Frontier Developments' F1 Manager series got off to a solid start with last year's F1 Manager 2022. The game was accessible enough for casual Formula 1 fan but retained enough detail to satisfy hardcore enthusiasts.
However, for several players, the game lacked the kind of depth seen in other sports management franchises like Football Manager and Out of the Park Baseball, missing key features such as junior formula simulation, sprint races and more detailed tyre modelling.
Also, apart from playing through the career of a team principal, F1 Manager 2022 lacked any other game modes, even denying players the opportunity to switch teams mid-save.
With this in mind, we were given the chance to go hands-on with an early build of F1 Manager 2023 and see if the development team is onto a winner this time around, or if it has hit the gravel trap on lap two.
The main headline from F1 Manager 2023's pre-release hype is the addition of a new game mode: Race Replay. This allows players to jump into a bite-size chunk of the title's core gameplay, focusing on controlling a team during a real-world race scenario. This cuts out the more mundane background tasks like staff management and facility upkeep to provide a more streamlined experience.
The Race Replay we sampled concerns this year's Monaco Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen ultimately took an easy win ahead of the experienced Fernando Alonso. It’s appropriately titled “Fernando’s Gamble”.
Source: Autosport