Let’s start with a few disclaimers:
* I am not a racing game expert, but I am a fan. I use assists when driving (turning lines, recommended gears, ABS, and others).
** I’ve spent most of my time in EA F1 2024 in Driver Career mode — I don’t spend much time online or in many other modes, but I did tour the new and returning modes.
*** I play short race weekends: three short practice sessions, one-shot qualifying, and a five lap race (no pit stops). When there’s a sprint race: one practice session, two one-shot qualifiers, a three lap sprint race, and five lap race.
Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you about my experience jumping from EA Sports F1 23 to F1 24. I have taken almost the exact same approach to F1 24 as I did to last year’s F1 23. The main difference was I also gave “Braking Point” (the story mode) a try last year, which is now absent. I only gave it a small bit of attention, so I’m fine with the cut. I now have more time to focus on my Driver Career in F1 24.
F1 23
Last year, I created my custom driver (Ferdinand Magellan from Jamaica). I made my way through the F2 season, before choosing to team with Lando Norris on the McLaren Racing team. I made it less than a quarter of the way through my F1 season, and I wasn’t doing that great.
F1 24
This year, I took a different approach. I started in F2 again, but this time with a familiar driver, Enzo Fittipaldi, since his grandfather and racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi had a house in my neighborhood. I even remember visiting the house once as a kid.
With Enzo I made it to the top of Formula 2, and was given “Carte Blanche” to pick any team (even though I believe you can be at the bottom of F2 and still pick any team in F1). I chose to race alongside Charles Leclerc on Scuderia Ferrari, mainly because his brother, Arthur, was my rival in F2.
I’m now one quarter done with my first season in F1, and I’m in second place behind Max Verstappen. This year is going much better.
Driver Career
In Driver Career, I’ve noticed a couple of differences. One thing that hasn’t changed is the previous F2 season. It’s a short season, and works to get new players acclimated to these high-speed supercars before jumping into F1.
In both years (23 and 24), the F2 season is very basic. I would like a little more story, or even some in between race weekend content. Give me some quick drama as a cutscene between two drivers. The F2 season goes from race to race with nothing in between.
Once you choose your F1 team, the driver career feels familiar with many big overhauls. For one, they striped away the fat from last year’s career mode. Gone are the annoying hot laps, marketing events, and unnecessary elements which took place in between races. There’s a lot more emphasis on team dynamic, and your relationship with your teammate. They’ve even added behind-the-scenes secret chats with other teams.
I’m enjoying the new driver progression system. There are so many ways to earn points and become an F1 star. With Enzo, I was the lowest-rated driver in Formula 1. Each race, I slowly move up in the ranks closer toward my teammate/opponent (Charles Leclerc). You can earn points by completing race weekend goals for coaches, winning races (or course), gaining points, completing in-race challenges, and more.
I’m having a pretty good run as Enzo in my first F1 season, but I think even having a bad season on a lower ranking team, you can still work your way up in the ratings with all of the extra opportunities to gain points.
On the Track
As I mentioned in my multiple disclaimers above, I AM NOT A PRO RACING SIM GAMER. I am more of a racing sim enthusiast. I’m just here to have a good time. Using assists, I didn’t think I would notice too many differences in on-track performance — I was wrong. I went back and played F1 23 this week and now I really notice the differences — though I can’t explain them all.
I race with my PS5 DualSense controller — not a racing wheel — and I can feel the difference on different tracks. The vehicle feels much smoother this year. In the last game braking was tough, but that may also be due to the assists I’m using now compared to last year.
The racing UI (User Interface) has some small, but noticeable improvements. The way the RPMs are displayed is easier to catch in the corner of your eye and know when to push it to the next gear.
The controversial DRS (Drag Reduction System) is a great help in races, when you are allowed to use it. However, the OVERTAKE system is there for when you don’t have DRS, which allows the driver to control when to overcharge their battery for maximum acceleration (and overtaking).
This year, I’m more of a chameleon with choosing my assists. I started off pretty heavy on them, but have slowly adjusted them down per race. Depending on my starting position I will play with the driver AI for my opponents. In F2 when starting on pole, I would turn the AI up to make it tougher to stay at the front of the grid. When starting in the back, I would turn it down and see if I could work my way all the way to the front — many times from last place.
I was able to play with my PS5 Pulse headset and the sound design, with a headset, adds a whole other element to the game. It makes the racing so intense, and feels like playing a spooky game. I almost begin to sweat with the engines revving in my ears, knowing when another car is breathing down my neck.
Other Menu Options (Theatre Mode)
The great thing about this and other sports/racing sims is that there are so many ways to enjoy them today. You can stick to your season/driver career. There are online modes, where you can race against friends and players from all over the world. I’m not sure exactly what F1 World mode to offer, I was overwhelmed with all of the options and sub-menus.
If you’ve ever missed watching an F1 race weekend, and later checked the YouTube channel for race weekend highlights, the Theatre mode does a great job at recreating that. I quickly visited Theatre mode in the main menu and found a few race and sprint replays. What I learned is that I drive like a maniac, and you can see that below.
F1 24 • Miami Sprint Race (Theatre Mode)
Watching these videos taught me what a spastic driver I really am. Watch how my car jerks from side-to-side as the other cars follow the rightful path in perfect unison. You’d think after three years of F1 games I’d be a little better by now.
I’m really enjoying my time with F1 24, especially after getting back into watching Formula 1 race weekends. In 2018 or 2019, I became a big fan of Formula 1. My friends and I would get together early Sunday mornings to watch races. We’d sometimes create race-themed breakfast based on whatever country they were in. When Formula 1 returned during the pandemic, it became my obsession again.
Last year, I kind of fell off of the sport. I chose sleep on weekends instead. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, and the Miami Grand Prix that I actually started watching again and really paying attention. After playing F1 24 for the past few weeks, I think I’m back into it.
The realism in this game (and other sports sims) really gives me a new appreciation for the real-life sport. As a kid, I enjoyed playing sports outdoors and coming home to play the virtual version. Today, they are so close to the real thing. It’s all about giving the player that real life experience of watching a live sporting event at home from the gameplay to the commentary and everything in between.
I’m always skeptical on the release of a new iteration of a sports title year after year. Why not just update the current rosters and add a few small changes. After playing F1 24 and F1 23 back-to-back, and returning to last year’s game for a few races, I have noticed enough significant differences. When it comes to Formula 1, the team at EA Sports is pushing the limits each year.
*myVGBC.com was given a review code for EA Sports F1 24 by the publisher.
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