Pace BMW Parts
F1 2009 PSP
Occasionally, a game sometimes you can not wait to play. To me, this game is F1 2009 for PSP. It is ceremony of the first Formula One game since 2007 when Liverpool Studio has released their interpretation of the sport.
November 19 was the day I finally able to play with my favorite F1 around some of the best tracks in the world. But it was worth waiting?
Overview
The menus are very simple. First you will need to enter your name, country and other relevant information that will represent you in online games and (more important) in career mode. The main menu shows a car in the background and the options you have. You can play a fast race, the weekend of Grand Prix Championship the world, career, ad hoc or challenges. Once you've selected a car in one mode, the car will change the basis for your team selected. This is a nice touch that can go very far in the overall presentation. Before each race you will see some parts of the track, similar to the official TV coverage. The game graphics are very decent. The cars look good and the tracks are constructed in detail. Although I must admit that some tracks do look a little flat. The first real problem comes when you start a race. Frames take a huge blow in the early races and when many cars are close together. You will not see this in practice or qualify - but it will compromise your racing experience. Sound is decent too. I love the engine noise better than in previous F1 titles PSP. But its activation KERS is really fake and boring. As the music menu.
Gameplay
The The most important thing in a way Race is that it behaves well. F1 2009 fails in this department. All cars drive more like a madman, a touch small directional buttons enough to make even the slow corners. This result is troubling because it makes small corrections are really difficult. We do not like the inclusion the KERS (boost button for 7 seconds per lap) at all the cars in the game. In real life that Ferrari and McLaren have used and it is not realistic to see all the 2009 F1 contender. After several hours of driving we're used to the leadership that was interesting. But then came the AI. The car computer have a tendency to hit you from behind. They are too aggressive. But apart from the complaints we have little information about the cars computer. They can crash into the wall and make mistakes, just like a real person. I was also surprised to see a car behind me Brawn crashed into the first corner of the German GP.
Now, I must mention career, as will be the place where you'll be spending most of your time. An agent will contact you by email and keeps you informed about developments in F1 and the tests that you have with other teams. At first you can test for BMW and Toro Rosso, if to obtain a seat will give you a place in the team Force India. So you race the Grand Prix "anything you can not be a pilot test. We appreciate that most people do care about the race but it's just another layer bleed in F1 2009. Two other complaints we have the career mode is that e-mails feel very static. They try to make it more realistic by saying things like: "Ferrari feels there no competition for the 2009 championship, but in general it does not feel human. The second and final issue we have with the career is that it does lasted only 3 seasons. When you are finished with two modes of exciting career awaits you. The first is the challenge mode where you try to beat the biting challenges size such as Hamilton or exceed double as many cars as you can. It works well on a portable system, but does not cause an F1 fanatic like me. Ad-Hoc does trouble me though. You can drive a full season with a friend or anyone in the world. It's great fun, but unfortunately I could not test this yet.
Compared to the past
It is difficult not to compare this game to last F1 game on the system PSP, which was F1 06. First the graphics and sounds are slightly better in F1 2009, but it hardly requires a realization that the game was released three years later. F1 2009 seems more dynamic in terms of sanctions and AI pace. Causing a collision can get a drive through or stop and go. It is really nice and very realistic. Also the AI is commendable pace. We found teams to be faster curtain GP than others. Ferrari was driving midfielder in China, but has been very competitive in Monaco. It's something we have not seen in a game F1 before - ever! The calendar has also improved in this game. Now, your lap times compare to the best time just like in real life. In F1 06 times were compared to your own record. F1 2006 has beaten the game but when it comes to commentary (F1 2009 does not have) and the gameplay.
Conclusion
F1 2009 for PSP has a huge potential. We love the little touches like the penalty system and how the game handles the jetlag. The graphics are really good and it's great to finally play with the latest models of cars and drivers. But loss of image experience severe temper gaming and manipulation is not even close to what an F1 car should drive like.
7 / 10
I'm Robin Chung, author of the dutch book Tegenlicht. I have a website that brings interesting reading material from all kind of subjects like health and gaming. The website also includes a forum, so you can discuss the articles, and you can order my book from there.
Autosport International 2009 Live Show (EDC, Mark Luney, Terry Grant, WRC etc)
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