We’re fast approaching the end of F1 24’s first month, but some fans are still asking how the game differs from last year’s offering. As with all annual sports titles, it’s a huge task convincing players to part with their hard-earned money for a new entry in a series.
So how does F1 24 differ from F1 23? Is there a significant upgrade? And if there is an upgrade, is it enough to justify the game’s price tag? Let’s find out!
F1 24 vs F1 23
Every time a new entry in a series is released, fans are quick to compare it to the previous title. In F1 24’s case, this draws comparisons to the rather divisive F1 23.
Despite revolutionizing the franchise with the addition of F1 World, F1 23 was still considered by some to be lacking the innovation Codemasters’ F1 series needed. The game did see the return of the Braking Point story mode, a popular choice in some sections of the fanbase.
F1 24 therefore did have quite a lot to live up to when it was released last month. So how does it stack up compared to F1 23 when it comes to gameplay, handling, visuals, and other features key to fans?
Lacking innovation
The gameplay between F1 24 and 23 is basically identical, with the only major difference being the overhauled Career Mode found in this year’s game.
This allows players to drive as one of the existing 20 F1 drivers for the first time in the series, as well as take on the F2 grid on the climb to the top. This is as well as beginning a career as either a created driver or as one of the legendary F1 Icons available in F1 24.
Driver Recognition sees your status in the team directly affect car development. If you have a higher status, you’ll also have more control over the direction of the car’s upgrades. Losing status will see your teammate win more favor instead.
Players who choose to take on the role of an existing driver will be tasked with completing Driver Accolades. These are tailored to the chosen driver, adding long-term milestones for players to complete.
Challenge Careers have been designed for players who want a quick burst of racing. These are made of condensed seasons, placing players in the racing boots of one of the 20 F1 drivers. The driver, team, and races rotate with every season, with the community able to vote for the next season’s content.
In terms of Career Mode then, there are some pretty decent changes. Beyond these new additions, however, there is very little to separate F1 24 from last year’s entry. F1 World is largely unchanged, while My Team hasn’t been touched at all this year.
So with the gameplay basically identical, what about the handling?
Getting to grips
F1 24’s handling upon release is best described as polarising. Despite being developed with the assistance of three-time world champion Max Verstappen, Codemasters were forced to rework the handling within a week of the game launching.
This rework saw the handling move closer to F1 23’s, with the original F1 24 handling being a significant upgrade from last year. This does mean that the game as it is played now is very similar to F1 23, but there is still a noticeable enough difference when out on track.
Setup metas have changed this year as a result, with the suspension geometry and tyre pressure flipping completely compared to last year.
It’s a shame that F1 24 wasn’t allowed to move further away from F1 23 when it came to handling, but ultimately it was felt that the changes made were too drastic compared to what some sections of the community were expecting.
Considering the majority of complaints came from content creators and esports drivers, it appears as though the elite levels were those struggling to get to grips with the game. For the causal racer, F1 24’s original handling model was seen as a step in the right direction.
The reversion of the handling does mean that F1 24 lost one of its key selling points, as well as a separating factor from F1 23. With the handling now only seen as a minor improvement, many are starting to argue that the game is no different to F1 23 during races.
So with the gameplay and handling struggling to differ from F1 23, how does F1 24 stand out when it comes to visuals?
Marginal upgrades
The fairest way to compare F1 24 and 23 visually is to use the 2020/21 F1 cars as an example. The liveries changed, and some minor visual modifications were made, but ultimately the appearance at first glance was the same.
F1 24 does contain some minor graphical upgrades. Codemasters have managed to squeeze some extra performance out of the Ego engine that’s powered the series since F1 2016. Besides that though, the games are almost identical when it comes to graphics.
It is, however, a slightly different story when it comes to the circuits. Silverstone in particular has been given a major overhaul this year, with the British icon now more closely resembling its real-world counterpart.
Spa is another track that’s been brought more in line with its real-world appearance, especially on the infamous climb up Eau Rouge and Raidillon. F1 24 has seen a lot of other older circuits also given minor tweaks to bring them up to modern standards.
The drivers have also been rescanned for F1 24. With the F1 driver lineup remaining the same between 2023 and 2024, this was a good opportunity to grab higher-definition 3D scans of the grid.
So not a lot has changed graphically, but Codemasters has put a lot of care and attention into the minor details. This is actually a good step for the studio, with many fans complaining about the appearances of the tracks and drivers for some years now.
Therefore the visuals between F1 24 and 23 are arguably the biggest difference. But does that change justify the price tag players are having to pay to purchase F1 24?
Is F1 24 worth it?
As stated in our F1 24 review, it is very difficult to justify the price of this year’s game. The new Career Mode, upgraded handling, and marginally improved visuals are enough to consider F1 24 its own title, but the game is still bogged down by its hefty price tag.
With the Standard Edition costing £59.99 and the Champions Edition setting players back a whopping £79.99, F1 24 needed to have a night-and-day difference compared to last year. Unfortunately, the nerfed handling and lack of innovative game modes means this year’s title is almost an expensive expansion pack for F1 23.
That being said, if the price of F1 24 were to drop, then that would justify the purchase. Being able to drive the latest cars as the current grid of drivers is enough of a selling point for diehard F1 fans. Picking the game up during a sale would therefore make the game better value for money.
As a moderate upgrade package, F1 24 needs to be just a little bit more to stand out from F1 23. As more content is added to the game in the new seasonal updates, F1 24 will begin to step out from its predecessor’s shadow more and more.
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