Why the F1 22 game is worth playing

Can you briefly take us through: what is the process of creating the game like?

The starting point for any project is always the creative vision, which is informed by our goals as a company, as a development team and by the sport and our players. Once everyone is excited about the title we’re going to be making, the details are fleshed out, the schedules are set and the team starts work on the development.

With an annual franchise such as F1, a degree of the planning for the game we wanted to make took place quite some time ago in alignment with our roadmap for the overall series. Nonetheless, we obviously build in time for things such as major sport changes, which has been one of the big headline features of the game and the sport this year.

Process wise, we have dozens of teams all working together to achieve the best for their areas of the game. This includes areas such as the Career Modes, Multiplayer, on-track experience and racing, alongside accessibility and new features, such as F1 Life and VR.

This season, of course, the motorsports class has experienced a major change with the rules. What effect do Formula 1's new regulations have on the gaming experience?

One of the most obvious is the inclusion of F1 Sprint weekends. These are present at three official race weekends, and outside of Career or My Team, we allow players to enable Sprint functionality.

And of course, the major rule changes applied to the cars have had a significant impact on the racing and on-track experience. With much of the aero performance now being produced via ground effect, the wings and adornments we’re used to seeing on modern F1 cars are now significantly simplified, making for incredible looking machines. The player will instantly feel these changes in the way the cars feel and move around, and also how they race. Racing closer, nose to tail and wheel to wheel, following a car more closely are all greatly improved this year.

Every year you will be working to further improve the game. Where do you think is the biggest improvement over F1 2021?

There are many areas of improvement across the game, as there is in any year. I’ve already touched upon the on-track improvements and the inclusion of F1 Life, the new player customisable hub within the game, but another big step forward for the series is the addition of VR on PC.

Formula 1 is the perfect vehicle to showcase VR. Sitting in an F1 cockpit in VR really gives the player a sense of how intense driving an F1 car really is. You can appreciate how cramped the cockpit is, and the true scale of the circuits, not to mention how terrifying it can be in full wet conditions.

Formula 1 is obviously booming all over the world. Do you notice that in the sales of the game?

Formula 1 has been showing incredibly strong growth over a number of years, both the sport and the game. It’s fantastic for us to be part of this new era in the sport, with Drive to Survive and a much stronger social presence, we’re predicting big things for the future.

Miami is in the game for the first time this season. Why is the track an addition to the existing tracks?

The Miami circuit was added as the 5th round of the Championship this year, adding another amazing circuit to an already exciting roster. With F1 22 being the official game of the 2022 season, it was key for us to include such a cool new circuit within the game. The race was a massive spectacle for Formula 1, and something we want the player to experience in-game.

Finally, why should people go out and buy the game?

F1 22 is the official game of the Formula 1 2022 season, it features all of the teams, drivers and circuits. Whether you’re a racing game fan, a sports fan or into competitive or a more casual race experience, F1 22 has you covered. The game also features the biggest shakeup in the sports rule changes in decades. Nowhere else can players get the full F1 experience as they can in F1 22.