''F1 2018'' is the official video game of the

2018 Formula One World Championship The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 69th running of the Formula One World Championship. Formula One is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the ...

developed and published by

Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer and former publisher based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts and managed under the EA Sports ...

. The game includes all twenty-one circuits from the calendar, and all twenty drivers and ten teams competing in the season. It was released on 24 August for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

and

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

Features

''F1 2018'' features substantial revisions to its "Career Mode" compared to previous systems. '' F1 2017'' introduced a detailed progression system that allowed the player to focus on developing the engine, chassis and aerodynamics of their car. This was simplified in ''F1 2018'' as Codemasters' research demonstrated that players were losing interest in the game before completing the car's development cycle. Players develop their cars by spending "development points", which are earned by meeting research and development targets during free practice sessions. Codemasters have introduced a wider range of free practice programs to the game in a bid to extend the game's longevity. At the halfway point of each championship, the player has the option of ending their development cycle and banking all future development points for the next championship. This function has a renewed importance in ''F1 2018'' as teams are subject to rule changes at the end of each championship which can potentially compromise the car's performance. As with previous titles, ''F1 2018'' includes "Classic Cars", these being Formula One cars from previous seasons. The game includes much older cars dating back to the 1970s, such as the 1972 Lotus 72D, which took

Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fittipaldi won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Team ...

to his first world championship, the McLaren M23 and the

Ferrari 312T The Ferrari 312T was a Ferrari Formula One car design, based on the 312B3 from 1974. In various versions, it was used from 1975 until 1980. It was designed by Mauro Forghieri for the 1975 season, and was an uncomplicated and clean design tha ...

, which were driven by

James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) was a British racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Shunt", Hunt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with McLaren, and wo ...

and

Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Lauda won three Formula One World Drivers' Champ ...

during the championship; the special edition includes the Brawn BGP 001, the car which

Jenson Button Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota. Button competed in Formula One from to , and won the World Drivers' Championship in with Brawn; ...

and

Brawn GP Brawn GP was a Formula One constructor which competed in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The team was formed in 2009 by a management buyout led by Ross Brawn of the Honda Racing F1 T ...

won the World Drivers' and World Constructors' Championships; and the Williams FW25, the car with which

Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...

finished third in the 2003 championship. All of the Classic Cars that were featured in '' F1 2017'' are included in ''F1 2018''. As the game is based on the 2018 championship, the

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ...

made its debut in the series. The

Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring, officially Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg () is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other mot ...

, which was last featured in '' F1 2016'', made its return to the game. Also due to 2018 regulations, the

halo HALO, halo, halos or haloes may refer to: Most common meanings * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head * ''Halo'' (franchise), a sci-fi video game series (2001–2021) Arts and en ...

makes its debut in the F1 games. F1's official theme song, composed by

Brian Tyler Brian Theodore Tyler (born May 8, 1972) is an American composer, conductor and arranger, best known for his film, television, and video game scores. In his 26-year career, Tyler has scored seven installments of the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise, ...

, also makes its debut in the F1 games in certain parts, such as the game's intro cinematic (2nd gameplay trailer), as well as the pre-race and post-race scenes. The game also features an online multiplayer mode. There are different leagues that require the player to get an obligatory number of trophies to reach. The player can win or lose trophies depending on their performances on these online races. Actions such as cutting corners or colliding with other cars have a negative effect on the player's "Safety Rating". This rates players based on their overall cleanliness in a similar way to the Super License system for real Formula 1 drivers.

Development

Following widespread criticism of a qualifying format used in the opening rounds of the 2016 championship, the

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; ) is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocacy, advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automot ...

(FIA) and commercial rights holder

Liberty Media Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company founded by John C. Malone in 1991. The company has three divisions, reflecting its ownership stakes in the Formula One Group, S ...

announced plans to trial regulation changes through the Formula One eSports Series, which debuted in

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

with the release of the ''F1 2017'' video game.

Reception

''F1 2018'' was the bestselling game in the United Kingdom during its first week on sale. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 5,517 copies during its first week of release. It was also the bestselling physical retail game across Europe, the Middle East and Africa throughout the week beginning on August 26, 2018, and the second-best selling digital game throughout the same week. The game has received positive reviews from critics alike.

Accolades

Censorship

* Williams' Martini & Rossi red color has been replaced with blue stripes.

References