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FORMULA 1 98 (PS)
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Publisher: Psygnosis.
Developer: Visual Sciences. Released: October 1998. Genre: Racing. Posted 12th May 2020. By Tom Clare © 2020 |
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The reception Formula 1 98 was met with paints a fascinating picture of what happens when a big video game releases and is far worse than could reasonably have been expected. A shell-shocked media pointed out the game’s myriad technical failings, and how disappointing it was by the series’ usual high standards. Accurate observations, though there was a definite reluctance to carry the sentiment through into review scores, which sat around the 7/10 mark. Did they fear Sony’s wrath? A backlash from Psygnosis? It’s still a good racer, many were in a rush to point out, even if it isn’t a good Formula 1. More likely, they couldn’t have believed that what they were playing was as bad as it seemed.
In the cold light of day though, it was something of a calamity. Just as we marvel at great success stories, there’s something of a fascination with games that go wrong. In the many years since F198, publishers and developers have become larger, more tightly run entities whose worst-case scenario for an annualised update would likely be ‘nothing new, same as last year’. But that would be a lot less interesting to read about.
In the cold light of day though, it was something of a calamity. Just as we marvel at great success stories, there’s something of a fascination with games that go wrong. In the many years since F198, publishers and developers have become larger, more tightly run entities whose worst-case scenario for an annualised update would likely be ‘nothing new, same as last year’. But that would be a lot less interesting to read about.
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Two of the world's finest circuits, Nurburgring and Suzuka, have rarely looked shoddier since the advent of 3D graphics
Still, it’s a shame for what the game might have been. Bizarre Creations had jumped ship after two games at the helm, leading Psygnosis to offer the series’ 1998 iteration to Reflections, the team behind the riotous Destruction Derby 2. However, when they too withdrew to focus on the development of Driver, it was the relatively unproven Visual Sciences who were left holding the baby. With it, came the unenviable task of finishing an eagerly-anticipated racer in a narrow time frame, further evidenced by an unusually late release date that coincided with the final race weekend of the season.
Nowadays, a straight reskin of Formula 1 97 would seem the obvious choice, given how warmly it had been received. Every single circuit featured in the 1998 season, was present already in the 1997 iteration. Credit then to Visual Sciences for building a game that is in many ways appreciably different, lifting only sound effects and aspects of the menu design. However, everything else marks a significant regression.
Nowadays, a straight reskin of Formula 1 97 would seem the obvious choice, given how warmly it had been received. Every single circuit featured in the 1998 season, was present already in the 1997 iteration. Credit then to Visual Sciences for building a game that is in many ways appreciably different, lifting only sound effects and aspects of the menu design. However, everything else marks a significant regression.
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First and most unavoidably, the graphics, which are completely awful. A quite astonishing amount of pop-up and tearing affects the scenery and the race track, whilst muddy textures and ugly, pixelated cars make F198 look little more than a beta of its predecessors. The draw distance is really poor, whilst environmental effects, such as car damage and wet weather, look unbelievably crude.
The handling, so silky-smooth in the Bizarre Creations efforts, is a bit of a mess too. Cars feel lumbering and heavy, awkward to turn. Perhaps that’s to reflect the grooved tyres introduced for the ‘98 season? Either way, cars are unreliable under braking, whilst going off the circuit is akin to finding your car submerged in quicksand. The A.I. is embarrassing too. At the beginning of each race, their proximity to one another appears to cause a programming conflict, with cars swerving, randomly grinding to a halt, and typically causing a bottleneck at the first corner. Collisions are ridiculously basic, more like bumper cars at the fairground. Other signs of rushed development includes wet weather, which doesn’t affect the driving experience anywhere near as much as it should.
Commentary seems afflicted, too. It was so good in the previous two games. Here, Murray Walker will tell you who leads at the end of a lap and who wins. If you don’t fly off the road, he won’t say much else. Martin Brundle says even less, but I know he’s still on here: he’ll talk you around the corners in the rather nifty ‘Track Overview’ feature. Otherwise, there’s all the licensed circuits, teams and drivers, aside from Jacques Villeneuve, who remains ‘WILLIAMS NO 1’.
The handling, so silky-smooth in the Bizarre Creations efforts, is a bit of a mess too. Cars feel lumbering and heavy, awkward to turn. Perhaps that’s to reflect the grooved tyres introduced for the ‘98 season? Either way, cars are unreliable under braking, whilst going off the circuit is akin to finding your car submerged in quicksand. The A.I. is embarrassing too. At the beginning of each race, their proximity to one another appears to cause a programming conflict, with cars swerving, randomly grinding to a halt, and typically causing a bottleneck at the first corner. Collisions are ridiculously basic, more like bumper cars at the fairground. Other signs of rushed development includes wet weather, which doesn’t affect the driving experience anywhere near as much as it should.
Commentary seems afflicted, too. It was so good in the previous two games. Here, Murray Walker will tell you who leads at the end of a lap and who wins. If you don’t fly off the road, he won’t say much else. Martin Brundle says even less, but I know he’s still on here: he’ll talk you around the corners in the rather nifty ‘Track Overview’ feature. Otherwise, there’s all the licensed circuits, teams and drivers, aside from Jacques Villeneuve, who remains ‘WILLIAMS NO 1’.
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One or two tweaks make the Arcade modes more enjoyable to play, relatively speaking
There’s still the framework of a solid F1 sim in here. As before, tweaking downforce, brakes and suspension does make a tangible difference to the behaviour of the cars. There are some cracking race tracks like Imola, Suzuka and the older, faster Hockenheim, though as mentioned earlier, all 16 of its circuits featured in the previous entry, whilst the disappearance of Estoril and Jerez from the real-world calendar means they’re not in Formula 1 98. You can still run a full Championship, complete with all the times, tweaks and telemetry an F1 nut could ever hope for, and playing a season on Expert remains an absorbing challenge.
Where it fares slightly better is in its arcade modes. A few small tweaks make a big difference. These are typically more accessible, with slightly nimbler handling and less severe punishment meted for going off the tarmac. Arcade Challenge plays host to a sequence of scenarios as the player finds themselves placed gradually further down the grid in less competitive cars. It’s predictable stuff, but trying out the different machinery is a good bit of fun.
Formula 1 98 highlights perfectly the problems of rushed game development. It feels like the mere foundations of a racing game, with almost nothing in the way of refinement. Look past its ugly graphics, poor handling and litany of technical problems and, for fans at least, there’s a challenging F1 sim. It’s a big ask though, and for casual players, the arcade mode will likely offer the sole source of fun. Speed freaks were well catered for in 1998, with Gran Turismo, Colin McRae Rally and Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit having already provided far superior racing fare. But it’s comparisons with its predecessor that prove most damning: nowhere does Formula 1 98 manage to compete with what went before. A pale shadow of its great predecessors.
Where it fares slightly better is in its arcade modes. A few small tweaks make a big difference. These are typically more accessible, with slightly nimbler handling and less severe punishment meted for going off the tarmac. Arcade Challenge plays host to a sequence of scenarios as the player finds themselves placed gradually further down the grid in less competitive cars. It’s predictable stuff, but trying out the different machinery is a good bit of fun.
Formula 1 98 highlights perfectly the problems of rushed game development. It feels like the mere foundations of a racing game, with almost nothing in the way of refinement. Look past its ugly graphics, poor handling and litany of technical problems and, for fans at least, there’s a challenging F1 sim. It’s a big ask though, and for casual players, the arcade mode will likely offer the sole source of fun. Speed freaks were well catered for in 1998, with Gran Turismo, Colin McRae Rally and Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit having already provided far superior racing fare. But it’s comparisons with its predecessor that prove most damning: nowhere does Formula 1 98 manage to compete with what went before. A pale shadow of its great predecessors.
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VERDICT
"A pale shadow of its great predecessors. It feels like the mere foundations of a racing game, with almost nothing in the way of refinement. Look past its litany of technical problems and, for fans at least, there’s a challenging F1 sim." OVERALL: 4/10 |