After seeing the F1 25 reveal, there was plenty of aspects that intrigued us - but inevitably, there were always going to be a few concerns that arose. Here are three that we have with F1 25.
It is that time of the year when the next F1 game by Codemasters and EA Sports has been revealed, and like clockwork we see many of the same criticisms of the games that have been repeated often over the years. With F1 25, there are a bunch of features that caught our eye.
Listing them off, we have the next instalment of the Braking Point storymode, a tie-in with the F1 movie and... racing tracks in reverse? Whilst some of these do not ring as many alarm bells for some as they might for others, there is still some cause for intrigue as to what these indirectly mean for the game when it releases on May 30th.
Keep in mind, however, that any of these elements might just not be announced yet, with more info expected to be released in the build-up to the game's launch. Without further ado, here are three concerns we have for F1 25 following its reveal trailer.
The story primarily followed their conflict instigated by the devious Devon Butler, who debuted in a prologue to the driver career in F1 2019. Then for F1 23, Jackson and Butler pair up at Konnersport, a brand new team. What follows is much of the same human drama, and the rise of Butler's estranged sister Callie Mayer when she joins the outfit.
Whether players enjoyed the story or not, one thing cannot be denied and that is the linear narrative made it not at all replayable. Despite some attempts to provide additional objectives in the second edition, it did nothing to offer any variety. If you won a race, the game acknowledges you beat the 7th place finish objective, or if you crashed with your teammate, the team would not care unless it happens in a cutscene.
A line in EA's official announcement may provide a glimmer of hope that the storymode will now have alternative outcomes, stating "decisions you make will have an impact on how this thrilling chapter unfolds." Hopefully that is the case, otherwise F1 25's Braking Point continuation will follow its predecessors in being playable once but never again.
But to do that, tracks need to meet certain safety regulations in both directions. If a track has plenty of runoff area at the end of a straight coming off the back of a slow corner, invert that and it is a straight heading into a slow corner, it also needs plenty of runoff. But since a track has not been designed to run in reverse, that slow corner may be only a few feet from a heavy barrier.
Plus that does not even account for the fact that there will be access roads for marshals to retrieve a stranded car. Just look at the video below showing a lap of Spa in reverse to see why this may be problematic, especially on the run down to Eau Rouge.
On one hand, this is merely the F1 game so nobody is going to get seriously hurt running tracks in reverse, but on the other it does come across as an odd addition, to say the least. Players will probably drive them just the once for the novelty but hardly ever again, and it is perplexing as to why they went with this rather than what they did from F1 2017 to F1 2020.
From those games, it was possible to drive shortened versions of Silverstone, Circuit of the Americas, Suzuka and Bahrain (although not the outer layout that was used during the 2020 season). Those tracks saw a lot of usage and whilst F1 never raced them, they would still be at least not too unfeasible since these shorter layouts would still meet safety regulations - although to be fair, these layouts might be in F1 25 after all, but just not announced yet.
However, that is not even mentioning the fact that a few previous season tracks could instead have been thrown in. The likes of Paul Ricard and Algarve have appeared in recent titles despite not being included on the schedule, or even having historical versions of tracks like in F1 2013 with Estoril, Brands Hatch, Imola and Jerez. Speaking of which...
With 2025 marking 75 years since F1 began, and with the most successful driver of all time joining the most successful team of all time, it seems like it would have been a golden opportunity to bring back the classic cars. Perhaps even going one step further and doing what MotoGP 22 did.
In the 2022 MotoGP game, players could race with 2009 season content reliving the glory days of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Codemasters developed their first F1 game back in 2010 when there was a five way battle for the championship, and the 2012 game featured seven world champions on the grid.
Whilst licencing may be an issue, recreating a full season of cars and tracks might very well be a great way to mark the occasion. But even with Lewis Hamilton being front and centre of the Iconic Edition, they could have gone as far as to recreate scenario game modes based on moments of his career. The absence of anything like this in the reveal trailer points to no such thing being featured in F1 25.
But there is still plenty of time for any of these fears to be put to rest, as EA Sports and Codemasters have promised more information about the game will be revealed in April. F1 25 will be released on May 30th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with the Iconic Edition providing players with three days early access.
What are some of the concerns that you have with F1 25? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our F1 game series forum!
It is that time of the year when the next F1 game by Codemasters and EA Sports has been revealed, and like clockwork we see many of the same criticisms of the games that have been repeated often over the years. With F1 25, there are a bunch of features that caught our eye.
Listing them off, we have the next instalment of the Braking Point storymode, a tie-in with the F1 movie and... racing tracks in reverse? Whilst some of these do not ring as many alarm bells for some as they might for others, there is still some cause for intrigue as to what these indirectly mean for the game when it releases on May 30th.
Keep in mind, however, that any of these elements might just not be announced yet, with more info expected to be released in the build-up to the game's launch. Without further ado, here are three concerns we have for F1 25 following its reveal trailer.
1. Another Linear Story Mode
To get it out of the way immediately, the F1 game's attempt at following the FIFA series' narrative gamemode 'The Journey' has not been something that has appealed to the vast majority of dedicated racing gamers. 'Braking Point' began on F1 2021 with hotshot rookie Aiden Jackson partnering up with experienced Casper Akkerman.The story primarily followed their conflict instigated by the devious Devon Butler, who debuted in a prologue to the driver career in F1 2019. Then for F1 23, Jackson and Butler pair up at Konnersport, a brand new team. What follows is much of the same human drama, and the rise of Butler's estranged sister Callie Mayer when she joins the outfit.
Whether players enjoyed the story or not, one thing cannot be denied and that is the linear narrative made it not at all replayable. Despite some attempts to provide additional objectives in the second edition, it did nothing to offer any variety. If you won a race, the game acknowledges you beat the 7th place finish objective, or if you crashed with your teammate, the team would not care unless it happens in a cutscene.
A line in EA's official announcement may provide a glimmer of hope that the storymode will now have alternative outcomes, stating "decisions you make will have an impact on how this thrilling chapter unfolds." Hopefully that is the case, otherwise F1 25's Braking Point continuation will follow its predecessors in being playable once but never again.
2. Reverse Track Configurations
The moment in the trailer that seemed to indicate the ability to drive the tracks in reverse certainly perked some player's ears up. Of course, being able to run racetracks in both directions is not a new concept, the Indianapolis Road Course when it last hosted F1 in 2007 ran clockwise, then MotoGP starting in 2008 ran the track counterclockwise.But to do that, tracks need to meet certain safety regulations in both directions. If a track has plenty of runoff area at the end of a straight coming off the back of a slow corner, invert that and it is a straight heading into a slow corner, it also needs plenty of runoff. But since a track has not been designed to run in reverse, that slow corner may be only a few feet from a heavy barrier.
Plus that does not even account for the fact that there will be access roads for marshals to retrieve a stranded car. Just look at the video below showing a lap of Spa in reverse to see why this may be problematic, especially on the run down to Eau Rouge.
On one hand, this is merely the F1 game so nobody is going to get seriously hurt running tracks in reverse, but on the other it does come across as an odd addition, to say the least. Players will probably drive them just the once for the novelty but hardly ever again, and it is perplexing as to why they went with this rather than what they did from F1 2017 to F1 2020.
From those games, it was possible to drive shortened versions of Silverstone, Circuit of the Americas, Suzuka and Bahrain (although not the outer layout that was used during the 2020 season). Those tracks saw a lot of usage and whilst F1 never raced them, they would still be at least not too unfeasible since these shorter layouts would still meet safety regulations - although to be fair, these layouts might be in F1 25 after all, but just not announced yet.
However, that is not even mentioning the fact that a few previous season tracks could instead have been thrown in. The likes of Paul Ricard and Algarve have appeared in recent titles despite not being included on the schedule, or even having historical versions of tracks like in F1 2013 with Estoril, Brands Hatch, Imola and Jerez. Speaking of which...
3. No Classic Content
This one is an especially sore point for many of us who love historical content, but after last appearing in F1 2020, classic cars are still not back in the series. When discussing the possibility of the F1 games abandoning the yearly release model, we noted that licencing of the cars may have been deemed not worth the expense.With 2025 marking 75 years since F1 began, and with the most successful driver of all time joining the most successful team of all time, it seems like it would have been a golden opportunity to bring back the classic cars. Perhaps even going one step further and doing what MotoGP 22 did.
In the 2022 MotoGP game, players could race with 2009 season content reliving the glory days of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Codemasters developed their first F1 game back in 2010 when there was a five way battle for the championship, and the 2012 game featured seven world champions on the grid.
Whilst licencing may be an issue, recreating a full season of cars and tracks might very well be a great way to mark the occasion. But even with Lewis Hamilton being front and centre of the Iconic Edition, they could have gone as far as to recreate scenario game modes based on moments of his career. The absence of anything like this in the reveal trailer points to no such thing being featured in F1 25.
But there is still plenty of time for any of these fears to be put to rest, as EA Sports and Codemasters have promised more information about the game will be revealed in April. F1 25 will be released on May 30th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with the Iconic Edition providing players with three days early access.
What are some of the concerns that you have with F1 25? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our F1 game series forum!
