I don’t usually gravitate towards racing games, and yet the Formula 1 series is one I repeatedly go back to. I wasn’t entirely sure why that was, but after playing some Forza Horizon 2, I think I’ve figured it out.
Let me start by saying this; Forza Horizon 2 is a very enjoyable video game. It’s take on the open world racing game is pure, automotive joy, and at the time of writing I’m very much excited to continue my time with it. However…
I’ve often wondered why despite not being a fan of the sport, the F1 games consistently pull me back in. Last year, I wrote a little about the 2017 iteration, and came to the conclusion that it was what the game asked of me that ultimately hooked me. And whilst I don’t think that view has changed, I do think it’s evolved a little.
After spending a little time with a racing game that wasn’t F1, I think I’ve cracked it. The reason the F1 games resonate with me is the pursuit of perfection. The need to master every turn, every pit stop and every qualifying session. The need to truly get the most out of my car, my team of engineers and even my tyres.
Unlike other racing games like your Forza’s, Need For Speeds or even your Gran Turismo’s, the F1 games demand a certain perfection from me that in my opinion, is entirely unique in the racing genre. For all of Forza’s tweaking, you’re never truly outmatched by an opponent with a better car, and if in Gran Turismo Sport another driver makes an error and pushes you into the gravel, you can just get yourself back on course and catch up within minutes. None of this is true when I play F1. And you know what? It’s all the better for it.
The game wants me to push the car to the limit, and more importantly to know where that limit is. It wants me to spend an hour and a half practicing, and then spend a further 45 minutes trying to force my sorry excuse of a car around the track before ultimately failing to even get out of qualifying round 1. And it loves the fact that after all this, I could be forced to retire on the first corner because three cars up ahead caused a pile up that I just couldn’t avoid. Sure, I could use the rewind feature. I could even go nuclear and restart the race, but at that point, what am I even playing it for?
I wrote last year that you only get as much out of the Formula 1 games as you’re willing to put in and I still believe that. However unlike before, I think I know why I’m willing to put that extra effort in. As much fun as I’m having with Horizon, I never feel like I’m playing the game wrong by crashing into other cars. The same goes for hitting walls, colliding with lampposts or even using the games in-built rewind mechanic. It allows me to feel entirely free to do what I want with the game, but that freedom is exactly what I don’t want in my F1 game.
Freedom to drive around like an idiot is fantastic, but in a game like F1, it’s nothing but a means to ruin the immersion, to take my out of the game and ultimately make it just another racing game. And that’s why, when Horizon 2 has long since faded from my rear view mirror, I’ll be going back to the F1 series. Ready to spend 6 hours practicing, qualifying and then finishing in a hard-fought 13th place.
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