Formula One fans will likely already haveF1 2021’s release date already marked on their calendars. But the latest title in the long-running series has been specifically built to reach an audience it has traditionally missed out on. Developer Codemasters has gone to great lengths to add new features toF1 2021in order to broaden the game’s appeal.
Senior Creative Director for the Formula One game series, Lee Mather, sat down with Game Rant and spoke about the importance of the game’s story mode, Braking Point, as well as the challenge of adding a compelling story to a racing simulation title. Mather has been working on the Formula One series for years andF1 2021is the culmination of work and investment in storytelling expertise.
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Building off of F1 2019
F1 2019added to the racing game series a villain players could despise: Devon Butler. This rival racer was specifically designed to bring on the ire ofF1 2019players and he caught the attention of the fanbase. The narrative work invested in that game helped pave the way for Mather and Codemasters to take it even further.Braking Point inF1 2021revisitsthat same character but tells a unique story through the 2019 F2 season and into two years of F1. Lee Mather notes that inspiration and the confidence it gave them:
“After we dipped our toe in the water withF1 2019’s F2 feeder series, we thought: ‘We’re actually pretty good at doing the character side of stuff,’ which is quite daunting for a team that has traditionally made a racing game. It’s not easy to put in that sort of emotion that people want the characters to have. I think what we achieved with Devon Butler really gave us the confidence to push ahead with what we’ve done forF1 2021. So obviously, we put the wheels in motion back in 2019 for what we were going to do withF1 2021.”
Braking Point then came as a natural evolution fortheF1 2021developeras part of its overarching plan with the series. This story mode gives the racing simulation game a completely new aspect and, ideally, opens it up to new players. The combination of drama, rivalries, and racing that can be found in Braking Point already exists in the actual motorsport and this is the best attempt to recreate it in-game.
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Keeping F1 2021’s Braking Point Linear
Bringing a story mode to atraditional racing simulation gamerequired investment in professional writing as well as a careful approach. Mather and Codemasters worked hard to craft a compelling story but needed to convey that story in the most effective manner. This meant creating a linear path for players to follow.
“It was always going to be linear experience so we could control what was happening in the story. Obviously there’s only so many different assets you’re able to create so if everybody’s going to be able to take different paths, we would have to create so many different sequences and that would become very difficult to manage. And we’ve got a really strong story that we wanted to tell. That was the approach we took, we wanted everybody to have the same experience and for everybody to experience that same great story with a character-driven narrative.”
Keeping everyone on the same track meant that some concessions had to be made with regard to player choice. But it also meant that the story could be told the way it was intended. The focus ofBraking Point was on creating a compelling narrativeand limiting the player choice was the best option for the team. When players take on the challenge of this new mode, they will go through the same story as others, experience the same highs, and end on the same note.
The Drive to Survive Connection
Since the Liberty Media Corporation purchased F1 a handful of years ago, the motorsport’s aim has been to expand the racing series appeal. As part of this general approach, F1 andNetflixhave worked cooperatively on a documentary series calledDrive to Survive. This behind-the-scenes look at the motorsport has emphasized the drama and intense stakes often on the line in the world of F1. Its reach to non-F1fans has proven an inspiration forthe developers ofF1 2021to invest in creating a story mode in the game.
“I think the players, they’ll have watched Drive to Survive potentially and they’ll see how that translates to what we’ve done as well. There’s a lot of inspiration from Drive to Survive. So there was always a little bit of fear going into it, a little bit of a potential risk going into it. It is a slightly different direction, but we’ve retained the rest of the core of the game as well so this is an addition. We’ve built the game out again, broadened its appeal, and given players something fresh, new and exciting.”
By adding different features to their titles, Mather and Codemasters have been trying to cast their series net a bit wider. Because Braking Point is an addition rather than a replacement, it just gives players more ways to play the game. There remains player career options, multiplayer options,and now a legitimate story mode inF1 2021. The drama and action of the motorsport emphasized as part of Braking Point may just catch an audience the previous titles couldn’t reach.
F1 2021will be available on July 16 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
