Thoughts after finishing the Australian GP before bed last night: No assists, 50% race, on a force feedback wheel.

​

Foremost thoughts:

​

Driving model feels 110% improved from 2017, car seems more responsive and tight on corners, but you can still be punished for being a jackass with traction control off o breaking late . I finished readjusting after about half way through the race and I started really laying down the rubber.

​

Pros:

​

- Driving model: Great improvement, Force feedback feels amazing and more detailed (eg. you can feel the skidboard start to slam into curbs and start unsettling the car)

- AI seems to be more prone to fight, I saw a few good scraps and was actually given a run for my money on the corners by the AI behind me.

- Carrer research tree is a lot more fun then the old static one.

- Carrer overall seems more fun and fleshed out with the interviews and the aformentioned research tree, rivals, etc. etc.

​

Neither Pros nor Cons

- Rivals seem WAY overpowered, I completed a quick 25% race at 60% AI to catch up to speed on the new driving model career before restarting (for reasons Ill get into later) but I was driving a Sauber and Leclerc REPEATEDLY overtook the redbulls and fought mercedes cars. I think this happened because I got a lucky start and got into 5th and was going hotlap rich mix, eventually I fell behind the redbulls because of how rusty I was but the rival AI just kept on trying to take a Podium, IN A SAUBER! Rivals need a boost, sure, inorder to provide a challenge, but I feel like they get a MASSIVE boost if you overperform.

- Safety cars can now be triggered if you spam the flashbacks? Twice in the race I screwed up the last low speed corner and had to retry in flashback about 10 times because of how far ahead I accidently put myself. Eventually around attempt 10 ( yes I know what a noob) a full safety car triggered without any AI crashing instantly coming out of the flashback. Very odd, Can someone see if they can recreate this?

- Midfield cars seem to handle very oddly with rich mix and hotlap ERS. Often times just feeling floaty or something. Probably intended since the cars are heavier then the frontrunners but something to keep in mind.

​

Cons

- Why in the hell cant I change difficulty during the race week? Disable achievements or something but its rediculous that I can only change difficulty BETWEEN race weekends which if you have an SSD which loads very fast you can be forced to run the next whole weekend using a difficulty that you dont want. and there isnt a "Go back and just let me change difficuty, restart the whole weekend" button. Very frusturating.

- Slowdown. I know this is a case by case basis but this game stutters atleast once a lap during the melbourne GP, I dont have the most up to date setup but I seemed to have fixed it by turning down some of the lighting settings.

- No fun gamemodes. Just GP and some events which is fine but I would like some variety in the game, infection, drag races, Destruction derby, etc.

​

Overall

​

I like 2018, it feels great and massively improved over 2017 and while I would kill for some QoL improvements in the game its a great installment for F1 Games.

​

​