F1 2018 Headline Edition - Xbox One

Codemasters has been making Formula One games for nine years now, and making every other kind of racing game under the sun for far longer than that. Suffice to say, the company knows what it's doing. That means that F1 2018 isn't going to break the mold for racing games. But then, F1 fans hardly want the mold breaking - they want a game as faithful to the sport they love as is possible, and F1 2018 gets about as close to that as you can without someone entrusting you with millions of pounds worth of car.

The on-track action is as faithful to the sport as ever, with tweaks here and there to tighten up the handling. Improved tyre modeling, for example, feeds into how it all feels, and if you ignore your team's instruction's to come in for a late game pit stop, you'll find your tyres 'falling off a cliff', with dire consequences.

That said, there are assists on offer for newcomers and those wanting a more casual experience. If you're after the full breakneck experience, mind, just turn them off and you're in for a hell of a drive.

There are some fun additions off the track, too. You'll have to handle post-race interviews, for example, and if you answer poorly you risk punching your team's morale in the guts.

Once again there are classic cars on offer, providing a very different handling experience to the modern cars and giving lifelong fans the opportunity to fulfill some childhood dreams. Another way to change it up is with Events mode, a series of what-if scenarios that are offered up for download for a limited period. The first one puts you in the cockpit of Carlos Sainz Jr and has you battling your way out of 14th place close to the end of this year's Belgian Grand Prix, a race that won't have happened when the game arrives.

So, whether you want a highly technical racing challenge or just the change to chuck some classic cars around a track, F1 2018 has plenty to offer. more