F1 23

EA Sports F1 23 is an improvement on last year, bringing back the enjoyable Braking Point story, and providing better control on the track.

85%Game Brain Score

graphics, story

optimization, stability

85% User Score Based on 7,989 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 21 reviews

Platforms

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About

F1 23 is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game with a kids theme. It was developed by Codemasters and was released on May 3, 2023. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

![ImageAbout](https://cdn2.unrealengine.com/egs-f123-codemasters-g2-00-700x3442-d66e4111a518.jpg)

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,989 reviews

graphics189 positive mentions

optimization37 negative mentions

Significantly improved car handling and more responsive physics compared to F1 22, providing a more realistic and fun driving experience for both controllers and wheels.
Robust single-player content including a well-received story mode 'Braking Point 2', career mode with team management, and addition of new tracks such as Las Vegas and Qatar.
Good graphics and audio design with detailed car models, immersive atmosphere, and supports cross-platform multiplayer with several engaging modes.

Persistent bugs and crashes affecting gameplay stability; VR support is poorly optimized and often unplayable with frequent stuttering and jitter.
Flawed AI behavior including excessive aggressiveness, unpredictable racing incidents, and inconsistent penalty system that causes player frustration.
Multiplayer experience plagued by unbalanced matchmaking, connectivity issues, toxic players, and a confusing, laggy menu interface with microtransactions and intrusive monetization.

graphics
432 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
F1 23 offers impressive and realistic graphics with sharp car models, detailed circuits, and enhanced lighting and weather effects that elevate immersion. However, performance issues such as stuttering and blurry visuals, particularly in VR and night races, affect some users, and the graphics engine shows only incremental improvements over previous versions. Overall, visuals are praised for their quality and detail but are sometimes marred by optimization problems on various hardware setups.
- “Graphically, F1® 23 impresses with sharp car models, detailed circuits, and atmospheric effects like dynamic weather and lighting that elevate realism.”
- “F1 23 boasts a stunning graphical presentation, with realistic and detailed visuals of the cars, tracks, and environments.”
- “From the moment you hit the track, you're immersed in the heart-pounding world of Formula 1, with stunning visuals that rival the real-life experience.”
- “The framerate is inconsistent - on a decent PC with low graphics settings I barely get 30 fps in some races even when there are no other cars around, making it too chaotic to take seriously as a competitive game, especially with lap-destroying stutters.”
- “Running a 4070ti, Ryzen 9, 64GB RAM, game installed on M.2 yet every other second I get bottlenecking... 144 to 20 fps, then back to 90 down to 20 back up to 144 etc. I even went from 4k to 1080 with graphics on low but still can't play the game smoothly. No matter how hard I try, it runs worse.”
- “Unimaginable piece of s***, the 1080p version is unplayable, grainy, broken, ghosted graphics, everything is blurry even with blurring options turned off. Lost a customer for life and will badmouth your products indefinitely, that's how angry this made me as a lifelong F1 fan.”
story
355 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The story mode, centered on "Braking Point 2," is generally well-received for its engaging narrative, character development, and cinematic presentation, though some find it cheesy or melodramatic. It offers a fresh, drama-driven racing experience enriching the gameplay, but it is notably short and linear with limited replay value. While not the main draw for all players, the addition of this story mode is appreciated as a welcome evolution in the F1 series.
- “The "Braking Point 2" story-driven campaign returns with enhanced writing, improved pacing, and more meaningful decision-making.”
- “The story mode, Braking Point 2, makes a return and delivers a dramatic narrative that dives deeper into the personalities and rivalries of the paddock.”
- “The story mode is well-written and engaging, with cinematic cutscenes and voice acting. It also allows the player to interact with other drivers and team members, and make choices that affect the outcome of the story.”
- “The addition of the "braking point 2" story mode is a continuation of the cinematic, albeit often cringeworthy, attempt to add narrative flair to the F1 experience.”
- “The story mode like 21 is forgettable and worse than even 21 and legends making Aiden Jackson look like another Devon Butler, and having the "women being powerful" stick is kind of both pandering and boring with so many other games do this.”
- “Breaking point 2 is far too easy you don't even get to see any points table for teams or drivers, story line is rubbish.”
gameplay
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
F1 23 presents noticeable improvements in handling, car physics, and AI balancing, delivering a more realistic and enjoyable racing experience, especially for controller users. The game expands its depth with a refined career mode, varied gameplay options, and the return of an engaging story mode, though some mechanics lack clear explanation and certain bugs and glitches persist. Overall, it is a polished and immersive entry that balances accessibility for newcomers with depth for longtime fans, despite occasional technical and gameplay inconsistencies.
- “Building on the foundation laid by its predecessors, F1® 23 makes key improvements in gameplay, physics, and presentation, while also reintroducing and expanding the fan-favorite story mode, 'Braking Point.' With updated teams, tracks, and cars for the 2023 season, the game captures the high-speed drama and technical complexity of Formula 1 in a package that appeals to both long-time sim racers and newcomers alike.”
- “F1 2023 introduces innovative gameplay mechanics that enhance the depth and realism of the racing experience. New features such as a revamped career mode with expanded team management options, realistic engine and component wear, and interactive pre-race strategy planning elevate the gameplay to new heights.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are incredibly smooth and responsive, allowing for precise control over your racing machine. With its stunning graphics, realistic gameplay mechanics, immersive career mode, and captivating multiplayer experience, it offers an unrivaled Formula 1 racing experience.”
- “Certain mechanics are never or poorly explained, like the immersive pit turn-in, for which I had to look up online what button needed pressing.”
- “My team mode requires spending half your total gameplay time tediously sorting upgrades and finances that, if you choose to ignore, lead to devastating drops in car performance.”
- “Developers did not fix existing bugs, they added even more new ones, and instead of improving gameplay, they decided to introduce pay-to-win F1 World system.”
optimization
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
58%
27%
Optimization in the game shows a mixed bag: while some praise improved handling and smooth performance on high-end systems, many users report frequent stuttering, frame drops, and bugs, especially on mid-range setups and VR. Additional complaints target inconsistent car performance balance, intrusive DRM causing performance hits, and poor netcode affecting multiplayer. Overall, the game offers good visual fidelity but requires further optimization to ensure stable, smooth gameplay across a wider range of hardware.
- “The improvements over F1 22 include better physics with less snappy steering and smoother, more predictable car movements, and better optimization addressing previous audio issues even at ultra low settings.”
- “So far the best F1 title from EA and the most optimized for controllers.”
- “The optimization is a standout feature; the game runs like a dream, maintaining a buttery-smooth frame rate that enhances the immersive experience.”
- “Keeps stuttering even though I have very high FPS. I have an i9 14900HX and an RTX 4080 mobile. It doesn't matter which resolution or graphic setting I use. They matter for FPS average but have zero impact on my issues. The game just keeps stuttering randomly.”
- “The DRM often brings more problems than it's worth, with many players reporting stuttering and performance drops, which in a fast-paced racing game is incredibly frustrating.”
- “The game is so badly optimized it's forcing you to use TAA and piss-poor DLSS.”
stability
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
1%
89%
The game is widely criticized for its persistent bugs, frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches that disrupt gameplay, including issues with AI, online connectivity, force feedback, and career mode synchronization. While there are some improvements compared to previous iterations like F1 22, stability remains a major concern with many players experiencing regular performance drops and frustrating technical problems even months after release. Despite these issues, the core racing experience is still appreciated by many, though the buggy nature significantly detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “F1 22 was never fully functional and bug free up to the time of the release of F1 23.”
- “Much better than F1 22... no glitches, and handling is so much better.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck and obviously is a great game overall.”
- “The game constantly freezes, totally ruining your racing experiences and results.”
- “Since release I have had nothing but problems with loss of force feedback, the game having nonstop glitches with tyre wear, selected tyres, tyre selection in pre-race strategy setups, losing all feel through the wheel mid-race, drivers resetting to track and I get illegal overtake penalties; honestly, the list goes on and I could sit here listing things all day. What's even more of a joke is that these are bugs that these games have had for like 5 years!”
- “And then most recently encountered a new bug where I have to complete just one race (Silverstone) in my career mode, because any time I attempt to enter the pits, the game freezes and crashes.”
music
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The game's music and soundtrack receive widespread praise for being engaging, varied, and enhancing the overall experience, especially in menus and background play. Some users appreciate the inclusion of FIFA-like tracks with the option to disable them, while a few mention occasional technical issues with music playback. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong highlight, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is top tier... the rest of the game is pretty good too I guess.”
- “Amazing game, lots of modes, cool music and great customization on controllers.”
- “The soundtrack is so good.”
- “If you liked every other F1 game, well perfect, because literally nothing has changed: the music, the announcers, and the dialogue are pretty sure still from F1 2017.”
- “I had an issue that persisted for almost a week causing the music to never stop and overlap with itself, making it louder and louder. This literally made the game unplayable because even when I turned the music volume to 0 and master volume to 0, the music did not stop.”
- “Not sure I dig the FIFA-like approach to menu music here.”
monetization
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
44%
49%
F1 23's monetization is widely criticized as intrusive and excessive, with numerous microtransactions affecting customization and gameplay progression, leading many to view it as a cash grab rather than a genuine improvement over previous entries. Additional negative points include persistent in-game ads, expensive pricing strategies, and DRM concerns, which together diminish player value and satisfaction. Despite some enjoyable features, the game's aggressive monetization and grind-heavy design overshadow its merits for many players.
- “Probably the only game I’ve seen from EA in a while that has little to no in-game purchases.”
- “Thank you for improving the monetization EA!”
- “Customization is nice too; there are plenty to get started with, though better liveries, helmets, etc., are kept behind microtransactions.”
- “F1 23 by EA is the kind of game that asks: 'What if you paid full price for last year’s game, but shinier... and somehow worse?' It’s not so much a racing simulator as it is a glorified pit stop for microtransactions disguised as motorsport.”
- “You had to pay more just to not get locked out of the game for the first 3 days, and then within weeks of release the expensive version (originally £79.99) was made cheaper than the regular version (originally £59.99) – how were any buyers supposed to feel like they got value for money, especially with the microtransactions?”
- “However, taken in the context of the inexcusably familiar day 1 issues, the fan-favorite game modes left to languish in favor of asinine microtransactions, and the overall downward spiral of these games, I have to wonder whether F1 23 will be the holdover title in a series that gets increasingly monetized into irrelevance.”
grinding
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
67%
24%
Grinding in the game is widely criticized as tedious and excessive, particularly in career and ranked modes where players must repeatedly farm upgrades and resources, often undermining skill-based progression. The presence of microtransactions further exacerbates the grind, making incentives feel unrewarding and promoting a repetitive gameplay loop.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “My team mode requires spending half your total gameplay time tediously sorting upgrades and finances that, if you choose to ignore, lead to devastating drops in car performance.”
- “Ranked is a grinding mess that doesn't reward skill and the points system makes no sense.”
- “The incentives to play more are grindy, cheesy, and unrewarding.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The game offers strong replayability through cinematic presentation, branching storylines, and diverse game modes like "braking point" and "series" mode, appealing to both casual and hardcore fans. Strategic career decisions and updated tracks add depth, though some solo players find limited replay value outside sales. Overall, the content variety and improved features significantly enhance the game's long-term engagement.
- “The production values have taken a step up, with more cinematic presentation, dialogue choices, and branching outcomes that add replay value and emotional weight to the narrative.”
- “Improved graphics, new game modes (e.g., the return of "braking point" story mode or "series" mode with awesome challenges), more features such as collectibles, also added the Las Vegas Strip circuit and two more playable F2 seasons.”
- “Strategic decisions off the track, such as team development investments and sponsor negotiations, impact performance on race day, adding depth and replayability to the career experience.”
- “This game is only worth it during the Christmas sales when it's cheaper; it doesn't really hold any replay value for solo players.”
- “Thus, there's no replay value with Breaking Point.”
- “Unsure how much replay value Breaking Point has, but I did actually enjoy the story for a change.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is often described as unintentional and quirky, with amusing car behaviors, funny glitches, and odd animations providing unexpected laughs. Some players find the handling quirks and in-game incidents hilariously frustrating, while others appreciate the overall improvement from previous versions, noting fewer bizarre bugs. However, a few comments express genuine frustration masked as humor, reflecting mixed sentiments.
- “The number of gifs/videos I have of people deleting me with a fish-tail while pulling themselves back onto the track, or brake-checking me or others on lengthy straights, or even just braking late and slamming me into the pit wall only for me or my friend to get the warning for it is hilarious... and this is all at the 'A' safety rating.”
- “Launching at the start is a bit funny though, full throttle launching with wheelspin feels a bit too fast.”
- “Launch version has few audio bugs and some funny mouth animations on BP2, but haven't got any game-breaking issues.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere in F1® 23 is largely praised for its realistic graphics, detailed circuits, and dynamic weather effects that enhance immersion and strategy. The audio design, featuring authentic engine roars and crowd sounds, further contributes to an engaging race environment. However, some users feel the atmosphere lacks depth, with mixed opinions comparing it to other racing games like Automobilista 2.
- “Graphically, F1® 23 impresses with sharp car models, detailed circuits, and atmospheric effects like dynamic weather and lighting that elevate realism.”
- “Weather effects are particularly well-executed, influencing both strategy and atmosphere in meaningful ways.”
- “The roaring engines, screeching tires, and immersive crowd sounds contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “Even though the game is not bad and the presentation adds to the atmosphere, I still prefer to drive formula cars in Automobilista 2.”
- “Talk about atmosphere... this game has none.”
- “”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s enhanced cinematic presentation and branching dialogue choices significantly increase emotional engagement and replay value. However, some players report discomfort due to visual issues, which can detract from the overall emotional experience.
- “The production values have taken a step up, with more cinematic presentation, dialogue choices, and branching outcomes that add replay value and emotional weight to the narrative.”