When you mention Formula One racing in the United States, youll often be met with a quizzical look. Mention the same racing series in Europe or South America, and the name will stir the same passion that football and baseball do in the US. F1 fans demand the same sort of updated rosters, realistic venues, and licenses that any other videogame receives, and 989 has delivered the goods. Formula One 2001s a solid racing title thats held back by its execution, not its design - however these flaws arent bad enough to turn off fans of the series.

F1s graphics arent bad, but they dont stand up to the level set by so many of the recent Playstation 2 titles. The games graphics engine does support all 22 racers on-screen at once, but at a heavy cost to the look of each car. It does not appear that all of the sponsor stickers or logos are present on the cars, making them all look a bit similar. When games like NASCAR 2002 are pushing 43 cars filled with advertising, its hard to understand why SCEE couldnt get 22 cars to do the same.

The 17 venues where racing takes place are all similarly underwhelming, but not horrible looking. The tracks themselves are generally bland and not very detailed. The games draw distance isnt particularly good, though its mostly an issue on straightaways, and not on the games many turns.

The news isnt all bad with the visuals because there are a few nice touches that SCEE implemented into the game. The rain effects are the best looking aspect of the game as rain pours from the sky and is kicked out from the tires in a huge spray of water. There are some nice smoke effects, and the grass flying if you cut across the infield. The framerate is often an issue, especially when multiple cars get together, and even when its steady it doesnt do a great job of conveying speed.

Continuing with the theme of the underwhelming technical aspects of the game is its sound. Car races are very, very loud, but the game just cant demonstrate this. The individual cars all have a realistic high-pitched whine, but when all 22 cars are close they sound rather pitiful. The announcing team might as well have been cut from the final version of the game, as they sound lethargic and dont add anything positive to the experience.

Where the game does well is in the actual racing, which is of course the bottom line in any racer. Each of the 11 teams that participate in Formula One are present, along with two drivers for each team. To someone that doesnt follow Formula One, 11 teams may not seem like many, but the cost of running a team is so prohibitive, that very few groups in the world can afford to put one together. Each of the series 17 tracks are also all present and semi-faithfully rendered.

Formula One 2001, like Gran Turismo is a simulation, so people that went to the videogame driving school of never touching the brakes need not apply here. Unlike NASCAR, the tracks are very involved, and being skilled on the brakes can be just important as knowing when to hit the gas. While most of the racing is realistic, there are portions of the tracks where cutting across the grass can gain you a significant amount of time.

As with any detailed racer, knowing your car inside and out will be greatly beneficial. You have the ability to play crew chief and adjust various aspects of your vehicle such as: fuel load, aerodynamics, gear ratios, braking, tire choice and many other options. You can still be successful without tinkering excessively with these minute details, but it will make trips to the winners circle come much more easily if you do.

All in all, Formula One 2001s whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The game doesnt look particularly good, nor does it sound very good. It does get things right when it comes down to the racing, which is after all the only thing that really matters in a racing game. If you are just a casual racing fan, this game may not be for you, but if you are an F1 fan, this game is worth a look