While at E3 this year I was able to grab some time with Codemasters' upcoming racing game, F1 2017.
I was set up with a racing rig, and got to try roughly three to four tracks, all in different weather conditions. The only mode available was time trial, where I raced against an invisible car who had the better time on me for most of the race.
While playing, I spoke with Codemasters' Creative Director Lee Mather, who told me that their creative goal for the game was to make the most authentic Formula 1 experience in gaming to date.
And although I wasn't able to access the career mode at E3, I did see the touchstones for how they would accomplish that goal. For one, it was the fact that I was in a fully set-up driving rig. Of course, this doesn't mean that that will be the perfect way to play the game, but the communication between the rig and the game was pretty astounding. For instance, the rig's driving wheel was the same as the one used by the driver in the game. The tires tugged against the wheel when it hit a patch overly rough from the turf or overly smooth from the water. There were little icons in the bottom-right corner of the HUD that displayed the words Pit and Fuel. Of course, since what I played was a time trial, those didn't play much of a role, but Mather told me they would in the larger modes.
The experience I had, as limited as it was, was enticing to say the least. For clarification, the game will be releasing for consoles, so it won't be special rig only. F1 2017 drops August 25th, 2017.
