This is something that shouldn’t really be shocking, as Borderlands 2 has zoomed to the top of the this week’s UK charts, followed by F1 2012 from Codemasters. We’ve reviewed both games obviously and you can check them out here and here.

PES 2013 and Sleeping Dogs take the third and fourth spot respectively. LittleBigPlanet Vita gets a good boost after launching at no. 6.

“Borderlands 2’ from 2K Games/Take 2 debuts at the top of the All Formats Chart this week with the biggest launch so far in 2012, toppling the previous best, ‘Mass Effect 3’,” wrote the UKIE.

“The original, launched back in W43 2009 only made it to No7 when it was released on XB360 and PS3 (the PC version came out the following week). The sequel’s launch week has outdone the original by more than 4 to 1 with the Xbox 360 version the big winner, accounting for 71% of sales compared to 22% on PS3 and 7% on PC.”

We have posted the full top 40 list for you below.

1. Borderlands 2
2. F1 2012
3. PES 2013
4. Sleeping Dogs
5. Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes
6. LittleBigPlanet Vita
7. New Super Mario Bros. 2
8. Tekken Tag Tournament 2
9. Guild Wars 2
10. Max Payne 3
11. London 2012: The Official Video Game
12. Dead Island Goty Edition
13. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
14. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
15. Mario & Sonic London 2012 Olympic Games
16. The Sims 3: Supernatural
17. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure
18. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
19. Madden NFL 13
20. Dirt Showdown
21. Forza Motorsport 4
22. The Amazing Spider-man
23. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
24. Udraw Studio: Instant Artist
25. Battlefield 3
26. The Sims 3
27. Batman: Arkham City
28. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
29. Battlefield 3 Premium
30. Darksiders II
31. FIFA 12
32. Super Mario 3d Land
33. Grand Theft Auto Episodes – Liberty City
34. One Piece: Pirate Warriors
35. Sniper Elite V2
36. NHL 13
37. Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron
38. Sonic Generations
39. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
40. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo

“F1 2012 is truly a work of art, however, it does not look like a big improvement over its predecessors, because F1 2010 already set the bar very high. I can’t really blame Codies here though, it’s a drawback of the yearly release schedule but Forumla One fans can’t go wrong with this game. It’s splendid,” reads our review.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

About F1 2012 :

Game Overview:

F1 2012’s Champions Mode will challenge players to take on each of the six champions in turn, starting with Kimi Räikkönen, followed by Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and then Michael Schumacher. Each champion has his own race scenario where the player must beat that driver in order to unlock the next challenge.

Publisher : Codemasters

Developer : Codemasters

Platforms : PC, PS3 and X360

Release Date : 21/09/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

Codemasters made massive strides in the racing genre with the release of F1 2010, and created an ambitious F1 game. Its successor F1 2011 was an incremental upgrade; a symptom of yearly release schedules. So then, with F1 2012, they aim to innovate again by bringing in new features.

F1 2011 looked stunning, and quite possibly one of the best looking racing games ever made. It’s no different here in F1 2012 though, with Codies polishing the hell out of the visuals and smudging out all the niggles. While performance issues were prevalent in the console versions for the previous games, it’s  not really an issue in the PC version with the ability to crank up the settings to max with bells and whistles enabled.

I have a soft spot for F1 Championship Edition made by the now defunct SCEE Liverpool. While not that meaty in content, it featured terrific balance and gorgeous visuals along with a fine handling system. F1 2012 surpasses that in almost every way, but one major issue I have is that, you won’t really find a lot of difference with this year’s iteration and the superlative F1 2010.

These games are almost always difficult. There’s no scope for mistakes and you really need to master your car’s handling, and learn how it behaves when you modify the settings or add new parts. That’s the thrill in all this, though. It’s a game made for the fans of Formula One and is not really accessible for new comers, who just want to zip around in Ferarris and McLarens.

The game contains a nifty tutorial called the young driver test where it updates people new to the game on the mechanics and other systems which will be vital when playing the competitive career mode. The KERS and DRS system, especially the DRS, need some getting used to because it can be very confusing to activate them at the right stage. KERS gives your car a 7 second boost and DRS has to be activated in a specific area to gain speed.

There are a lot of cameras available here along with a new one which gives you the exact same view that you usually see on TV. It’s exhilarating, although, I always used the cockpit view because of the incredible detailing and it feels such a thrill to drive an F1 car at a blistering pace sitting in the drivers seat. Of course, you can play this with a controller too, but I prefer the wheel. The physics engine has been tweaked slightly and is sort of reminiscent of GT5’s F1 races, so a wheel is very much recommended.

Codies have introduced new modes like Proving Grounds where you get to play the champions mode; a bunch of pre-set races against known Forumla One superstars. You can call this as the arcade mode. There are also time attack and time trails available here, and you know what that entails, right? If you cannot spend a lot of time in the Career and Season Challenge, Proving Grounds is very much recommended.

Talking about Season Challenge, it’s a new mode where you get to jump into races quickly and also check out the different teams out there. I recommend people to play this mode for a while before jumping into the time consuming career mode. You have to complete mini-objectives like finishing the race at a specific place or beating your rival which you can select at the HUB menu. There is also an e-mail system where owners and managers, named after the real-world ones, send you mails which increases the overall immersion.

The presentation is top notch here, with fully functional and accessible menus, to the uncomplicated HUB system which tells you all that you need to know. Of course, there is a slight learning curve especially if you know nothing about the sport, but hey, that’s your fault, isn’t it? Codies have tried to make this iteration as accessible as possible but it is simply not a noob friendly game at all.

This is very much noticeable in the races where you cannot make a mistake or end up way behind struggling to catch your competitors. Knowing thge layout of the fantastically designed tracks are vital to winning a race or at least completing one without making any mistakes. The car models and tracks look gorgeous on a PC, with stupendous attention to detail brimming from every nook and corner. Make no mistake about it, this is a game which has been designed by a team that knows what its doing.

The multiplayer modes are quite straightforward with LAN and Split-Screen support available from the get-go. I didn’t really get a chance to test it out due to the lack of players but this really shouldn’t be a problem once the game is out. Based on F1 2010 and 2011’s online mode, I think Codies must have done a competent job here as well. Even without the multiplayer mode, there’s enough content available to last you a while. If you are obsessive about winning and your stats, then expect to play this game for a long time.

F1 2012 is truly a work of art, however, it does not look like a big improvement over its predecessors, because F1 2010 already set the bar very high. I can’t really blame Codies here though, it’s a drawback of the yearly release schedule but Forumla One fans can’t go wrong with this game. It’s splendid.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Reliance, an Indian company, had acquired a large share in Codemasters, which you probably know about. They will also be distributing F1 2012 in India, which will be released later this year for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

The pricing has been revealed as well, and it will cost Rs. 2799 for the console versions and Rs. 999 for the PC version.

Sweta Agnihotri, COO, Reliance Home Video and Games, said, “Formula One game has a huge fan base across world and Codemasters’ Formula One games are a landmark release in the gaming calendar – this year is no different. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport and one of the most popular sports in the world, and I am sure gamers will enjoy the new modes and tracks in the game.”

Speaking on the partnership, Hal Bame, Vice President, Distributor Territories and Emerging Markets, Codemasters said, “India is a key growth market for us and Reliance Home Video & Games have one of the strongest distribution networks in India.

“With this association, and the love of Formula One in India, we feel this is the perfect formula for success in a market which will have growing importance to all gaming companies in the coming years. With F1 2012’s wealth of new and exciting features, such as Champion’s Mode, the new Austin F1 racing circuit in the USA, Young Driver Test and more, we feel there’s never been a better game to reach out to the millions of gamers and Formula One fans in India.”

Features:

• Champions Mode – The 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship features six World Champions – can you beat each in a racing challenge?

• Season Challenge – A Formula One career in the space of ten races, Season Challenge sees the player start at a low ranking team and select a rival driver they think they can beat. Beating this level will take players into better car and become Champion.

• Young Drivers Test – Gamers will be introduced to the world of Formula One and learn the nuances of how to drive a Formula One car by taking part in the all-new Young Drivers Test at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina. Players will take to the wheel of a Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren and will complete tutorials to learn how to get the best out of their car, including how and when to use KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and DRS (Drag Reduction System)

• New USA Circuit for 2012 – Formula One returns to the USA in 2012 at the all new Circuit of the Americas, located in Austin, Texas, and players can drive on the circuit ahead of the track’s debut in November.

• Game Changing Dynamic Weather – Codemasters’ Formula One series has set the standard for weather in racing games. This will provide Active Track Technology to produce localised rain showers on certain areas of the circuit When one part of the track is wet while other areas are dry this will make the race more unpredictable and dramatic as players make game-changing strategy calls.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

In the demo, players will sample two of the game’s new features, Young Driver Test and Season Challenge. In the Young Driver Test, which takes inspiration from the real-life event held at Abu Dhabi, players will learn how to handle and get the most out of motorsport’s most exciting and responsive racing cars with a series of tests and videos.

Gamers will then sample Season Challenge, a new game mode where players will compete across just ten races to become the number one driver on the grid. In the demo, gamers will pick a rival and aim to beat them in a five lap race at Monza, the iconic 3.6 mile track where cars can reach a top speed of 218m.p.h.

The demo comes out this week and the full game on September 21st.

About F1 2012:

Game Overview:

F1 2012 is set to deliver the most accessible and immersive FORMULA ONE™ game for fans of all abilities. Players will feel the unparalleled thrill of becoming a FORMULA ONE driver with a host of new features, wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements and extensive competitive and co-operative multiplayer components.

Publisher : Codemasters

Developer : Codemasters

Platforms : PC, PS3 and X360

Release Date : 21/09/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

Speaking on the physics, creative director Stephen Hood stated, “Significant work has gone into the physics model, particularly the suspension.” Game director Paul Jeal commented on the weather, saying “it could raining in one section of the track but dry on another…and mixes up the racing.”

F1 2012 is due for a September release on PC, XBox 360 and PS3.

About F1 2012 :

Game Overview:
In F1 2012 players will feel the unparalleled thrill of becoming a FORMULA ONE driver with a host of new features, wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements and extensive competitive and co-operative multiplayer components. F1 2012 will feature all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from the 2012 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including the debut of the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX at Austin, Texas and the return of Germany’s famous Hockenheim circuit to the calendar.

Publisher: Codemasters

Developer: Codemasters

Platforms: PC, PS3 and X360

Release Date: 21/09/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

F1 2012 will launch in the UK on 21st September, and to celebrate the announcement Codemasters has also released a new developer diary which reveals a few new details, including the Young Driver Test, F1 2012’s tutorial mode.

F1 2012’s Creative Director, Stephen Hood commented on the Young Driver Test: “The aim for the 2012 game is to make more of a complete FORMULA ONE experience. [The Young Driver Test] gives those up and coming drivers track time to showcase their talents and it’s wonderful that we are able to copy the elements that happen on those real Young Driver Test sessions in the game.”