Formula One Championship Edition
Fans of F1 should enjoy this game, while the casual gamers will have to fulfill their racing needs elsewhere. Formula One '06 was released for the Playstation 2 and re-released on the Playstation 3 under the name of Formula One: Championship Edition.
These two games have greatly evolved in graphics and game play from F1 2002. F1 2002 was good for it's time but with players playing it for the first time it was hard to master with a step learning curve and more simulation style racing then arcade along with the lack of Driver Aids. But with F1 '06 they have added Driver Aids which help rookies with steering assistance, braking, stability control, visual aids, traction control, anti-lock brakes and automatic gearbox, all of which can simply be turned on and off.
Once you get used to the controls of F1 and you master the braking and gears you will be able to turn the Driving Aids. The two games have changed completely with graphics of the tracks. Rain and cars, as you can see with F1 2002 on the left and F1: Championship Edition on the right, have changed drastically.
You can select only two options, single or multiplayer. In single player you can choose from 5 modes: quick race, time trial, grand prix weekend, world championship, and career. In quick race you jump straight away in a race without doing qualifying races. You can choose which driver to race as and which track to race at. Time trial allows you to pick a driver and a circuit and challenges you to beat your current record for the track. Grand prix weekend is similar to quick race as you pick your driver and circuit, but you can also choose to participate in practice or qualifying runs.
World Championship will take you through the whole season starting from Melbourne to Interlagos for your chance to win the world championship. Career mode similar to World Championship as you can create your own driver and join teams by going on recruitment runs but there are only three teams to choose from: M1 Racing, Super Aguri, and Torro Rosso. As you progress throughout the season more teams will become unlocked, though you will only be able to join a team based on your rank. Eventually, after starting from the bottom of the pile as a test driver you'll soon be racing for the number one team with the world championship in hand. After unlocking the cars you can put them through the time trials.
Some F1 race fans maybe a little disappointed that the game takes place over the 2006 Season featuring all the official cars, circuits, drivers and teams of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship including Scuderia, Torro Rosso, Super Aguri F1 Team, Midland F1 Racing, Michael Schumacher, etc.
Next Generation Experience – extensive circuit details and lighting effects along with progressive dirt and car damage make for the most realistic racing experience to date on a F1 track without actually being in one.
Wireless Motion Sensing Technology - You can use the Sixaxis controller as a steering wheel, giving you the feeling that you're driving one. Sadly, it lacks rumble.
Race Online – Bring your racing skills online and race your friends at speeds over 200 mph. Complete online features include stat tracking and leader boards.
True Realism – Feel the buzz of the paddock and the excitement of race day with authentic pre-race car preparations. Warm up your tires and get ready for the race with the parade lap. Of course, if you want, you can just skip everything and jump straight into the race.
Live Action Racing – Experience the real pressure of a Grand Prix race thanks to unexpected collisions and race incidents.
Introduction of the Safety Car – Choose the correct race strategy when the safety car is out: will you make an early pit stop to avoid being stuck in the traffic?
This game crosses the chequered flag in pole position with a score of 7.2 out of 10
