Review by:   Mark Arnott

Game:        F1 Manager
Publisher:   Europress
Format:      CD-ROM
Available:   Out now

Requires:
 
O/S:         DOS 6.22+ or Win95
Processor:   486DX2/66+
RAM:         8Mb+
Graphics:    SVGA 1Mb
CD-Rom:      X2
Soundcard:   All major cards supported

Tested on:

O/S:         DOS 6.2 - Windows 95
Processor:   Pentium 100
RAM:         24Mb
Graphics:    SVGA 1Mb
CD-ROM:      Quad speed
Soundcard:   Soundblaster AWE 32
Controls:    Keyboard & Joystick

F1 Manager

"You wait for ages for one, then they all come at once!"

The above statement normally applies to taxis or buses but in this context in refers to Driving Sim's/Games.

It seems that the industry had pre-empted the glorious victory of Damon Hill and the increased interest in Formula One racing. As the market is now flooded by all things that drive. F1 Manager takes a refreshing look at the genre from a different perspective. I would take a guess that most people who buy this game will already own F1GP2 and the difficulty will be actually prizing yourself away from the sharp end to sample this approach to the more finer points of the sport.

The game starts with a view of an office which is not very inspiring, especially if you have just been getting a few quick laps in at Silverstone. But this is really just the main menu screen as it is scattered with hotspots which, when clicked upon with the mouse, take you to more screens with hotspots. This actually does work well, but at first I just wanted to throw a car together quickly and get onto the track, I found that there is no quick-start in this game! You have to start by getting some dosh together so that your cars can be built, this means speaking to the bank manager and negotiating deals with sponsors. The tiny advert spaces on the car and drivers overalls/helmet can be offered to prospective sponsors to get them to invest more money in your team. There is a picture of a face that indicates if you have a deal or not, if you offer a space on the drivers cuff the face hardly moves, but if you go for big spaces on the side-pods the face gives a big smile with sparkling teeth.

Once all of the sponsorship money has been aquired then the parts for cars can be designed or purchased. There is a nifty little "CAD" type facility where you can design your own bodyparts or they can be bought ready made. When the car is to your liking it can be placed in a wind tunnel and tested for downforce, aerodynamics and other good things that will make the package a winner.

The game can be played with a team that has been totally put together by you, or you can choose to manage a top team such as Williams or Benneton. The latter option will get you to the action quicker. If you think that your team is ready for the season, a mouse click on the diary will enable advance of time to the first race of the year. The truck gets loaded by the player and off you go to the track for the first days practise. The event starts as in the real world by arriving three days before the race, all practice and qualifying sessions have to be carried out to try for the elusive pole position (so elusive in fact that I never got there!).

The two main screens at the track are in the garage where car setup such as wing settings and fuel load is altered, or on the pit wall where you can watch the cars doing the business. The car positions can be monitored by looking at the TV monitor which offers many different viewpoints, such as in car, helicopter, trackside etc. You can also track the progress by watching another monitor which shows a plan view graphic with the cars represented by symbols which move around showing the respective positions. The teams coach can be entered for discussions about contracts and tactics

During the race there is not much to do apart from watch the activity through the monitors, this is where I do my Frank Williams impersonation by looking very nonchalent and not showing any facial expressions. The pit stops can be pre-arranged by using team orders, or forced upon a driver by radio if need be. The stops can be carried out by the computer, or by you with the mouse - which is not at all easy.

The quality of graphics is good for the full screen viewing of the race, and the general appearance of the game is pleasing to the eye. Sound effects feature realistic samples all through the game, and help the atmosphere. I was quite crap at this game, which is probably due to the fact that I did not have the two weeks spare time that I reckon would be needed to learn all the features that the game offers. Of all the manager sim's, I would make this one top of the heap. It is orientated towards the behind-the-scenes activities such as money and engineering, which in reality are the two most important factors of Formula One Racing.

Finally I must apologise to Mr Jaques Villeneuve for loosening his wheelnuts during the racing :)

====================
Rating: 7/10 (Good!)
====================