EA and Codemasters have released the latest installment in the popular F1 racing series - F1 2021. This game continues to enthrall and excite audiences with its adrenaline-filled action and high-speed gameplay. Much to the delight of fans, many of the beloved features remain from previous F1 titles. However, there is one major change for this popular series.

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EA’s recent acquisition of Codemasters means there is a whole array of new features and changes, some better, some worse.

10 We Loved - Braking Point

F1 2021 isn’t EA’s first foray into sports simulations. The publishers are behind the popular FIFA and NBA game series, as well as the high-octane automotive racing game Need For Speed. However, F1 2021 is EA’s first Formula 1 game. With it comes the introduction of ‘Braking Point’, a story mode that builds upon the foundations of F1 2019’s career mode.

In "Braking Point" players must dominate the ranks in Formula 2, before selecting a team to drive for in Formula 1. It may not be the most compelling or well-written story in a video game, but this new story mode adds some extra hours of gameplay to the title and is largely enjoyable.

9 We Didn’t Love - How Slippy the Kerbs Are

For those with an aggressive driving style, F1 2021 has a very different on-track experience for racers compared to previous titles. Adjusting the handling of the car to accommodate for the reduction in downforce levels makes attacking the track very hard to do. If players hit a kerb they are likely to spin out and lose valuable time. This means that some more aggressive racing lines are no longer possible, even if they are the ones used in real life.

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Codemasters and EA have not issued a statement around this change. However, some fans believe it to be due to the increased refresh rate of the suspension, which in turn sends information to the game. This could have led to more vibrations, meaning less grip. It could just also be a flat grip decrease.

8 We Loved - Gameplay Improvements

F1 2021 has seen a number of gameplay improvements upon previous titles. Perhaps the most notable change comes in the form of handling. Whilst the lack of mechanical grip from the car surrounding the kerbs is a fault, the car feels much more alive.

The inclusion of technical and mechanical failures brings a whole new level of strategy and challenge to the game. In previous years AI could suffer random technical failures that could impact their race, but the players never faced this challenge. In F1 2021 this is no longer the case. Players can optionally choose to enable failures that must either be managed or lead to an immediate retirement.

Finally, the new damage model adds an intensity to close racing that fans have been desperate for. Drivers can now pick up damage to their cars' sidepods and floor, as well as front wing damage. Both of these new damage points have significant performance impacts and cannot be repaired during a race.

7 We Didn’t Love - The Graphics

The F1 games have always been exceptional when it comes to car models. The details on the chassis are gorgeous, especially on a PC capable of raytracing. For example, the difference between matte and gloss paintwork in the sun is more striking than ever.

That being said. F1 games have always struggled with their character models. With EA’s experience with hyper-realistic face scans with FIFA, some fans were expecting an improvement in the facial graphics. However, when the publisher bought Codemasters F1 2021 was already late into development and the face scans are… Terrifying. Special shout out to Estaban Ocon’s character model, who did not deserve that.

6 We Loved - Co-Op Career Mode

Co-Op Career Mode has not been in the Formula 1 games since 2017. In F1 2021, this feature makes a triumphant return. Friends can recreate tense rivalries as either teammates or opponents in online multiplayer.

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Two players can start at any point in the season and battle it out to gain bragging rights. The game uses real-time drivers and constructor's standings to simulate the leaderboard prior to that race.

5 We Didn’t Love - The New HUD

The new 2021 HUD has been designed to evoke memories of the real-life broadcast graphics displayed on a car's halo when riding onboard. Whilst the information is helpful and stylish when watching a race, it does not match the leaderboard and lap counter used in the game. This makes the new HUD look out of place. It is also in the middle of the screen by default, which makes it difficult to see the information and action.

4 We Loved - AI Improvements

In recent years, Codemasters have come under fire from fans for their lackluster AI. Some fans feel that the drivers have been too passive in their racing style. Players could divebomb up the inside and easily make their way up in the standings.

However, this year's game takes a different approach. Drivers will defend their position more aggressively and are more likely to launch divebombs of their own if they are faster than the player. On the other hand, AI can make more mistakes, leading to a much more exciting and unpredictable gaming experience.

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Furthermore, certain drivers will behave differently according to their real-life driving style. For example, Fernando Alonso is more likely to drive aggressively than more passive drivers like Lance Stroll.

3 We Didn’t Love - Backend Menus

Accessibility in gaming is an incredibly important topic. Codemasters has endeavored to open up their F1 games to as many people as possible by offering granularity in their settings. Examples of this include a large variety of assists to make the driving experience simpler and support for many different types of controller, from keyboard to racing wheel.

However, the Settings menu is now a lot harder to navigate and can be confusing at first look, which is at odds with their intentions. The company has created an incredibly complicated network of menus that are less user-friendly than previous games. For example, when setting up calibrations, players used to go into Controllers > Calibrations. It now has two separate menus, which is far less user intuitive.

2 We Loved - Customisations

Whilst the backend menus may be confusing, the increased customization when it comes to accessibility is a good thing. Players can now tailor their experience with more granularity than ever before. F1 2021 even has custom presets made for those who are looking to play casually, and for those who are more experienced.

Players have also been given more options when it comes to cosmetic customizations. The game has a large selection of new car liveries to choose from, including a new spot on the inside of the halo to place different stickers.

1 We Didn’t Love - The Game Didn’t Ship With The New Circuits

Every year prior to 2020, the F1 game has been released with all the circuits raced in that year's championship. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, F1 2020 did not match the calendar exactly as the FIA and Formula One Management scrambled to put together a season of races to ensure a championship could be held.

With the understanding the calendar may change, a rough draft of race circuits has been put together for 2021’s championship. That calendar includes races at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy, and Jeddah in Saudia Arabia. Despite knowing these circuits would be on the calendar prior to the season start, F1 2021 did not ship with these tracks. Codemasters has promised that all three circuits will be available as free DLC later in the year. However, the races at Imola and Portimao happened prior to the game's release date. Some fans are disappointed that they can’t race these tracks on release.

NEXT: F1 2021 Highlights the Cast of Its Braking Point Campaign, Features Returning Antagonist