Formula 1 brings

Europe's favorite motor sport to life. Andretti Racing still places first for raucous multiplayer arcade action, but hardcore racing fans will love FI's impressively deep, adrenaline-soaked gameplay.

Fun Formula

Fl delivers one of the most comprehensive feature lists ever seen in a console racing game. Gamers choose from 35 drivers. 13 teams, and 17 tracks--all licensed by their real-life counterparts from the 1995 F1 season. The flag drops in either the easier, less-realistic Arcade mode or the exacting sim-style Grand Prix mode, but both offer Exhibition or Full-Season action. The lone shortcomings are the infuriating absence of an onscreen course map and the century-long load times.

What makes this game so rich in detail, though, is the way it adapts to offer a challenge for all levels of racers. Of course, you can adjust your tire type, fuel load, downforce, and so on before each race or in the pit. Novices can also turn on all kinds of steering and braking aids to help them master the demanding F1 style. Pros can face pouring rain, 74-lap races, rigorous sim-style handling, and pit stops.

Throughout, tire excellent controls provide a superb reproduction of F1 high-speed, low-riding action. These races arc all about setting up the perfect line through a turn in order to maintain maximum speed. If you have the skill to do it, the controls pros ide the way.

Hot Rods

Visually, F1 places well with sharply detailed cars, a great sense of high speed, and a huge lineup of cool camera angles. The courses sport a solid 3D feel, though they're a little on the plain side. Even worse, the whole show's plagued with break-up problems.

FI's sounds will make your speakers shudder with roaring crowds, the shrill whine of engines, and squealing tires. Only the announcer falls short with commentary that's accurate but seriously annoying.

Race Report

If multiplayer fendercrunching mayhem is what you demand from a racing game, line up your wheels on Andretti's starting line. But if one-player, in-depth, precision racing revs your engines, spend your cash to enter F1's high-octane race.