From assists and settings to game modes and flashbacks – there are a lot of things to consider when starting up F1 2021 for the first time.
Photo credit: Codemasters / EA
Starting out with a new game is always an exciting prospect, but it can also be a daunting one as well. This is especially true in a game such as F1 2021, where there is so much to learn and that blurs the line between casual and hardcore racing. To help people to get their heads around the game and the wealth of options it offers, as well as to ensure that any new players enjoy themselves as best they can, we’ve gathered together five game-changing tips to improve your first experiences in F1 2021.
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5. Avoid Time Trial Setups
It is always tempting when starting out to simply find the person with the fastest recorded time trial lap of a certain circuit and to copy their setup detail for detail. This is almost never a good idea. Not only do time trial setups not take things like tyre wear and temperature into account, but they are often on a knife-edge of balance so that they can maximise potential lap time gains. In fact, we recommend not touching setups at all until you’re a bit more familiar with the game – the base setup works just fine at most circuits.
4. Beware of Jumping Straight Into My Team
Since My Team was added in F1 2020, it has been the most popular aspect of the Formula 1 games. As such, many new players will want to dive straight into it the first chance they get. If this is what you are planning on doing, beware! Your car will be slow and difficult to drive to start with. Such a car can be something of a motivation killer, especially when you’re trying to learn the ropes at the same time. Consider driving a few races in a Mercedes or Red Bull first, as these will better help you to get to grips with F1 2021.
3. Adjust your Controller / Wheel Settings
This is a big one, but it doesn’t seem like an easy prospect to start with. There are a lot of settings to play with, and it’s not always clear what exactly each one does. Focus on a couple of key aspects, particularly force feedback. Force feedback is essential to help you feel the car and know when you’re pushing it to its limits, but the default settings can give you the wrong impression. Turning the force feedback strength down will give you fewer false alarms as you drive, allowing you to focus on yourself rather than the track’s surface.
2. Limit your Flashback Usage
Flashbacks are very useful things – they can help you to reverse race ending mistakes that would otherwise kill your fun and motivation to improve. However, if you use them to fix every little error, you’ll subconsciously take more risks than you should, and you’ll also interrupt your own flow and rhythm. F1 2021 has a new setting which lets you impose a flashback limit on yourself. We recommend using this, but keeping the limit at its highest setting, especially when starting out.
1. Use the Assists Correctly
F1 2021 has a plethora of assists available for players. They provide you with plenty of in-car support if you’re struggling, meaning that you can gradually disable more and more assists as you improve. If you’re just in it for some casual fun, then you don’t need to worry about removing assists over time. However, if you want to be the best you can be, make sure to change your assist settings regularly before you become too reliant on one or another. Taking the leap from full to medium traction control may seem frightening, but it will help you to get faster in the long run!
Did you find these tips helpful? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
