Formula One 06

In racing terms, Formula One 2006 is much like the Honda F1 team’s actual 2006 season: much potential and hype, but a disappointing end product. Several improvements have certainly been made to the game and you can see that the guys over at Studio Liverpool have made a big effort to chuck in some new features, but the limitations of the aging hardware have played against them and leaves the game running out of fuel shortly before the finishing line. What the game does show, though, is that with a bit of time and the extra processing power that the Playstation 3 will offer, the future could be very bright for the series indeed.

F1 06 is not a huge update but as a game on its own it’s quite impressive and does play on the PS2 quite well. Sony has put a huge effort into this year’s game and previous years and it’s beginning to pay off. With the contract up for renewal after next season, we expect F1 07 to not only be the first game on PS3, but the best and biggest F1 game yet. F1 06 just gives us a taste test of what to expect.

If you’re a hardcore follower of Formula One then there’s little else that can be recommended on the PS2 format other than this title – it’s as contemporary as you would want it to be with this year’s tracks and drivers, and there’s certainly enough gameplay modes to keep you coming back for more. For the casual fan, though, there’s a lot less to entice you onto the track, especially if you own any of the previous years’ efforts.

Formula One fans don't have a better console alternative to Sony's latest effort, and while it's by no means a perfect recreation of the sport, it does a lot of things very well. Casual fans might be best advised to stay away unless prepared to invest a lot of time into learning circuits and how to drive the incredibly powerful cars. The lack of online play is a bit disappointing, especially as the mode was removed without so much of a word from Sony, but there's still plenty of game to get stuck into. A number of small bugs are unfortunate, and there's no doubt that the PlayStation 3 game will be what fans wanted the PlayStation 2 version to be, but at least that game has a very strong base to build on.

You could compare this game to one of those probiotic drinks you can buy to help your stomach. It's full of good bacteria, things like driving aids and lots of modes, and it tastes nice - it's almost addictive, the challenge will keep you coming back, but it's something you can live without - not taking the probiotic won't have a negative affect on your life, in the same way lots of people could probably live without Formula One 06 due to a lack of major changes and the absence of online play. But hey, chemistry is a funny thing; maybe Formula One 06 will be the best thing that's happened to you, well, since the last one. Take a sip of Formula One if you wish, it might leave a bad taste in your mouth, or you could be pleasantly surprised - that's the risk with this formula!!

F1 06 is exactly what you expect. The game includes a detailed career mode but is missing online play, it also feels a little bit like some things have been held off for the PlayStation 3 version.

Ultimately, you get out of the game as much as you're prepared to put in. If you're going to have a six-lap Grand Prix and ram other cars into the hoardings, you might as well be playing Super Mario Kart. The long haul is where it's at, and though a full race may cause the hands to cramp and the brain to atrophy, it's marginally less painful than an afternoon spent with Jim Rosenthal.

Il est incompréhensible que les nombreux défauts des épisodes précédents soient une nouvelle fois de la partie malgré quelques ajustements qui soulignent des efforts certains de la part des développeurs. Ces derniers ont cependant oublié que le jeu était une production PS2 et pas PSOne pour ce qui est de son aspect graphique. Malgré toutes ces tares, Formula One 06 est séduisant et parvient à nous passionner une fois l'effet de colère passé. S'appuyant sur un excellent mode carrière et une durée de vie sans faille, il s'"impose" comme un titre à posséder si l'on est fan (et uniquement si l'on est fan) de la discipline. En attendant (beaucoup) mieux...