F1 is properly back in vogue thanks to the Hamilton/Verstappen controversy of last year’s finale, Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries, and closer racing thanks to sweeping rule changes. Every team has managed to score championship points before the midway point of this season. Picking any one of these angles would be a great place to start for a racing game. So why does F1 22 start off by focusing on soft furnishings?
Well. Remember the ‘live the life’ ethos of F1 2010? This game takes that to its logical conclusion, giving you an all-new living space for your multi-millionaire avatar, which you can kit out right away with furniture, wall hangings and yes, dammit, soft furnishings of your choice. Other players can visit your space online and admire your race trophies, supercar collection and choice of uplighters. It’s not very interactive, though; you can only flick between rooms with left and right, rather than walk around your new abode, and the cosmetic options are pretty limited. It’s also worryingly geared towards microtransactions as you can buy ‘Pitcoins’ (groan) with real money to buy all the merch.
But did someone say ‘supercar collection’? Yep, for the first time in the series, the game allows you to collect supercars and display them in your living room to cement your status as having way more money than you need. Still, you can see the attraction. There are some real beauties available right from the get-go, including a gorgeous Ferrari F8 Tributo, and a rather snazzy McLaren 720S.