F1 Career Challenge (PS2/Xbox $99.95)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

Formula One as an elite sport has a distinct flavour. It i s all about technique, precision and consistently finishing near the front of the field. It's a serious business, with drivers and technology operating at the limits.

Electronic Arts' long-running franchise has of late been stripping back the frills and features to focus on the driver experience and other elements that make F1 different from other forms of motor racing.

F1 Career Challenge's career mode is an incredibly detailed implementation of the 1999-2002 seasons. Every track, team change, car and driver is modelled from historical data, and overhauled game mechanics ensure these details make an impact in the game.

Driver AI is enhanced to accurately reflect individual competitors, their personalities and even their mistakes. The feedback from the Chief Mechanic combines with the overall attention to detail to create a real track atmosphere.

Progress through the seasons is tracked through your driver's reputation. Once a licence is obtained through a series of tests, you start with a small team and build from there. To grow in reputation you must meet or exceed targets set for each race.

As your reputation grows you will be presented with opportunities to sign with better-funded — and hence faster — teams, which will, of course, bring further challenges and tougher targets. The whole system works nicely, scaling difficulty as the seasons progress and matching improved playing style with better cars.

Opponent difficulty and weather settings are user options in single or multiplayer modes, but are chosen by the CPU in career mode along with damage settings and AI, both of which get harder as the game goes on.

Graphics improvements are evident in the level of detail in track and cars — audio is similarly slick. Handling itself is likely to be the main criteria on which fans will judge this game, and here EA draw on their long experience with F1 to provide a balance between realism and drivability.

Not just for fans, F1 Career Challenge is an entertaining and challenging re-creation of the world's fastest sport.