The Official F1 2011 Thread
Sep 26, 2011 | 02:23 PM
#1
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From: Louisiana, USA
The Official F1 2011 Thread
Picked up F1 2011 for PC last night (BTW Steam offers direct download for $49, compared to GameStop and Best Buy's price of $59). I've only put in about 30 mins on Monza to get my controls dialed in, but so far I can say this is one of if not THE best F1 simulator I've ever used.
The driving model is fluid and feels just fantastic. Dirty tires, detailed suspension models, and high-res damage make for a really immersive experience. The sound is incredible too.
DRS and KERS are both introduced in 2011. I'm still getting used to using them but so far it is pretty interesting having those features in the sim.
The graphics are second-to-none...turned everything up to "Ultra" and with the GTX 580 I'm seeing 100+fps at 1920x1080. No aliasing, no frame drops, no screen tears... it is like looking through a digital window. It's not photoreal, but it's damn good. DX11 is in full use as well so there is a ton of eye candy especially in the cars. The tracks are modelled very well (compared to other sims).
The "career" experience, that I've seen of it so far in 2011, is also more fluid and entertaining, with fewer and shorter "cut scenes" and speeches. The UI and menus have improved a good bit in general. You still do not use a mouse to navigate menus, which is odd, but the menu structure is intuitive and easy to navigate with the arrow keys. Though one time I accidentally clicked "Career" and I was launched into the Career mode intro which is long and for whatever reason cannot be skipped. And that is my biggest gripe so far.
I will spend time this weekend testing out the multiplayer (as more folks purchase and hop online). But so far this one is looking like a must-have if you are into F1 at all.
Note: I only bought the PC version of F1 2011 because I found the Xbox version of F1 2010 to be unplayable while I greatly enjoyed F1 2010 on the PC. I think it comes down to controls and the need for a steering wheel. The Xbox unfortunately does not have a selection of good wheels. The PS3 can use Thrustmaster and G27 wheels at least, so if you have to choose your platform I would put PC way ahead in 1st place, PS3 2nd, and Xbox far, far into a distant 3rd place in terms of enjoyment.
The driving model is fluid and feels just fantastic. Dirty tires, detailed suspension models, and high-res damage make for a really immersive experience. The sound is incredible too.
DRS and KERS are both introduced in 2011. I'm still getting used to using them but so far it is pretty interesting having those features in the sim.
The graphics are second-to-none...turned everything up to "Ultra" and with the GTX 580 I'm seeing 100+fps at 1920x1080. No aliasing, no frame drops, no screen tears... it is like looking through a digital window. It's not photoreal, but it's damn good. DX11 is in full use as well so there is a ton of eye candy especially in the cars. The tracks are modelled very well (compared to other sims).
The "career" experience, that I've seen of it so far in 2011, is also more fluid and entertaining, with fewer and shorter "cut scenes" and speeches. The UI and menus have improved a good bit in general. You still do not use a mouse to navigate menus, which is odd, but the menu structure is intuitive and easy to navigate with the arrow keys. Though one time I accidentally clicked "Career" and I was launched into the Career mode intro which is long and for whatever reason cannot be skipped. And that is my biggest gripe so far.
I will spend time this weekend testing out the multiplayer (as more folks purchase and hop online). But so far this one is looking like a must-have if you are into F1 at all.
Note: I only bought the PC version of F1 2011 because I found the Xbox version of F1 2010 to be unplayable while I greatly enjoyed F1 2010 on the PC. I think it comes down to controls and the need for a steering wheel. The Xbox unfortunately does not have a selection of good wheels. The PS3 can use Thrustmaster and G27 wheels at least, so if you have to choose your platform I would put PC way ahead in 1st place, PS3 2nd, and Xbox far, far into a distant 3rd place in terms of enjoyment.
Last edited by Smoky; Sep 26, 2011 at 02:29 PM.
Sep 26, 2011 | 03:46 PM
#3
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 564
From: Louisiana, USA
^^^I imagine it will be pretty good on PS3 with a wheel and pedals. It def will be more immersive than say if you compared to GT5's F1 car experiences. The F1 20xx series of games has rendering and physics down-pat, whereas GT5 emphasizes physics with "good enough" graphics.
I think you play GT5 right Alex? Would love to hear your impressions comparing the two, F1 vs F1, and on the same track.
I think you play GT5 right Alex? Would love to hear your impressions comparing the two, F1 vs F1, and on the same track.
Sep 26, 2011 | 03:56 PM
#4
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 31,976
From: Minnesota
^^^I imagine it will be pretty good on PS3 with a wheel and pedals. It def will be more immersive than say if you compared to GT5's F1 car experiences. The F1 20xx series of games has rendering and physics down-pat, whereas GT5 emphasizes physics with "good enough" graphics.
I think you play GT5 right Alex? Would love to hear your impressions comparing the two, F1 vs F1, and on the same track.
I think you play GT5 right Alex? Would love to hear your impressions comparing the two, F1 vs F1, and on the same track.
Sep 30, 2011 | 09:33 PM
#10
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From: Orange County