Discount F1: 2012 - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I have the last two F1 games and was pretty excited to get this one. I was instantly irratated by the setup and options that didn't favor a casual gamer. 2011 had a setup where you could run qualifying for a lap or two then a 3 lap race during the series. I enjoyed this option when I didn't have time to sit down and spend an hour or two on one race. The shortest a race can be now is 25%, which is usually 15 laps running around 30-40 minutes.

Pros:

-Graphics are improved on 2011 but isn't quite to the level of premier games like Forza 4 or GT5.

-The extras like the Young Driver's Test and new set-up is refreshing just due to the new/something different factor. It does take some time to get used to the game.

-It's cool to see the new Austin track on this game that premiers this year. Fun to race a track that has never really been raced before.

-For the more serious gamer; the game is more in depth and demands more time to work your way through the seasons and even to get up to speed with the field.

Cons:

-Not for the casual gamer. Races cannot be shortened past 25%. Difficulty even on the easiest level is tough. I couldn't break the top 15 on easy for the first couple days. (It does get better if you can fight through the first serveral hours of gameplay to get used to the game.)

-Online game is really tough starting out... Not sure if this is a pro or con but be prepared to get destroyed for the first several races.

Overall: Good game in general. I whine a little due to the high difficulty but after playing it for 20+ hours I started to see some improvement and see the strong points of the game. After 30+ hours the game really seemed to be very accurate and addictive. It will be an entertaining game even at 100+ hours.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Codemasters has always made good racing sims. I have never been a fan of their F1 series however but I have been watching the F1 2012 videos and dev diaries prior to the release and must say I was impressed with it so I downloaded the demo on XBL and was thoroughly hooked to beating my time and moving up the grid. Sure the game may be missing some authentic F1 features or even few common "race features" but those are masked by the massive improvement in physics, graphics and sound. The sound is really good. I don't have a home theater system now but been thinking of getting one and I am pretty sure this game will sound great with one. As for the learning curve, you will be stuck in the young drivers test that the career mode opens with since it is a warm up session that gets you familiar with the controls, speed, braking, and the basics of cornering.

I will however caution you that if you are the occasional racer who likes to just pick up the controller and play few circuit type races on games like NFS, Burnout, Ridge Racer, you will be frustrated with F1 2012 as it is a little punishing for neglecting F1 car physics, for that matter you will be disappointed with any of Codemasters' games. All of their games have some amount of realism including their DiRT series.

All in all, my recommendation is to not listen to any of our reviews about this game since you don't have to. You have another option. Download the demo for free on XBL, play it and, then decide if you like it or not.

Best Deals for F1: 2012 - Xbox 360

I'll start off by saying this is a beautiful game with fantastic graphics and excellent game play and you absolutely should buy this game. I've been playing this F1 series since it's major console debut in 2010 which is why I have a few minor (mostly nitpicky) issues with it. They say it's the little things that will stand out to you the most and this game is no exception.

Most of my qualms are associated with the career mode of this game. I felt that in F12010 you were introduced to a neat experience of driving contracts and the behind the scenes stuff like post race interviews (if you placed on the podium) etc. Contracts also included monetary values which I thought was neat. Also your answers to the press had an effect on your team/and or future teams perceptions of you (Also neat). F12011 took away the monetary value from contracts and moved interviews to outside your trailer after sessions regardless of where you finish which I liked but it seemed to remove any impact you answers had on anything outside of that interview. F12011 Also had a neat feature where your helmet visor would attach new sponsors to it depending on what team you were driving for which I thought was very cool.

F12012 seems to have removed a lot of personal feel away from career mode, no custom visors, no driver interviews, You have less input into contracts etc. What they have done in F12012 that I like is the beautiful main and sub menu systems. Its about time these beautiful cars were featured more prominently on the screen when you were navigating through the menus. The various game play modes are also fun especially the champions mode and the 10-race championship you can play and take rides from rivals week to week. Multiplayer, which is something Codemasters spent a lot more time focusing on, is fantastic and a lot of fun.

Somethings I was hoping for in F12012 that maybe will show up in F12013 (These range from incredibly nitpicky to practical (I think)):

#1 Custom names on drivers uniforms. It takes a lot away from career mode when the car you're driving and the uniform you are wearing has someone else's name on it.

#2 Let us purchase historic/ past helmets from the Xbox Market place. Wouldn't it be cool to wear a helmet in game that matches what the legends like Hunt, Prost, Senna, Mansell, and others wore?

#3 Customize the appearance of our own driver in-game?

#4 Make career mode way more in depth and realistic. Including the young driver's test is a HUGE step in this direction. So lets go all out for it.

#5 (and most important) Codemasters... can we please get a Formula 1 Legends game? Maybe a season from the late 80's or early 90's? Where we can strap in behind the wheel of some the finest, fastest, and most dangerous Formula 1 vehicles that ever existed? On the classic tracks of yesterday where our heroes made a names for themselves?

Buy this game! It does get better with every year and hopefully the next one will have one of the things I listed on here that I really want.

Honest reviews on F1: 2012 - Xbox 360

I haven't yet bought this game from Amazon.But, played the demo version which in itself feels like a never ending quest. This game is so vastly different from all other racing games out there. When compared to games like Forza,NFS or G.Turismo, F1 2012 is like light years ahead in terms of the realistic experience and required skill level to crack it. Even in easy mode, the AI is so freaking tough that you will feel like a champion after coming in 20th position out of 24. Hope, that explains in short what this game is. I have played forza 4 and I feel it's easy when compared to F1 2012's gameplay or AI. The game is so realistic, from the sounds,settings & especially the rules. The rules are strictly enforced and you can't pull crazy stunts with your car and then expect to not be penalized.It's as if you are in the real race with real racers. This is serious business and not some cheap drag racing or street racing game. The fact that it makes you earn every spot in the race is exciting and makes this game tough nut to crack. Just completing one race in a decent position feels like climbing an everest. Now, I cant dream what completing one whole career season or a championship look like. It's for serious players who would like to spend months evolving their racing skills,reflexes,hand-eye co-ordination & strategies. Having said that, even casual players will find this game enjoyable and at the same time tough.

WARNING: People with fragile egos,short temper and anger problems, keep the hell away from this game if you feel you can't digest the disappointment which follows the sound thrashing the AI gives you.This game will grind your egos to pulp.

Update#1 : I finally bought the full game 10 days back and its freaking awesome!! It's very addictive and keeps you so focused on your driving. It took me a whole season to get used to the cornering and driving at top speeds without hitting or bumping into stuff. It makes you sweat for the podium finishes. The AI isn't a pushover and gives you tough fight. 20$ is a steal for this game. Can't complain. Planning to get the racing wheel for this soon. All other racing games now pale infront of it, atleast for me. Just buy it!

I started off this game in HARD mode, big mistake. Start off with easy,learn the circuits first, basic techniques of turns and acceleration without collisions or penalties. That itself is an achievement in its own.

All in all, this game is worth every penny for the numbers of days or months this will keep you engaged. Just get it! No second thoughts, you won't regret!If you can crack this game, then you have cracked the holy grail of all racing games. Rest all will feel like child play.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for F1: 2012 - Xbox 360

I purchased this game on impulse, expecting to be disappointed as with most other console racing sims.

After racing for awhile I must admit, it's not as "hardcore" as I'm used to, with needing hours of practice and having to find tune nearly 100 setup parameters on many different cars. Instead, I'm granted far less control over the car's setup (The only sim I've raced in that doesn't allow you to change tyre pressures) but I am expected to fine tune my racing line and technique to such a finer degree. With many years of sim racing experience, even quite a bit of experience in a virtual 2007 and 2009 Williams F1 car, car setup has always been the key to success. In F1 2012, while setup is still important, driving style, racing line, and driving techniques will be your keys to success.

Although career mode is impressively in depth compared to other sims, I actually expected quite a lot more out of it. The young driver introduction was quite a large exception to my disappointment though. I was quite thrilled with it.

All together, it seems to be a great and challenging game for a casual racer who really enjoys Formula 1 racing, as well as "hardcore" sim racers who spend hours developing setups and driving techniques.