FORMULA ONE 2003 FOR THE PS2
VROOM VROOM, RACE TIME

Following hot on the heels of last year's mighty Formula One 2002, Formula One 2003 continues to refine the experience, and makes for the finest Grand Prix simulation yet seen on PlayStation 2. Now totally exclusive to PS2, the latest instalment features all the 2003 season liveries on the cars, correct driver rosters and even the track alterations that have been made to the Hungaroring and Suzuka circuits. You'll also find that all the new rules and regulations that have been introduced to the sport - and made this season arguably the most thrilling for both spectators and drivers for many years - have been implemented, such as the one-shot Friday and Saturday qualifying laps. With an extremely strong engine already in place, developer Studio Liverpool has been able to turbo charge everything from the visuals to the AI of your rival drivers. Whether you're after pure white-knuckle arcade excitement or something a little more in-depth and realistic, Formula One 2003 has everything you could possibly wish for.

By Benbik
Posted Monday, September 29, 2003

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FORMULA ONE 2003 is the only game to incorporate all the up-to-date season statistics, as well as the likenesses of all 20 of the official FORMULA ONE drivers and all 10 FORMULA ONE teams with their current liveries. Every one of the 16 official Grand Prix circuits have been mapped to an astonishing level of accuracy, while the exhaustively-researched car performance and specification details are unmatched, thanks to data provided by the teams themselves.

FORMULA ONE 2003 provides a more authentic driver experience than ever before. It is the only title to incorporate the radical new rules for the 2003 season, implemented to make the sport more competitive and thrilling than ever. The authenticity extends to the new race weekend regulations, where Fridays involve an initial qualifying session, Saturdays the all-or-nothing one-lap qualifying session and Sundays the race itself.

Each circuit is modelled to greater detail than ever, and all objects - such as bollards, braking boards and advertising signage - will now be collided with if you miss your braking point, or misjudge the racing line and end up off the circuit. And it's not just you that can make expensive errors: new AI routines to incorporate driver personalities mean that computer-controlled drivers can act and react just as they would in real life - and even be just as fallible under pressure.

The damage you do to your car when you get things wrong is also more authentic than ever before. Whether you hit another car or the scenery, or suffer engine failure, the new damage and failure programming routines ensure you suffer the consequences in a realistic way. And it's not just you that can suffer engine failure; you'll also see your competitors retiring with blown engines and electrical failures, or making driver errors.

These levels of authenticity means FORMULA ONE 2003TM provides a completely immersive gameplay experience, yet still offers pick-up-and-play accessibility to all fans of the sport. You'll even enjoy commentary from the real-life commentators from FORMULA ONE TV coverage around the globe, from Martin Brundle in the UK, to Heiko Wasser in Germany and Matti Kyllonen in Finland.

So, whether you're cutting through the back-markers in the twisting streets of Monaco, or hanging on for dear life, flat out on the Parabolica Curve at Monza, FORMULA ONE 2003 promises to be the best implementation of the tension, exhilaration, spills and sheer adrenaline rush of FORMULA ONE racing yet seen, providing you with everything you need to be a FORMULA ONE driver - apart from the beautiful hangers-on and the apartment on the Côte D'Azur.

Average Rating 9/10