Pre-order F1 2019

Like a moth to a flame sustained by race fuel, I was drawn to many of the racing games available at E3 2019. One of the titles I took to the track was F1 2019, the latest entry in the official F1 series of racing games. I played the game and chatted with one of the developers, who filled me in on the new features that the game brings to the series.

The multiplayer side of the game seems to have gotten nearly a complete overhaul when compared to previous games. There are now weekly events, including scenarios to test your driving skill, such as knowing that you have a dodgy tire but seeing if you can make it back to pit before it goes. There are also weekly grand prix events including practice, qualifying, and then the actual races. Participating in such events net you competition points, which you can spend on customizing your driver and profile.

You have your own driver card, which can be customized to show off some of your accolades, and doing well in the weekly grand prix events will have you finding a neat trophy in your online trophy case. That case is viewable by other players who are checking out your profile, so they can know what kind of a driver they're dealing with. Your driver's face and helmet are customizable as well as your car's color scheme and livery.

Another big change to the multiplayer side of F1 2019 is the inclusion of league functionality from within the game UI. Gone are the days of relying on a website outside of the game to coordinate racing leagues. You can either search for and filter the list of current leagues as well as make your own if you don't find one that fits you. There is also an in-game mailbox and calendar, so you can keep track of your multiplayer schedule and communicate with each other.

Another thing that was noted was that the game will not only focus in F1 but also on the F2 racing series. The 2018 season will be included with the game at launch, and the 2019 season will come as free DLC sometime after the game releases. Drivers who start out in F2 will eventually graduate to F1, and you will see them in those races as well.

In the campaign mode of the game, you will race alongside two rivals. Your teammate is a friendly rival to you but still has your back as a teammate. Conversely, your other rival is a cocky prick who races dangerously and believes his own talent is simply greater than anyone else's. These rivalries persist throughout the game, and in between races, you will participate in press conference cut scenes, where you give different answers to questions that are asked about what happened on the track.

F1 2019 has a lot going for it, but the overhaul of the multiplayer side is a massive improvement to the series. Playing online and coordinating leagues has never been easier, and the game looks fantastic with the other new additions as well. It's fast and gorgeous, and it's now more feature-complete than ever.