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F1 25 is the newest instalment within the formally licensed EA Sports activities and Codemasters-developed racing sequence. And whereas there are definitely some welcome additions to this yr’s sport, it provides off the sensation of a extra iterative improve than we’ve seen for the previous few titles.
Assessment info
Platform reviewed: PS5
Accessible on: PS5, Xbox Sequence X|S, PC
Launch date: Might 30, 2025
I nonetheless very a lot take pleasure in these video games as a System 1 head, and followers of the game will discover a lot to love about this yr’s launch. The return of the Braking Level marketing campaign mode is a spotlight, as soon as once more providing a surprisingly compelling story with a roster of charismatic characters.
Adjustments to the My Group profession possibility are additionally very welcome. Whereas it’s not fairly the main overhaul I hoped for (and falls quick in some regards), it’s completely a lot much less of an afterthought now and properly price taking part in alongside a single driver profession.
On prime of that, the brand new decal editor is a stunning addition, providing you with much more freedom to customise your automotive liveries. All welcome options for a sequence that’s routinely discovered itself in our best racing games information.
The sport additionally advantages from current-generation exclusivity, as some tracks have been absolutely redone through LIDAR scanning. Whereas it’s solely a handful of circuits presently, they undoubtedly seem rather more detailed and lifelike than in final yr’s sport.
However even with these new additions, F1 25 can’t keep away from being strikingly much like the previous couple of video games within the sequence, most notably F1 24 in fact. That’s the nature of annual releases, certain, particularly these within the EA Sports activities secure. But it surely leaves F1 25 feeling slightly prefer it’s going by the motions when you’ve skilled the handful of recent additions. I’m actually hoping that, alongside the game’s real-world regulation adjustments in 2026, Codemasters’ subsequent entry can present a extra noteworthy shakeup to the long-running franchise.
A Butler’s life
I believe it’s truthful to say that F1 25 has loads of content material to take pleasure in for many who want to play solo. And if that is your first time with a Codemasters F1 sport, I extremely advocate trying out the brand new Braking Level marketing campaign.
Braking Level follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional Konnersport racing staff, which assumes the position of the eleventh outfit on the grid. This newest entry follows the staff by the 2024 and 2025 seasons, as they rise from midfield giants to real title contenders.
The spotlight of Braking Level is its story and cutscenes, that are delivered to life by a roster of very proficient actors. This third entry can be essentially the most compelling but, and I discovered myself persistently rooting for Konnersport because it’s repeatedly hammered by all method of setbacks and controversies.
Braking Level additionally doubles as a reasonably glorious tutorial. Every chapter focuses on a selected monitor and introduces ideas like mechanical failures, crimson flags, pit stops, and staff orders in an accessible method.
There’s some replay worth to go round this time, too, as sure story beats will let you select one in every of Konnersport’s two drivers – Aiden Jackson and Callie Mayer – for sure chapters. Such selections will have an effect in your staff’s fame, efficiency, elective aims and the way the staff is seen within the information and on social media.
At round 5-6 hours, it’s a well-paced, compact story mode and does properly to get new gamers on top of things with the sport, all whereas offering a compelling narrative. For me, it’s the most effective factor about F1 25, and I hope Codemasters explores extra story mode alternatives like Braking Level for future video games.
Wheel data
It’s additionally price hopping into the My Group profession mode this yr, as F1 25 has offered it with a much-needed improve. It’s not fairly the overhaul that you just may’ve hoped for, nevertheless it does not less than make the mode price taking part in alongside the Driver Profession mode, which had its improve in final yr’s sport.
A considerably in-depth setup course of could have you choose your staff principal from a wide range of preset avatars. There’s a better number of these in F1 25 (for each your principal and player-created drivers, which is nice), even if you happen to received’t see them a lot in the course of the profession mode itself.
You’ll then get to select your beginning funds, managerial type, and automotive growth progress, every with three presets. From there, you’ll choose a title sponsor, your engine supplier, and your two beginning drivers.
Mentioned drivers are the place this My Group overhaul exhibits its first fumble. Regardless of your beginning funds, you’ll solely be capable of select two of six F2 drivers, that are seemingly picked at random. For those who needed Victor Martins or Franco Colapinto, however didn’t get them in your checklist, you then’ll have to again out and begin a recent save. You’ll be able to’t even poach any F1 expertise, as a substitute having to provoke driver talks with them, which happen all through your first season.
The precise managerial facet of issues does fare higher. Analysis and growth have now been break up into two, that means you truly need to construct new improve components after they’ve been researched. You’ll usually end up having to decide on which of your drivers receives these upgrades on their automobiles, too. Particularly if, say, you solely have the funds to construct one half, otherwise you select to construct two, and one in every of them will get delayed.
Greatest bit
I’ve at all times been a fan of Codemasters’ Braking Level marketing campaign sequence, and it’s again with a 3rd outing in F1 25. It appears like the tip of the trilogy right here, and it as soon as once more impresses with glorious cutscenes, performing, and a compelling elevating of the stakes. There’s even some replay worth incentivized this time, as you’re ready to decide on which of Konnersport’s drivers you management at sure factors within the marketing campaign.
Very like Frontier’s glorious F1 Manager 24, you’ll additionally have to spend cash on upgrades that profit the broader staff. These are available in personnel, engineering, and monetary upgrades and may drastically profit you in the long term. I personally prioritized getting engineering on top of things, with perks that allowed me to analysis and develop a number of components directly. This was essential in my first yr with a backmarking automotive that was in determined want of efficiency upgrades on the tail finish of this set of rules.
Essentially the most compelling factor about My Group 2.0 is that the entire thing appears like a balancing act. Even one thing so simple as deciding which of your two drivers to manage for a race weekend has some technique to it. For instance, if one in every of your drivers has been caught on the again for a number of weeks, it might have a severely adverse influence on their morale. So, taking handbook management of them for a greater likelihood at scoring factors can do wonders for his or her mentality and future prospects.
I ended up liking My Group 2.0 much more than the Driver Profession overhaul of final yr. Particularly so in F1 25, the place Driver Profession stays just about precisely the identical – even with the identical (frustratingly unskippable) introductory cutscene.
Fortunately, racing solo on the whole feels general higher in F1 25. That’s largely due to some AI enhancements I’ve observed in my time with the sport. Pc-controlled drivers now appear to get significantly better launches off the beginning grid, that means you’re much less more likely to instantly overtake a complete bunch of them earlier than flip one. In addition they defend their positions higher at increased problem ranges, and aren’t averse to dangerous overtakes when DRS is enabled down a straight.
One thing on the scanners
F1 25 additionally advantages from the introduction of LIDAR scanning for a handful of circuits. It is a course of that includes the staff taking laser scans of some real-world tracks for a heightened stage of element and realism.
5 tracks have been given the LIDAR therapy in F1 25: Albert Park, Suzuka, Bahrain, Miami, and Imola. There’s a noticeable bump in visible constancy on these circuits. Grass, curbs, and highway surfaces all seem a lot much less flat. On prime of that, there’s a ton extra by way of trackside element.
There have been extra visible enhancements with the drivers, too, who now look extra like their real-world counterparts than ever earlier than. Sensible upgrades like this be certain that the sequence is well-positioned to enhance its graphics over the following few years, and I’m hoping Codemasters retains the momentum going.
Now, this does imply there’s an apparent discrepancy between LIDAR scanned tracks and people which are but to obtain it. Moreover, I did spot some very distracting visible bugs on some circuits the place objects would sporadically flicker out and in of existence. It’s not each monitor, nevertheless it made racing at Circuit of the Americas, Mexico Metropolis, and Zandvoort, amongst a few others, extra painful than it wanted to be.
Ought to I play F1 25?
Play it if…
Do not play it if…
Accessibility
F1 25 as soon as once more has loads of accessibility and help choices for gamers of all stripes.
As at all times, you may set the depth of steering and brake assists, in addition to traction management and whether or not you need parts like security automobiles and pit stops to be automated or not. There are some useful subtitling choices right here, too, letting you alter their measurement and background opacity. A number of languages are additionally supported for staff radio messages.
Racing wheel gamers aren’t being not noted, both. F1 25’s management settings assist lots of the finest racing wheels. That additionally consists of PS5 racing wheels and PC racing wheels, with choices to regulate general steering sensitivity, power suggestions integration and extra.
How I reviewed F1 25
I clocked in 25 hours of F1 25 on PS5. That included a number of hours devoted to the Braking Level marketing campaign, seasons with My Group and Driver Profession, and a while within the challenge-based F1 World mode, which stays largely unchanged on this yr’s entry.
I primarily performed with a DualSense controller on an LG CX OLED TV, often hooking up my RIG 900 Max HS gaming headset to expertise extra immersive audio whereas driving.
First reviewed Might 2025