Formula One 2001

The good news is that you are able to race using any of your favorite international race teams and drivers, each of whom is supposed to have unique attributes.  Though this may very well be the case, it is hard to notice any difference between different drivers while racing.  Instead, they all seem to behave very similarly.  All of the official 2001 F1 tracks are also included and they are exact replicas of their real counterparts in all respects.

In world championship mode, which the game is based around, each official race is experienced as it would be in real life.  Meaning, on Friday you have two practice sessions, Saturday there are two more practice sessions then you must qualify, and finally on Sunday you get to warm-up and then actual race takes place.  Luckily you are able to skip to any part in the sequence if, for example, you don't need much practice on a particular track.  By winning the world championships at each difficulty level you gain access to the gallery of F1 images.  There is also a test drive mode, single race mode, time trial mode, and a spectator mode.  In spectator mode you are able to view an AI controlled race, but I'm not sure why anyone would want to do this.  The quality of this mode, along with the quality of the replays is very good and resembles the races broadcast on TV.

Multiplayer mode is entertaining, but it too has some issues.  It is traditional split screen and therefore it's hard to see what's next on the course.  This problem is heightened by the fact that you can't use visual driving aids and there are also no maps (for either player).  Racing is a lot more fun when you know where the turns are.

A highlight of Formula One 2001 is the fact that it is highly customizable in various ways.  First of all (and most importantly for the F1 diehards), nearly all aspects of the cars can be changed very easily.  Whether the car's suspension, aerodynamics, gearing, or various other components need to be changed, it can all be done with ease through the car setup interface.

On a similar note, racers can choose from many different difficulty and race settings, allowing for the optimal racing conditions to be set.  There are driving aids that can be used, which include ABS, traction control, and also helpful visual aids (for recommended speeds in upcoming turns).  The difficulty level can be selected from four choices and these levels are enough to challenge just about anyone.  Other difficulty settings include tire wear, fuel usage, damage, failures and flags/rules (all of which can be turned on or off).  The car damage is very cool in this game, as many different parts of the car can fly off or fail (this allows the crashes to be quite realistic too).  The race weather can be set, as can the race length, which ranges from 10% to 100% of the actual number of laps.  Personally, I can't imagine completing a whole race (100%), but hey, I'm sure many people would love to race for such a long period of time.

When using a DualShock2 controller, the controls are at times too touchy while at other times not responsive enough.  If you're a fan of the digital buttons (as I am), you may want to move to the analog sticks for this game or else you'll be at a disadvantage.  The reason for this is that pressure sensitive buttons are not very (if at all) functional, as the car accelerates uncontrollably no matter what you do while using the automatic transmission.  The manual transmission can be controlled a little more easily by using the pressure sensitive clutch button.  Not using the clutch correctly will result with the car stalling in the middle of the track, it is very realistic.  Using the analog sticks proves to be more effective since it allows that car to controlled much more accurately.  Fortunately, the Logitech GT Force Wheel is compatible with Formula One 2001 and using it adds another dimension to the game.  The force feedback is very precise and it lets drivers accurately feel the road.  If you're serious about racing, I'd definitely recommend picking up one of these wheels to get the full experience.

Physically, the game is very accurate and it requires that you drive as you would on a real course.  Braking must be done well in advance and turns must be made smoothly.  A little tap from a competitor can easily spin you around and send you into a gravel trap.  It is the fast action and the competitive nature of the AI drivers that make this game enjoyable to play.

The graphics in Formula One 2001 are very solid overall, but the texture quality doesn't compare to that found in many of the newer PS2 games.  Although the F1 cars are fairly detailed and are modeled quite well.  The pit crews are fully featured with 17 man crews and animations that are extremely realistic.  The pit interface is also extremely easy to use and allows for quick stops when time is critical.  Beautiful backgrounds, including fairly detailed crowd members (many whom are waving flags) in the grandstands, make you think you're actually at the races.

The sound on the other hand isn't too impressive.  The cars' engines sound like they're supposed to, including the high winding engines and quick sequential shifts, but the other sounds aren't equally impressive.  First of all, the commentators are horribly utilized in the game.  During a race they only talk when contact is made or you go off of the track.  When they do talk they sound very awkward, since they say the drivers' last names in a different tones then they say their comments.  It's funny to listen to, but the humorous aspects wears off pretty quickly.  The music isn't as bad as it could be, but it's not very good either.  When racing, the same song repeats every time you race unless you pause the game and change the song.  I would have appreciated a random song mode, but one is nonexistent.

Formula One 2001 is a decent F1 racing game that should satisfy most needs of the diehard racers, but it may be a bit too involved for the average gamer.  The difficulty level is significantly greater than most racing games, which is simply because F1 racing is extremely fast-paced.  Although it does have its downfalls, it still proves to be a fun game.  I'd recommend renting this one before you buy it and you may want to give the other newly released F1 games a try too.

This game is rated "E" for everyone and it takes up 80KB on your PS2 memory card.
 

Gameplay: 8
The game play is very realistic and fast-paced, it's definitely the best part about the game.

Graphics: 7.5
While the visuals are not bad in any sense, the textures aren't of the best quality that we'll all gotten used to.

Sound: 5.5
The commentary is horrible, some of the sound effects are a little chincy, and the music isn't of the best quality either.

Difficulty: 7.5
Whether you choose novice, amateur, semi-pro, or pro, Formula One 2001 will challenge your driving skills.  This is a difficult game, which is not for the inexperienced.

Concept: 7.5
The concept of experiencing the races just as the races do, meaning the whole weekend sequence, is a great idea, as are the various unique features offered within the game.

Multiplayer: 6.5
In multiplayer mode it is too difficult to navigate the tracks and this makes the game very frustrating.

Overall: 7.1