Formula 1 97

PlayStation console exclusive

An updated version of Psygnosis' first Formula 1 game. It features all tracks, drivers and cars from the 1997 season. Both an arcade mode and a realistic Grand Prix mode are available. New features are higher resolution and split-screen multiplayer.

Released: 30 September 1997
Platforms: PlayStation Windows
Genres: Racing Simulation Sports
Developers: Bizarre Creations
Publishers: SCE Studio Liverpool
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Country: United Kingdom
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Formula 1 97 (known as Formula 1 Championship Edition in North America) is a 1997 racing video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Psygnosis for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 1996 game Formula 1 and was based on the 1997 Formula One World Championship. This was the last Formula One game to be made by Bizarre Creations, who moved on to create the successful Metropolis Street Racer for the Dreamcast and Project Gotham Racing for the Xbox; development would move on to Visual Science and eventually Studio 33.

Keywords

arcade racers
racing simulator
motorsports
year in the title
promo vhs

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Formula 1 97 includes all the tracks from the 1997 season, including the cancelled Portuguese Grand Prix circuit. All drivers are included, with the exception of Williams F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve, who declined to license his name, and the MasterCard Lola duo of Ricardo Rosset and Vincenzo Sospiri, whose team folded after failing to qualify for the opening race of the season.

The game includes a Grand Prix mode, which was designed to be technical and realistic, and an arcade mode, which was aimed towards a broader audience.

Development

Formula 1 97 was developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Psygnosis. It uses the same game engine as the original Formula 1. Psygnosis contacted ITV commentator Murray Walker and arranged a meeting with Bizarre Creations employees. Walker became impressed with development and signed an exclusive agreement with Psygnosis to record English-language commentary for a further two years.

Shortly after the initial release, Psygnosis announced that due to a licensing disagreement with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Formula One Administration Ltd, and Giss Licensing BV, Formula 1 97 would be repackaged and re-released with a different title and without the official Formula One logos.

Reception

Formula 1 97 was a best-seller in the UK. In August 1998, the game's PlayStation version received a "Platinum" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD), indicating sales of at least 200,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Reviews for Formula 1 97 were overwhelmingly positive. IGN stated the game is a "significant jump" from Formula 1. GameSpot said "Formula 1 CE is so much more than a racing game. It is a world-class simulation that offers such depth of gameplay, you'll think most other racing games are just Pole Position with a better graphics engine."

Legacy

The game impact transcended gaming and onto the actual sport itself. The game was seen as so accurate that actual Grand Prix drivers requested copies to practice with and major European television networks routinely used the game to enhance Formula One broadcasts.