F1 05

"Formula One 05" for the PlayStation 2 was released on July 1, 2005, in Europe and later that same year in Australia. It featured the “Career Mode” concept from “Formula One 04,” in which players can work their way up through the Formula 1 teams over a five-year period (though each season is a repeat of the 2005 season). This game also supports EyeToy: Cameo, allowing players to superimpose their own face onto a driver when creating their profile—unlike in F1 04, however, they cannot choose their own helmet. The drivers featured on the cover are Jenson Button, David Coulthard, and Narain Karthikeyan. Players start by test-driving for smaller teams (Minardi, Jordan, and Red Bull Racing—as in F1 04, there is a generic car, but it’s only used in time trial mode). Over the course of their “career,” players then work their way up the starting grid through a combination of strong test performances and impressive race results. As before, consistently poor performance leads to being fired from the current team. There are also occasional “shootout” tests against the team’s second driver (or third driver, depending on the player’s current status within the team), in which both drivers complete five laps each, and the one with the fastest overall time (calculated as the sum of the fastest times in the first, second, and third sectors) earns the race seat. Players can now also view the trophies they’ve earned for winning races and championships after winning them for the first time in Career Mode. As in F1 04, “classic” cars (such as the Williams FW11) are unlocked once certain conditions are met, such as winning a World Championship. Helmets for Career Mode are also unlocked, and there is a hidden track (the Detroit street circuit used for the Detroit Grand Prix, as well as the Paul Ricard circuit in France ([citation needed])) for Time Trial mode. Since this game was developed before the qualifying rules were changed midway through the actual 2005 season, the Race Weekend, Championship, and Career modes. This game also offers online play options. It is particularly worth noting that the opening video features the song “Butterflies & Hurricanes” by the English alternative rock band Muse. For the first time in many years, fans agreed that this was a massive improvement to the series and exactly the boost it so desperately needed. Many had criticized Studio Liverpool for a lack of ambition and progress since the series debuted on the PS2 platform. With the release of “Formula One 05,” it became clear that Studio Liverpool had made significant strides in terms of game controls and AI. However, there was criticism that the AI was too easy on the highest difficulty level, as well as of the penalty system introduced in “Formula One 05,” which automatically reduced engine RPM during a penalty instead of the traditional “drive-through” penalties found in earlier games. Overall, however, fans agreed that—aside from these minor issues—Studio Liverpool had revitalized the franchise, laying the groundwork for improvements in anticipation of the inevitable release of the 2006 edition. See also[edit]