F1 2018 2016/2017/2018 handling comparison

[Nick Hill]

I'm looking for some feedback on how F1 2017/2018 compare to the 2016 edition (the last version that I own). I think I briefly owned 2017, but did a refund on Steam because I just didn't have the time for it.

I've got the itch for an F1 title and I'm doing an evaluation between 2017 and 2018. As I mentioned I own F1 2016 and, while I enjoy it overall and think the cars handle very nicely, I have one big complaint: corner exit. These cars should require finesse when putting power down, that's not my complaint. But the behavior I perceive (though, doing some googling, I don't think I'm along) is a really nasty, uncontrollable death slide if I get even a little too aggressive on the throttle.

My question boils down to how do 2017/2018 compare to 2016 in this regard?

 

[UnixRoot]

I uninstalled F1 2016 after only 2 hours. I couldn't get used to the bad FFB, Input Lag and strange arcade physics. You never feel connected to the road.

Now I own F1 2018 since a few days and I'm blown away. No Input lag, good FFB and much more simulation like physics. You really feel connected to the road. You can easily spin the car, you can unbalance or unsettle the car. You can feel the tires getting temperature, grip loss, weight transfer, etc.

This is not an arcade game anymore. It's not a hardcore sim, but really really good and plausible physics and FFB wise.

It doesn't feel much different from Assetto Corsa F1.

 

[Nick Hill]

I uninstalled F1 2016 after only 2 hours. I couldn't get used to the bad FFB, Input Lag and strange arcade physics. You never feel connected to the road.

Now I own F1 2018 since a few days and I'm blown away. No Input lag, good FFB and much more simulation like physics. You really feel connected to the road. You can easily spin the car, you can unbalance or unsettle the car. You can feel the tires getting temperature, grip loss, weight transfer, etc.

This is not an arcade game anymore. It's not a hardcore sim, but really really good and plausible physics and FFB wise.

It doesn't feel much different from Assetto Corsa F1.

Bingo, nailed it. I picked up F1 2018 a couple days after my post and my feedback lines up with yours almost word for word. I love the game and have had a blast with it!

Input lag is GONE, for all intents and purposes (input lag is physically impossible to completely get rid of, but in F1 2018, it's close enough to nil to not be distracting).

The cars are extremely believable to drive. Just as in real life, you can get yourself in real trouble real fast with careless control inputs, but you get more than enough feedback cues from the game to let you sense what the car will/won't allow BEFORE finding yourself in a carbon fiber shower (what more can you ask for in a driving game?!?)

Also, funny that you mention AC. I love AC like it's one of my kids (don't tell my wife, I'll deny ever saying that), but once I got the feel for F1 2018, I found myself thinking "this really feels no different than the modern F1 cars in AC". From where i stand, that is a massive compliment! Now, obviously AC is a much more versitile sim engine - I very much doubt the underlying Codies physics engine (as it exists today) could simulate the incredible range of vehicles/tires that AC does (I don't think it's an accident that all of the "vintage" content in F1 2018 only includes aero cars on slicks).

 

[Nick Hill]

A couple weeks in now and I am thinking this may be one of the greatest racing games ever. Really. I am talking GTR2-grade, "lightning in a bottle" level stuff here.

If you name any one dimension, I can _probably_ name a sim (or game) that does that singular dimension better but, as a total package, I'm really having a hard time naming another racing game that delivers the soup to nuts experience at the same level F1 2018 does.

 

[Andy_J]

I must agree with Nicks assessment of this F1 race simulator. This is their best version yet. And it is a race simulator by any sense of the word now. No other sim captures the atmosphere of F1 like Codemasters latest. I am truly loving it and it is my go to race sim at the moment.

I really do think they have nailed it this time.

 

[Nick Hill]

"Sim" means different things to different people but, for me, Codies has officially entered sim territory with 2018. Up to about 8/10s, these cars feel absolutely glued to the road (tons of more "traditional" sims screw this up, big time). At about 9/10s push, you've gotta start managing the grip, but with some focus and practice, very doable lap after lap. At 10/10s, the magic happens - F1 2018 gives you the feedback you need to feel your way right to the very ragged edge with just the bare minimum cushion to bail yourself out when you've gone too far (somewhere else many "traditional" sims fall flat on their face).

It's awesome.

 

[Andy_J]

Just watching the AI in replays looks so good. The movements of the cars going over curbs and the heat haze etc. Just looks so damn good. I said last years version was as good as GP4, this years is better. They must have had Geoff Crammond as a consultant.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

"Sim" means different things to different people but, for me, Codies has officially entered sim territory with 2018. Up to about 8/10s, these cars feel absolutely glued to the road (tons of more "traditional" sims screw this up, big time). At about 9/10s push, you've gotta start managing the grip, but with some focus and practice, very doable lap after lap. At 10/10s, the magic happens - F1 2018 gives you the feedback you need to feel your way right to the very ragged edge with just the bare minimum cushion to bail yourself out when you've gone too far (somewhere else many "traditional" sims fall flat on their face).

It's awesome.

Disagree, at 10/10 is where the game brakes down, where it makes me wish i was playing something more sophisticated/hardcore.

When trying to go for record lap times is exactly the time weird setup options and bad FFB expose themselves.

At 9/10s it's enjoyable.

 

[lopsided]

2016: I felt little to no useful feedback. Sure it rumbled over kerbs lol but driving was arcadey feeling. As I turned the wheel there was weight and resistance but the wheel weight was gone after it popped back to center. Literally no feel that would communicate helpful feedback, i.e. loss of grip. I would rate it's FFB last on the list of every title I play. (AC, R3E, Automobilista, rF2) It was like using a spring loaded controller that was shaped like an expensive wheel, lol. Forget about tweaking or adjusting it was simply the worst FFB I'd ever experienced.

2018: Wow, was this really made by the same people? I feel grip, texture/bumps, weight... now we're cooking with gas! Personally I am far more concerned about having the kind of feedback that properly relates grip to me. I don't like games that give no feel for loss of traction as you never know when you're on the edge, just that you've blown past it. Only 10 hrs playtime and one drive made me realize it truly was a different beast. I haven't even started tweaking it yet and I'm already satisfied.
I didn't purchase 2017 as I was so disappointed in 2016 but my friend tells me it was a huge turnaround so I imagine it's closer to 18 than 16.

Downside, 2018 is quite buggy. I use a SimX wheel and can't seem to find a workaround to use any plugins (Sli Pro, Fanaleds, DashmeterPro) as they freeze the game after boot. But at least I can play without them so hopefully I'll find a fix or they will patch if needed since I'm unsure who's software needs the upgrade.