While F1 05 suffers in the same areas as the previous seasons game, it is a let down in many others.
And I'm afraid I'll have to start this review of F1 05 off by saying that it suffers again from driving pysics that would make 'Big Rigs' blush. Ok, so I am exaggerating just a little. But 'Studio Liverpool', the creators of F1 05; decided the best way to solve the 'motorised-ice-hockey sliding all-over-the place' physics of F1 04, was to remove any sense of realism from F1 05.
The cars handle nothing like an F1 car in real life. For example, it is almost impossible to spin out under braking in F1 05. F1 drivers will tell you that in reality this happens all too easily. Also in F1 05, the cars neither understeer or oversteer. All F1 cars will understeer or oversteer to an extent in reality. Not one car is completely neutral. But in F1 05, the cars handle like your everyday Ford Fiesta on a Sunday drive. It just...turns. There is no sense of reward because it is so sterile. However, it is at least manageble.
And how about the damage physics? Yet another place F1 05 has gone backwards. The amount of punishment the cars can take in F1 05 before any damage shows up at all is truly ridiculous. In a real F1 car you can destroy the suspension hitting an armco at 30mph. However, in F1 05 you are able to hit a barrier at more than three times than that before what? Your front wing falls of and you get a puncture. Thats it. Its pathetic!
Onto the graphics, and at least this is one thing F1 05 has going for it. Although the titles preceeding it were not terrible, F1 05 takes the visuals to a new level. Car models are vastly more detailed as are the enviroments. Reflections on the car bodywork have also been improved a little.
The sound quality in F1 05 has been improved too. Now, the cars really do sound like F1 cars in reality. Although this does only seem to be during game play. During replays the cars are far to quiet and sound to echoy. I doubt thats even a word but hey...
Career mode is more or less the same as it was in F1 04. As I have already gone into great detail about it in my review of F1 04, I shall not here. Career mode is where you create your own driver and then play through five full seasons. You start off with a back marker team and work your way up to the top, depending on your performaces.
As you can already tell, it is very much the same. Only diffrence is now you cannot choose your own helmet design. You unlock new designs as you score points. To be honest, I much more preffered being able to choose.
I have also gone into great detail about the other modes in my F1 04 review, so if you want a description of them then go there.
In conclusion, this game is not worth the money you'd pay for it. F1 06, F1 05's succesor; is a much better all rounder.