STACK #201 Jul 2021

GAMING FEATURE

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big boys. There’s a variety of new characters to get to know, but we also welcome back the bad boy of 2020, Devon Butler. He was a standout from last year, and is surely going to

make his presence felt in F1 2021 . CURRENT AND NEXT

Good news for console players is that F1 2021 will receive a simultaneous release across both generations of platforms. For those on the newer versions, there will be the added bonus of ray tracing (for select portions of the game), significantly improved loading speeds, plus 3D audio and adaptive trigger support for the PS5’s DualSense. Codemasters really are pulling out the full array of party tricks! PLAYER TWO HAS ENTERED THE GAME This year, we’re very excited for the two- player career mode. Find a friend, imaginary or otherwise, and enter into a multiplayer career. Team up and race for your favourite franchise, or tussle with each other from other parts of the paddock. There’ll still be all the options to engage with rivals, invest in R&D to improve your ride, and fight for valuable contracts with bigger and better teams. It’s the complete F1 experience, shared with a friend. AS REAL AS IT GETS An exciting new feature will be race mode “Real Season Start”. Drivers will be able to enter into the F1 2021 season in real time as the race results come through. Jump into the seat of the championship driver as you attempt to manage the expectations of the man at the top. Or, if you fancy a challenge, take on the role of someone slightly further down the table and try to resurrect the season of your favourite driver. Players will be able to start at any time during the season to try emulating a win – or to correct an obvious injustice. THE CHEQUERED FLAG With a huge variety of It’s the complete F1 experience

AWINNING FORMULA It’s been nearly a year since the release of F1 2020 , and now racing sim fans are champing at the bit to peek underneath the hood of what F1 2021 has to offer. STACK got a sneak preview, and here’s what we discovered. Words Dan Nicholson

I t’s been a busy time for Codemasters, during which they’ve deftly navigated COVID restrictions to continue development, and were acquired by sports game juggernaut EA. With all of that on the table, it looks like we’re in for another excellent year, with some surprising new additions to the F1 2021 package. CIRCUITS, CHARACTERS AND CUSTOMISATION This season we get access to the full complement of tracks, with 21 circuits

halo stickers to all-new victory radio options for when you take the chocolates on race weekend. FIND YOUR BRAKING POINT Starting a single player career is set to be more detailed than ever. Expanding on the F1 2020 experience and spanning across three seasons, players will start amongst the up-and-coming driver ranks in F2. The challenge then will be to rise up through the ranks and make a mark amongst the

across the calendar slated for inclusion. We’ll see three new tracks – Italy’s legendary Imola, Portugal’s Portimão and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Street Circuit – arriving post-launch. All tracks will be available for multiplayer as well. We’ll get access to some of the absolute superstars of the sport, too, newly developed and looking more challenging than ever, including Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher. There’s also an absolute truckload of new customisation features, from personalised

• F1 2021 is out July 16

new tools and experiences at hand, everybody will be able to find something to style the experience of F1 2021 to their liking. From enhanced multiplayer racing to new customisation options, plus the awesome experience of racing as one of the all-time greats, F1 2021 is set to be chock full of excellent new features, which are sure to occupy many hours of fast and furious action.

12 JULY 2021

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