F1 24 Champions Edition

I organise racing nights, and every year the question is the same: is this year's F1 worth loading up on the big screen? For F1 24, the honest answer is 'it depends who's asking.' Codemasters rebuilt the career mode for the first time in years, and that part genuinely delivers. You can slot into the 2024 grid as one of the actual 20 drivers, jump into Formula 2 as a rising rookie, or bring in a created character, each path giving you a distinct feel for how the season unfolds. Driver ratings, team dynamics, and a full race weekend structure from practice to Grand Prix all feed that immersion loop well, and for solo career fans this is the most involving the mode has been in years. The handling is where things get complicated, and anyone who follows the sim-racing community already knows the story. Codemasters redesigned the physics model with input from Max Verstappen, aiming for a lighter, more natural feel. The result is a car that beginners and gamepad players will find much more manageable than before. Whether that is a feature or a problem depends entirely on your starting point. Wheel-and-pedal players and veteran sim racers were vocal about the model feeling too forgiving at launch, and those complaints had real weight. Codemasters patched and adjusted through the cycle, so the game you play today is smoother than day one, but the core philosophy of accessibility-first handling has not changed. If you are running a Thrustmaster or Fanatec setup expecting F1 23-level bite, temper your expectations. For casual players and newcomers, though, that softened handling is actually an asset. The adjustable difficulty options, optional assist systems, and a traction model that does not punish every exit error means a four-player couch session is genuinely viable without someone rage-quitting after the first chicane. Split-screen is supported, full controller compatibility is there, and DualSense and DualShock layouts both work properly. The visual side holds up too, with lighting and reflection improvements visible at tracks like Spa and Silverstone, and VR support if you have a headset gathering dust. The gaps are real and worth naming. The story mode that gave F1 23 a narrative backbone is gone entirely, which is a strange step backward. AI pacing at higher difficulties can feel inconsistent, with rivals suddenly surging past in ways that do not match your setup or ERS charge. Online multiplayer lobbies were also thinner than expected post-launch, partly a side effect of the community divide over handling. F1 World, the live multiplayer mode with Podium Pass progression, gives you a reason to keep logging in, but it leans hard on the seasonal content treadmill that EA-published sports titles tend to favour. Bottom line for my crew: if you skipped F1 22 and F1 23, this is a solid entry point and the career mode alone will eat your weekends. If you played last year's game religiously and ran a proper sim rig, the upgrade case is shakier than Codemasters would like to admit. Worth picking up when the price reflects the mixed-but-engaged player base it has built.

Riley · Scout Team

Sports & racing

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