“Braking Point” and “My Team 2.0” are the focus of F1 25. But is that enough to justify buying it when it’s released? We tested the new Formula 1 game on PlayStation 5 with a controller.
Everything is running smoothly: the car drives well, the drivers are in good shape, and Red Bull is only a few points ahead in the constructors’ championship. Will Konnersport pull off the big coup?
In fact, Red Bull had even been knocked off the throne at one point – the fictional team was on course for the title. But then owner Davidoff suffers a serious blow. According to EA SPORTS, it marks the turning point that will “plunge the team into chaos.”
Admittedly, when reading the announcement for Braking Point 3, my thoughts wandered to GRID Legends. There, the dramatic catastrophe became literal – complete with burning cars and over-the-top action.
Braking Point 3 a successful drawcard
Fortunately, this is not the case in Braking Point 3 from F1 25. Instead, the story offers room for character development and personal conflicts. Feuds and tensions: these are precisely the elements that make the characters tangible. People are interested in other people – and Braking Point 3 uses this to charge the story with emotion.
Racing remains very much present, even if it is not always the focus of the narrative. What is missing, however, is a clear table: points standings or race results cannot be viewed. This often makes it unclear which race is currently being driven – or how big the gap or lead actually is.
Well staged, difficulty is a weak point
The races themselves are entertaining, even over ten laps. Turning points within the Grands Prix provide dramatic tension. However, one weak point remains: the difficulty. Although the criticism of the predecessor has been addressed and a fourth difficulty level has been introduced, we still find the game too easy.
Opponents are usually easy to overtake, which means that the primary goal rarely becomes a real challenge. Optional additional tasks are more demanding, but ultimately do not determine success or failure.
The “News” and “Social Media” menu items are less successful. Here, the potential for interaction remains largely untapped. There are no opportunities to influence your reputation. Instead of the same office animations for active decisions, short cutscenes would be a good idea – they would give the characters additional depth, as they would have to react to them.
Speaking of depth in the characters: The phone calls you receive during the story are better done. They contribute to the characterization. With Davidoff in particular, it becomes clear that his role is more complex than initially assumed.
Conclusion: Braking Point 3 works as the driving force behind F1 25. The staging, characters, and dramaturgy are convincing. There is room for improvement in terms of difficulty and menu design, but the story mode remains a highlight of the game.
Change of perspective in My Team 2.0
The second driving force behind F1 25 is called My Team 2.0. As the new name suggests, EA SPORTS has significantly revamped the mode. The focus is now more on managing the racing team – and this change of perspective works.
This clearly sets My Team 2.0 apart from the classic driver career mode. At the same time, the mode gains noticeable depth. Research and development, the distribution of upgrades, contract decisions: many details are in the hands of the players – and have a direct impact on reputation and performance. This challenges and motivates players and brings new dynamics to the game.
Conclusion: The decision to develop My Team more in the direction of management was the right one. This makes the mode more distinct from the driver career mode, similar to the separation between manager and player careers in EA SPORTS FC 25.
Gameplay: F1 Worlds virtually unchanged
F1 Worlds and the general gameplay are easy to evaluate – because little has changed. One thing in particular stands out on the track: it has become significantly more challenging to accelerate out of corners. Mistakes are punished more quickly – even when driving over the kerbs. The AI is well balanced: challenging and courageous, without being unfair.
Is pay-to-win now also a factor in F1?
A more critical look is needed at the Podium Pass. This not only contains cosmetic items, but also performance enhancements for the car in F1 Worlds. The VIP Podium Pass costs coins, and ranks can also be unlocked using in-game currency. With the targeted use of real money, game-relevant items can thus be obtained more quickly.
F1 Worlds does offer competitive multiplayer races, but the rankings of the cars are identical. Therefore, the system is still within reasonable limits – in the first season, the driving advantages are manageable. However, the step towards pay-to-win has been taken – and that is to be criticized.
We are not yet able to provide any insight into the co-op career, as the cross-play function was not yet activated at the time of testing. However, we will follow up on this.
Conclusion: The gameplay and F1 Worlds are definitely fun. The fact that the driving behavior is a little more demanding and geared more towards competitive players is a good move. Despite the higher level of difficulty, it’s still easy to get started – even beginners and casual drivers should be able to get to grips with it with a little practice.
However, it remains to be seen whether the current driving physics will still be the same in a few weeks. In F1 24, the handling was noticeably toned down shortly after release via patches. A clear negative point for F1 Worlds is the move towards play to win.
Overall conclusion: The train isn’t moving fast enough
First things first: F1 25 is fun. Braking Point 3 works as a drawcard, and the revamp of My Team is also a step in the right direction. There are minor weaknesses and untapped potential within the modes, but the introduction of pay-to-win elements in F1 Worlds weighs much more heavily.
The crucial question is therefore: Are Braking Point 3 and My Team 2.0 enough to justify buying the game at full price? On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the standard edition costs $80 and the Icon Edition $100. On PC, they cost $60 and $80, respectively.
Our answer: No. At its core, F1 25 feels like an expanded F1 24 – with two additional modes, but without any fundamental innovations. Given the price and the possibility of changes to the driving physics via patches, we therefore recommend waiting for a discount before purchasing.
