F1 Race Stars

Last updated

F1 Race Stars
F1 Race Stars EU.png
Developer(s) Codemasters Birmingham [1]
Publisher(s) Codemasters
Series F1
Engine EGO Engine 2.0
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U [2]
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • NA: 13 November 2012
  • AU: 15 November 2012
  • EU: 16 November 2012 [1]
Wii U
  • WW: 16 January 2014
Genre(s) Kart racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer [3]

F1 Race Stars is a video game developed by Codemasters, released in November 2012. [1] It is a kart racing game loosely based on the 2012 Formula One season, with circuits redesigned to feature loops, jumps and short-cuts. [2] It is a spin-off from the traditional Formula One video games, and is the first kart-racing game developed by Codemasters. The player is able to choose cartoonish versions of Formula One racing drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, and Pedro de la Rosa. [4] [3] Codemasters have described the game as being designed to emphasise entertainment rather than simulation. [5] A Wii U port under the title F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition was released on 16 January 2014. [6]

Contents

Gameplay

All 12 teams and 24 drivers that started the 2012 Formula One season appear as playable characters, along with two additional fictional teams – one, TecNova-Star, with two female drivers, Ruby Power and Jessica Chekker and another, Satsu-Aceler, with male driver Josh Merit and female driver Kira Hoshihara. [7] The Xbox 360 version allows the option to swap the driver's head to the Avatar's head, while the Wii U version allows the option to swap the driver's head to the Mii's head. There are 11 circuits to choose from by default (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Monaco, Singapore, Australia, United States, Great Britain and Japan), each based on one of the 20 rounds of the season, but with modifications to suit the gameplay (some parts of the Abu Dhabi GP, for example, are based on the adjacent rollercoaster Formula Rossa in Ferrari World). Additional courses and other content are available as fee-based downloads. [8] Each track contains a KERS system around corners and Item Boxes where players can pick up weapons. Getting hit by weapons damages the player's car, which leads to the driver needing to make a pit stop to maintain top speed.

Downloadable content

Four additional tracks, Europe (Valencia), Canada, China and India have been released. [9]

Reception

F1 Race Stars received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Eurogamer praised the game's "lavishly produced" tracks, calling the title "enjoyable and solidly made", but criticized the lack of content. [14] IGN wrote that the game was full of visual charm but expressed grievances with the bland power-ups, unfair design, and lack of tracks. [19] GameRevolution wrote that the game failed to be innovative in any notable way but found the presentation charming and the gameplay modes amusing. [15] Push Square noted that the title had a complete disregard for skill, citing the luck-based gameplay as a hindrance that canceled out everything else the game did right. [22] Nintendo Life expressed disappointment with the lack of an online mode and polish in basic areas, stating that the experience was one in which enjoyment outweighed frustration. [20] GameSpot praised the multiplayer and weapons while taking issue with unmemorable track design, aggressive AI, and uncomfortable use of product placement. [16] GamesRadar+ wrote more positively about the game, giving it four stars out of five, finding the track design, handling, and lack of shallow gameplay despite the family-friendly aesthetics to be a positive, while criticizing the weapons. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Formula One Championship Edition</i> 2006 video game

Formula One Championship Edition is a racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for PlayStation 3.

<i>Race Driver: Grid</i> 2008 racing video game

Race Driver: Grid is a 2008 racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, arcade, Java ME and OS X. It is the first game in the Grid series.

Ever since Pole Position in 1982, Formula One (F1) has always played a part of the racing genre in video games. Early Formula One games were typically arcade racing games, before Formula One Grand Prix (1991) popularized Formula One racing simulations on home computers.

<i>F1 2009</i> (video game) 2009 video game

F1 2009 is a video game based on the 2009 season of the Formula One motor racing series. It was released on the Wii and PlayStation Portable in 2009 on 16 November in North America, 19 November in the PAL region and 20 November in the United Kingdom. The game was also released on iOS on 14 December for £6.99. The PlayStation Portable version was also available as a download from the PlayStation Store from 16 November.

<i>Colin McRae: Dirt 2</i> 2009 video game

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters in 2009, first for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Xbox 360, and then later for PC platforms. It is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. Dirt 2 is the first game in the series since McRae's death in 2007 and the last to feature his name in the title. It is also the first and only game in the series to be available on a Nintendo home console and the last game in the series to be released on handhelds.

<i>F1 2010</i> (video game) 2010 video game

F1 2010 is a video game based on the 2010 season of the Formula One world championship. The game was released in September 2010 on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms, becoming the first F1 game released on the Xbox 360. It has sold 2.3 million units worldwide. The game engine is based on the new EGO 1.5 engine, an unofficially titled evolution of the EGO 1.0 engine that was created specially for the title.

<i>Dirt 3</i> 2011 video game

Dirt 3 is a simcade racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on 24 May 2011 and is the first game in the series without carrying the Colin McRae name. A sequel, Dirt 4, was released in June 2017.

<i>Mario Kart 7</i> 2011 video game

Mario Kart 7 is a 2011 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. As with the previous games in the Mario Kart series, players participate in racing on various Mario-themed tracks, playing as one of seventeen different Mario characters. While racing, the players make use of power-up items that either assist their character or hinder opposing characters. New additions to the game include hang-gliding attachments for karts, the ability to drive underwater, the ability to drive in first person, and the ability to fully customize the vehicles' builds. The game supports both local and online multiplayer for up to eight players. The game was a critical and commercial success, with it going on to be the best-selling game on the Nintendo 3DS, with over 18.98 million copies sold worldwide.

<i>F1 2011</i> (video game) 2011 video game

F1 2011 is a video game developed by Codemasters based on the 2011 Formula One season. The game was released in 2011 on Microsoft Windows, the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, with a 2012 release on the PlayStation Vita as a launch title for the system. The game engine is based on EGO 2.0 engine.

<i>F1 2012</i> (video game) 2012 video game

F1 2012 is a video game developed by Codemasters based on the 2012 Formula One season. The game was announced on 18 March 2012, co-inciding with the first race of the 2012 season. The game was released in September. It uses the EGO Engine. This was also the first game by Codemasters released under their "Codemasters Racing" label, which was used until 2016.

<i>Grid 2</i> 2013 video game

Grid 2 is a 2013 racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360. It is the second game in the Grid series. Feral Interactive released the Reloaded Edition for OS X in September 2014. The sequel, Grid Autosport, was released 24 June 2014.

<i>F1 2013</i> (video game) 2013 video game

F1 2013 is a video game developed by Codemasters based on the 2013 Formula One season. It uses the EGO Engine. F1 2013 was released in Europe in 2013 on PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360 on October 4. A digital version was released worldwide on the Steam Store, as well as on 8 October for the PlayStation Store and 15 October for Xbox Games on Demand, with a further release on Mac OS X by Feral Interactive in March 2014. The game was taken down from the stores due to probable license expiration in 2017.

<i>F1 2015</i> (video game) 2015 video game

F1 2015 is a racing game based on the 2015 Formula One season developed by Codemasters. It was released in July 2015, and features the team and driver line-ups from the 2015 season, including the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. It also features all the drivers, cars and circuits from the 2014 season. It is the last game from Codemasters branded under the Codemasters Racing label and first title in the F1 series released for eighth generation consoles.

<i>F1 2020</i> (video game) 2020 video game

F1 2020 is the official video game of the 2020 Formula 1 and Formula 2 Championships developed and published by Codemasters. It is the thirteenth title in the Formula 1 series developed by the studio and was released on 7 July for pre-orders of the Michael Schumacher Edition and 10 July for the Seventy Edition on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and, for the first time, Stadia. The game is the twelfth main series installment in the franchise, and it features the twenty-two circuits, twenty drivers and ten teams proposed in the provisional 2020 Formula 1 World Championship.

F1 is a racing video game series by Codemasters under the EA Sports banner since 2021. The series holds the official license of the FIA Formula One World Championship, with the FIA Formula 2 Championship available since the 2019 game. A total of twenty-one games have been released to date, with the series' latest installment, F1 23, released in June 2023.

<i>Grid</i> (series) Racing video game series by Electronic Arts

Grid is the racing video game series developed by Codemasters and published by Electronic Arts. It's the successor of TOCA Race Driver series.

<i>F1 2021</i> (video game) 2021 video game

F1 2021 is the official video game of the 2021 Formula One and Formula 2 Championships developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the fourteenth title in the F1 series by Codemasters and the first in the series published by Electronic Arts under its EA Sports division since F1 Career Challenge in 2003, after Codemasters was acquired by Electronic Arts just a few months before the trailer was released.

<i>Grid Legends</i> 2022 video game

Grid Legends is a 2022 racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fifth instalment in the Grid franchise. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on February 25, 2022. On January 12, 2023, the game was released for Meta Quest 2.

<i>F1 22</i> 2022 video game

F1 22 is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the fifteenth entry in the F1 series by Codemasters. The game holds an official licence of the 2022 Formula One and Formula 2 championships. The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 1 July 2022. It would also make its debut on EA's Origin platform as their main platform, which is also playable in the EA Desktop app, as well as the Epic Games Store. In previous entries, Steam was the only platform available for PC players. The game received mostly positive reviews from critics, with most criticism aimed at the lack of innovation compared to previous titles and the new "F1 Life" mode.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Robinson, Martin (13 July 2012). "Codemasters announces F1 Race Stars". Eurogamer . Eurogamer Network Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 Robinson, Andy (13 July 2012). "Codies unveils F1 arcade racer – First trailer, details". Computer and Video Games . Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 Manuel, Rob (13 July 2012). "F1 Race Stars Announced – Official Comic-Con 2012 News". G4TV.com. G4 TV. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  4. "Codemasters – Formula One™ Goes Over The Top This November With F1 Race Stars™". Codemasters . 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  5. Robinson, Andy (13 July 2012). "F1 Race Stars vision is 'a game everyone can enjoy – before or after the pub'". Computer and Video Games . Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  6. "F1 RACE STARS™ POWERED UP EDITION". Nintendo . Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  7. "『F1 レース スターズ』各レースチームの情報と最新スクリーンショットが公開". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  8. "F1 RACE STARS™ on Steam". Steam . Valve. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  9. Marley, Scott (8 January 2013). "New F1 Race Stars DLC includes 4 new tracks". Daily Record . Glasgow: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  10. 1 2 "F1 Race Stars for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  11. 1 2 "F1 Race Stars for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  12. 1 2 "F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  13. 1 2 "F1 Race Stars for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  14. 1 2 Welsh, Oli (15 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars review". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  15. 1 2 Peterson, Blake (26 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars Review". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  16. 1 2 GameSpot Staff (13 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  17. 1 2 Towell, Justin (14 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars review". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  18. Hannley, Steve (13 November 2012). "Review: F1 Race Stars". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  19. 1 2 Krupa, Daniel (13 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  20. 1 2 Whitehead, Thomas (21 January 2014). "F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition Review (Wii U eShop)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  21. Koopmaan, Daan (8 July 2013). "F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  22. 1 2 Ramsey, Robert (21 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars Review (PS3)". Push Square . Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  23. admin, VideoGamer.com (13 November 2012). "F1 Race Stars Review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.