Xbox 360, PS3, PC, £ 39.99, 3 +; Codemasters

Despite Formula One high status in the pinnacle of motorsport, and its claims to be the most watched sport in the world (at least on TV), in the past, games bearing his imprimatur have the difficult to achieve equally high reputation. But since the acquisition of the license Codemasters F1, has worked hard to give it more credibility F1 games, and pulled the stops including F1 2012.

built sports franchises, with its annual repetitions, usually difficult to provide a compelling reason to buy a new effort each year, which was significantly higher than in the spirit of the occasion Codemasters. So, there are many new additions.

The first is a new beginning for the career mode: young drivers test. It is essentially a tutorial, divided in two days of exercises, and is quite think the Gran Turismo racing license tests. Experienced players will be running ridiculously easy, but provides an entry point much more immediate and less intimidating for tyros, it should be applauded.

As always, the career mode offers great flexibility. If you have all the time in the world, you can do a full season with all the workouts, endurance races, etc. or you can choose the truncated practice and qualifying and races as short as five towers.

F1 2012 has an interface much improved over previous versions. Once caught in a weekend, always just about everything by his race engineer, but the overall design of the game is much more logical, aided by the bucket-style screens.

car feeling and management has always been exemplary since the acquisition of the license Codemasters F1 and this year, the cars are supposed to have become more stable, but only very serious race fans sim would notice that. You have to be careful to put the power after very careful and slow corners on the throttle in the water - do not expect arcade style concessions. Cars, as in real life, are difficult to handle (especially if you despise traction control), which is exactly as it should.

F1 2012 is incredibly polished, polite and very well done, and it is difficult to imagine how Codemasters have developed other ways to distinguish it from its predecessors.

Season challenge alters the dynamic game very intelligently, and yet it is more accessible to casual players at the end of the spectrum. For some distance the best game ever Formula One. But if this will help you to an audience beyond the faithful fans of F1 remains to be seen.

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