F1 racing by any definition is the most exhilarating sport that has ever existed. The thrill of high speeds, the precision while passing a tight corner, the handling over the car in a rough weather, and the fact that a thorough study of the track might save your life and reputation on the big day, makes this sport more exciting than any other. In my opinion, if a game succeeds to deliver a very close experience to the real thing with stunning visuals and graphics, then that game is an enjoyable F1 simulator. Codemasters’ F1 2010 is one of them, which successfully deliver all the above experiences with style.

The first few runs are going to be rough and you might find yourself off road many times during a race but as you get used to the handling and controls of the game, it gets better. The performance kit greatly affects the handling of the car and you might have to change your driving strategy according to the type of tires you’re using. The game uses a new dynamic weather system which makes things more realistic. You never know when a cloudy day may turn into a rainy one, and if this happens, you will have to get a grip over your car as the roads become slippery and you might skit and bump into something. Fortunately people at the Codemasters were kind enough to provide us with a rewind option (as seen in Race Driver Grid) which can cover any mistakes you make twice during a race. I personally didn’t like the rain during a race part because if it rains and you are right behind an opponent then you will be practically blinded, which is very annoying. On the other hand, racing in the sunlight is a bit easier.

As you progress through your career, your performance in the races increase your reputation and soon you will start receiving invitations from other teams. To make things more interactive, you also get to face a crowd of reporters who ask you a certain number of questions and your response to those questions may or may not upset the team. Unfortunately, these questions and their answers start repeating very soon and then the charm of this new feature is gone.

The game requires consistency because the races are pretty long and a single mistake can take you from the first place to the last. It is really important that you know the track pretty good as it helps you gain reputation in the real race. So take time to know your track during the practice rounds.

The graphics are good but do not surpass Dirt in daylight. The tracks are very realistic and even though, the menus sometimes get confusing, still the game offers an overall good presentation. The cars are well modeled and the change in weather just increases the beauty of the game.

Codemasters F1 2010 is way better than any F1 simulator I have played. Of course there are small glitches here and there but the overall gameplay of the game makes them ignorable. This may be not the most polished racing game Codemasters have developed, but is certainly an involving one. So I highly recommend this game to all the racing fans.

The game is available on PC, Xbox360, and PlayStation 3.