Remembering classic games: F1 97, PlayStation (1997)

If you’re wondering, the reason we’ve selected F1 ’97 from the wealth of official Formula One games isn’t because it was an especially exciting season. And, no, it’s not because we choose these things by lobbing a dart at a dartboard covered in game names either. F1 ’97 was the second licensed PlayStation F1 game, but it’s notable because it’s the point when developer Bizarre Creations really hit its stride.

Splitting handling out into separate Arcade and Grand Prix modes allowed the game to commit to a more simulation oriented physics model for those who wanted a proper challenge. There was no danger of mistaking one for the other either, as for some reason Arcade mode had a different colour grade that was so vivid it looked like the saturation knob had snapped off on your Trinitron. 

The game featured the same revolutionary TV presentation, mimicking the official broadcast graphics, from the first game. Also returning were the vocal stylings of everyone’s favourite F1 commentator Murray Walker. In this game, Murray celebrates you setting a new fastest lap in free practice like you just rescued an infant from a burning building. By comparison, then newcomer Martin Brundle, joining commentary for F1 ’97, sounds like he’s being forced to read the Formula One rulebook with a gun pressed to his temple.

This would be the last F1 game developed by Bizarre Creations before the studio turned its attentions to the game series that eventually became the exceptional Project Gotham Racing. The next game in the series, F1 ’98, was made by an entirely different developer and was truly abysmal, leaving F1 ’97 the high water mark for several years. And as for Martin Brundle, it’s fair to say that his commentary skills have significantly improved over the past 27 years...