Formula One Championship Edition
| Formula One Championship Edition | |
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 Cover art |
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| Developer(s) | SCE Studio Liverpool |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Online Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Blu-ray |
Formula One Championship Edition is a racing video game, developed by SCE Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game follows the basic structure of Formula One 06 for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The main differences include the updated visuals for the PS3 including a lot more detail, Sixaxis compatibility, real time reflections, car reflections on wet circuits and new wet weather effects. It was announced early in development that the safety car would be included in the game for the first time in an F1 game since Formula One 99 for the PlayStation. However, it was removed before the final release along with the PSP wing mirror integration shown at E3.
The game also boasts dynamic weather, and improved AI. The AI system is called "Live Action Racing" where you can pressure the opposition, causing them to make little mistakes such as running wide on corners, causing them to crash into other cars or spin off the road of their own accord. The AI will then try to seek opportunities to pass the player in a realistic manner.
The game is based on the early F1 season. Hence, Yuji Ide drives for Super Aguri when in reality he lost his super licence just 4 races into the '06 season, and Franck Montagny, then later Sakon Yamamoto took his seat. Other minor changes throughout the real 2006 season are also not represented.
In the career mode, players begin by running tests for one of three teams (Toro Rosso, Super Aguri or Midland F1) at either the Silverstone, Magny Cours or Catalunya circuits. The tests given vary between the teams. When the player successfully completes the tests, they are given the role of test driver. After performing well as a test driver, the player will become the second driver of the team. From there the player can compete in race weekends through many different roles. As a test driver the player will try out different car settings in practice, and as a driver the player will have track position targets to meet to keep the seat. The player's performances are subject to review at several points during the season.
The initial release did not include force-feedback support, which is considered by many to be an important feature for simulation racing games used with driving wheel controllers. A subsequent update in early 2008 added force feedback. The game also lacks support for 1080i or 1080p output resolutions.
The game's cover in the North America version (as seen on the right) features Fernando Alonso (the defending world champion at that time in 2006) who drove for the Renault team, Jenson Button who drove for the Honda team and David Coulthard who drove for the Red Bull Racing team.
Like previous games, it featured in-game commentary from then ITV F1 commentators Martin Brundle and James Allen.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
Formula One Championship Edition follows the 2006 Formula One season, with 18 tracks, 11 teams and 22 drivers. The teams are:
- Other minor changes throughout the real 2006 season are also not included, such as Juan Pablo Montoya leaving McLaren after the United States Grand Prix and replaced by Pedro de la Rosa and Jacques Villeneuve leaving BMW Sauber after the German Grand Prix and replaced by Robert Kubica.
The circuits are:
[edit] Release
Formula One Championship Edition was released in North America on February 27, 2007. It was the first Formula One game to be released there since 2003, when Atari released Grand Prix Challenge exclusively for PlayStation 2 and EA Sports released F1 Challenge '99-'02 for the PC, and F1 Career Challenge for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube. It was a launch title for the European and Australasian release of the PlayStation 3.
Formula One Championship Edition was the final release in Sony's series of F1 games which had been running for over a decade, with the announcement that Codemasters had secured exclusive rights to the sport following shortly after the game's release. As this game was effectively an update of the PlayStation 2 game Formula One 06, there was to be no 2007 version of the game - the first time the series had skipped a season since 1996.
This was the most recent F1 game given the three season gap before Sumo Digital's F1 2009 (published by Codemasters) game came out on PSP and Nintendo Wii. In September 2010, Codemasters released F1 2010 with all the official teams and tracks, available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
[edit] E3 videos
The first trailer of Formula One Championship Edition was displayed at E3 2005, during the Sony conference. The trailer shows drivers from the 2005 season, racing on the Suzuka circuit in Japan. Sony and SCE Studio Liverpool have released a second trailer, where the 2006 drivers are seen on the Monza circuit while demonstrating many new features, such as one where the player can use a PSP as a wing mirror. This feature has since been removed, while new features such as adjustable front and rear differentials, shock bound, shock rebound, tyre pressure, anti-roll bar and weight distribution have been added.
[edit] Unlockables
The game contains unlockable cars and a track, Jerez, which was last used as the final round of the 1997 season, and can be unlocked and used in time trial mode. The unlockable cars range from a Williams FW18 (used in 1996 by that season's champion Damon Hill) to Formula One's first turbocharged race winning Renault and a Lotus that was once driven by Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson. The cars are mostly unlocked by achieving the targets in time trial mode and can only be used in this mode.
Specific Info on the games Unlockable 'prizes'
1950 Alfa Romeo 158 w/Alfa Romeo 1.5 L8C (#6 Juan-Manuel Fangio) Win the Career mode or the World Championship mode (any setting).
1960 Cooper T51 w/Climax 2.5 L4 (#34 Olivier Gendebien) Available from the start.
1970 Lotus 49C w/Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 (#3 Jochen Rindt) Win any Quick Race (any settings).
1973 Lotus 72E w/Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 (#2 Ronnie Peterson) Available from the start.
1978 Williams FW06 w/Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 (#27 Alan Jones) Get bronze or better lap times at every track in Time Trial mode.
1979 Renault RS01 w/Renault 1.5 V6T (#15 Jean-Pierre Jabouille) Available from the start.
1996 Williams FW18 w/Renault 3.0 V10 (#5 Damon Hill) Get silver or better lap times at every track in Time Trial mode.
In order to unlock the Jerez Test Track (which many F1 teams used for testing in 2006 and still use today), you must get a Gold at each track in time trial mode.
[edit] Reception
Reviews
- IGN - 7.2 out of 10
- GameSpot - 7.2 out of 10
- Gamespy - 4 out of 5
- GameTrailers - 7.3 out of 10
- Edge Magazine - 4 out of 10
Compilation of reviews
- GameRankings - 76% (based on 19 reviews)
- MetaCritic - 74 out of 100 (based on 55 reviews)
[edit] Demo
A demo of the game has been available since November 2006 on the PlayStation Network via the Playstation Store. In this demo, players can race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or Autodromo Nazionale Monza tracks. The European version of the downloadable demo features 2 other tracks from the 2006 season; namely Circuit de Catalunya and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
[edit] External links
- Formula One Championship Edition American official website
- Formula One Championship Edition World official website
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- Formula One games
- 2006 video games
- PlayStation 3-only games
- Racing simulators
- PlayStation 3 games
- Sports video games set in the United States
- Video games set in Australia
- Video games set in Bahrain
- Video games set in Brazil
- Video games set in Canada
- Video games set in China
- Video games set in France
- Video games set in Germany
- Video games set in Hungary
- Video games set in Italy
- Video games set in Japan
- Video games set in Malaysia
- Video games set in Monaco
- Video games set in Shanghai
- Video games set in Spain
- Video games set in Turkey
- Video games set in the United Kingdom
