The Game:
I am in no way, shape, or form, a sports person. I do not like to watch them. I do not like to engage in them. And I do not like to play them in video games. I will admit, though, that I do have a soft spot for racers. Mostly I go for street racers such as Need For Speed, or flat out silly racers like Mario Kart. I rarely go after the sim racers, as they're a little more in-depth than I prefer. However, with the dearth of solid games available for the Playstation 3, I found myself intrigued enough by Formula One: Championship Racing to give it a shot.

And man, am I glad I did. Formula One has plenty going for it. Right from the moment you start, you have a wealth of options. You can do a quick race, a series, or go into career mode. I tried out the single races and the series races, and found that the cars handled very well. Even better, they respond differently to slight tune-ups, allowing you to customize the handling of your car not just for personal preference, but also to maximize the car's capabilities on each track. In addition, there are a wide variety of cars available from the start, and as you win races, you can unlock even more. The tracks are varied and each requires different handling. While some may find this annoying, I found it refreshing. I was constantly experimenting with my car to find the best balance that allowed for success on the track in question. The game defaults to easy when you start it, which is the perfect lead-in for novices such as myself. As you get better, you can take control of more aspects of the game manually. It's got a solid learning curve.

The best part of the game is the career mode. Set up like similar modes in EA's sports games, this mode allows you to create a character, try out for teams, and then take said team through a Grand Prix season. In-between races, you get emails from your agent and team management. You also get to read news about yourself and the other teams competing. This really gives you a sense of personal accomplishment, as you make your way from being a no-name beginner to a Grand Prix winner. This doesn't go as in-depth as, say, Madden or FIFA, but I always found those to be too intimidating. This mode has just enough depth to make you feel involved, without getting mired down in the smallest technical details that drag the game out needlessly.

Now, as I mentioned, I'm not a regular fan of Formula One racing, so the rosters provided here mean no more to me than a quantum phyiscs thesis, but in the interest of the review I did some research. Apparently the rosters provided here come from the start of the 2006 season, and the 2006 season saw some drastic changes. To me, this means diddly squat, but I can see how this would upset fans of the sport who want the most accurate sim experience possible. Also, although Sony advertised PSP interactivity with Formula One in the form of rear-view mirror capability, that feature has been dropped in the final release version. This is slightly annoying, as it's one of the reasons I wanted to give the game a try. However, I can only imagine the implementation would have been a novelty at best, and the game doesn't suffer for its exclusion, but it is worth noting that this will not connect to the PSP. One PS3 exclusive function that DID make it in is the ability to use the SIXAXIS to steer through its motion control, instead of the analog stick. Personally, I found this method to be far less responsive than the traditional controls, making it far more difficult to win races or even enjoy yourself. Still, it's there for people who want it.

The other thing the game lacks is split-screen multiplayer. This I found rather frustrating, as I would like to be able to race my friends and family without buying a brand new PS3 and another copy of the game to do it. The game does support LAN and online multiplayer through the Playstation Network. I gave the game a spin online, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up. I detected no lag or image breakdown. The game supports up to 11 players online, and you can throw in a few bots if you're short on people. And this will probably be useful, as I only saw 35 people online total when I went to play. I'm still peeved about the lack of split-screen play, though.

The Graphics:
Formula One runs at 720p, and the image quality is a mixed bag. The texture resolutions are low, but at the same time, certain details are very well rendered. The drivers look pretty awful, but the cars look great. The best part of the game is the framerate, which is smooth as silk and has nary a glitch. And the sense of speed is palpable. You really do feel like you're racing down those tracks. I have seen better racing games (Gran Turismo's HD concept comes to mind), but the graphics here are more than passable.

The Audio:
A big part of the authentic racing feel comes from the audio, and Formula One knocks it out of the park. You can hear the tires squeal, the gears shifting, the works. The audio is far more immersing than the graphics. The fidelity is excellent and the surrounds get great use. I love it.

The Conclusion:
I didn't expect to like Formula One nearly as much as I did. But the game is very well balanced, with enough leeway for beginners, and an excellent set of advanced controls for veterans. The game isn't perfect, with the lack of in-system multiplayer and graphics that can be less than impressive at times, but the spectacular audio and beautiful handling of the cars more than makes up for it. This one should deserves to be in your PS3 library. Highly Recommended.