Electronic Arts (EA) has released the first trailer of F1 23, the official Formula 1 game for this year. The game will be released on Sony PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC on June 16, right before the Canadian Grand Prix.
Looking at the trailer below, you'll note that all the high-profile gamers from the F1 circus had a hand in the development. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are avid gamers and feature prominently in the trailer. They likely provided a wealth of insight into the life of an F1 driver, which F1 23 will need as it sees the return of Breaking Point.
Yes, folks, F1's story mode is returning to provide a more immersive experience. Aiden Jackson is returning, but he won't be the main protagonist of this particular story mode. There's a new female lead character, and the trailer makes it clear that she and Jackson don't get along.
The story mode will now include 35% race distances, so Grands Prix are neither too short nor too long, and red flags. Including the latter will undoubtedly be a headache to gamers, as it can lead to a controversial ending like the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix or the dreary ending to the Monza Grand Prix last year.
If you're not interested in story mode, you'll be glad to know Breaking Point isn't the only update. According to EA, the racing is more accurate than ever, thanks to a recalibrated physics engine, which includes better feedback. Gamers will be able to feel the torque and inertia.
Perhaps most important of all is a more realistic representation of tire grip. Examples include grip dropping over time or something as simple as getting heat into a new set after pitting. With tires playing such a massive role in actual F1 races, it's time they receive the same attention in the games.
Several F1 teams provided information to EA to get the car's handling as close as possible to the real deal.
The big news for American gamers is the inclusion of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. You can run the race before Lewis Hamilton unless you've already secretly hired a Corvette in Vegas to run the circuit, which is readily available on F1's website. Doing a lap of a street circuit in a street car is not recommended, as one Monaco resident found out recently.
Gamers without a proper seat, steering wheel, and pedal setup will theoretically be more competitive thanks to Precision Drive controller technology. The F1 World features will also help gamers find like-minded folk who like to race clean, and a progression system to help noobs improve over time.
"The return of Braking Point allows players to immerse themselves in a racing story, which provides a unique look at F1 alongside the authentic race features our players know and love," said Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters. "Our close relationship with the teams has allowed us to refine our handling model, adding greater realism to pad-play and implementing a new color encoding system used in film and TV creates a more true-to-life experience."