Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

Developer KT Racing’s most ambitious title to date has landed Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown a place on this rundown despite an onslaught of issues resulting predominantly from it’s always-online requirement. First, the good: Solar Crown’s Hong Kong open world is consistently complex and interesting, and the car feel – whilst not perfect – is a step up from Test Drive Unlimited 2. The bad however outweighs the good: time wasting bugs, server issues even when racing solely against AI, and inconsistent, non-adjustable difficulty settings makes Solar Crown a racer steeped in promise but with much to fix.

However, things have been far from ideal. Both drivers had a low affinity with their racing engineers – I swapped out Hamilton’s and eventually opted for a change in strategy with Verstappen’s going for more racing expertise. To say that they weren’t too thrilled with the facilities and car performances, thus affecting their Mentality, would be an understatement. Work began immediately on manufacturing new parts, though I wasn’t confident in my design process and upgrading various facilities, from our Suspension Simulator and CFD Simulator to the Team Hub and Weather Centre.

"Its most significant new feature, Create A Team, mirrors the trials and tribulations of trying to make an impact on the usual ten-team season as a new 11th team, whether you’re fine-tuning the performance of cars or monitoring your drivers. "

Car development isn’t cheap, however, ranging in the tens of millions for a handful of upgraded facilities. Thankfully, we had a sponsor who wasn’t too hung up on our performance; however, Potential funding from Engagement and Race Day couldn’t be ignored. Having optional sponsors also helped, but they could affect driver Mentality and development (because neither likes Lumiura technology or whatever they presumably have to offer). Then there’s scheduling all the Engagement Activities, from sponsor events to factory tours. These were necessary, but depending on which I chose, there would be consequences for our Mentality, Pit Crew Fatigue, Staff Performance Rating, etc.

Regardless, once we got through the first round of Practice sessions and Qualifiers, it was time for the opening race of the season. Each driver’s confidence seemed reasonably decent, but in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have left my staff to handle everything. We emerged with sixth and eighth positions – exactly the Race Targets slotted for each to earn that extra dough.

However, our technical chief informed me that neither met performance expectations; we should have at least hit fifth place, which didn’t happen. A quick look at the race stats and it seemed we should have gone for a Two-Stop. Max’s confidence also wasn’t looking too great – truly the biggest tragedy in all of this. Back to the drawing board, utilizing manufactured parts to improve DRS Effectiveness while waiting for our facilities to be improved. Maybe we could look at what Red Bull is doing with their Medium Speed to perhaps bolster our own.

F1 Manager 2024 requires accounting for many scenarios, which makes sense – managing a Formula One team is far from easy. Its most significant new feature, Create A Team, mirrors the trials and tribulations of trying to make an impact on the usual ten-team season as a new 11th team, whether you’re fine-tuning the performance of cars or monitoring your drivers.

"It sounds like a lot to take in but despite presenting a plethora of information, the user interface is fluid enough to navigate on PS5."

The plethora of options from the outset, allowing you to opt for different starting balances, powertrain manufacturers and varying levels of quality for each core aspect also adds some spice to each career start. You could utilize Phoenix’s refined facilities to effectively help it “rise from the ashes” and re-establish its past dominance or opt for a technological marvel like Flamepoint, who possess incredible cars and staff but pathetic facilities and little money.

Of course, even with all the resources, you need to pay close attention to the condition of aerodynamic car parts, the state of your facilities (which require refurbishing over time), and the Mentality of your staff and drivers to ensure optimal performance. While simulating the various practice sessions isn’t the worst idea, jumping in during a qualifier or two is advised to see each driver’s lap times and monitor the fuel levels, temperatures and tyre degradation. Are the drivers getting used to the track? Are they satisfied with the car set-up? If not, you need to figure out what needs changing.

The weather can also be an X-factor, influencing the material type of tyres. You can also adjust tactics for each driver (including whether they should interfere with each other), and outline options before sessions, like whether they should keep a nice even pace, reduce energy usage, or alter their fuel consumption for the sake of lap times.

It sounds like a lot to take in but despite presenting a plethora of information, the user interface is fluid enough to navigate on PS5. Though it takes a bit of getting used to (and could have been pared down a bit to cut back on navigation), switching between tabs and examining different bits of information is fairly straightforward.

"The Contracts system is also baffling, especially when counter offers aren’t received, and grid penalties can apply when swapping out powertrain parts."

Swapping back and forth between both drivers during a race while fast-forwarding and pausing for different purposes also required a bit of practice, but eventually became easier. Cycling through different camera perspectives also feels smooth, whether you’re keen on watching the action through icons on a track map or getting right into the cockpit.

The latter highlights the presentation well, from the track details and textures to the lighting and cars. It’s not on the level of fidelity of F1 24 (not that it has to be), but still impressive in its own right. The likenesses could have used a bit more work yet they get the job done, though I would have appreciated some more life in my pit crew. That is unless they’re fatigued from having very little time off, which is on me.

Of course, there are other more fundamental issues with the gameplay. Sometimes, your driver will communicate things that don’t match with on-screen events, hurling insults for something that another driver did when there’s no one around. Affiliate Drivers also feel nonexistent, and the Mentality system, much as it encourages catering to your team’s needs, could stand to feel a little less harsh in some scenarios.

The Contracts system is also baffling, especially when counter offers aren’t received, and grid penalties can apply when swapping out powertrain parts. Both are already confirmed to be fixed in an upcoming patch, but that they should make it into the game is odd. It remains to be seen if something is done about crash physics and sprucing them up. There are also bugs like radio chatter outright not playing at times.

"Like its predecessor, F1 Manager 2024 could use more work to truly shine, but it still offers an enjoyable experience. It lets you delve into the bones of outfitting a Formula One team and keeping it competitive."

Those who already own last year’s edition may wonder if it’s worth picking up a whole new game to fulfill their Formula One management fantasy. While some improvements feel more iterative, Create A Team is definitely worth checking out despite its issues. Race Replay also returns, inviting you to change real-world results for pre-selected teams. It’s as enjoyable as before and offers a much-needed change of pace.

Like its predecessor, F1 Manager 2024 could use more work to truly shine, but it still offers an enjoyable experience. It lets you delve into the bones of outfitting a Formula One team and keeping it competitive. There are tense moments and more than a few sacrifices to be made, offset by bizarre occurrences and issues. Nevertheless, I was keen on getting back in there, working on my drivers and team, searching for areas to improve and one day standing tall among the rest. Maybe, just maybe, we could instill a little more confidence into young Max as well.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Create A Team Mode Makes Its Debut

By far the most requested feature in the F1 Manager series has been the ability to create your own team from the ground up. F1 Manager 2024 finally brings the Create A Team mode, complete with suit customization, custom origin story, and full-range team recruitment from F2 and F3. The livery editor is a much-anticipated feature the series has lacked, so its introduction in the create-a-team mode is a double win for fans.

New Mentality System Adds More Depth to Management

One of the big criticisms thrown at F1 Manager is its shallow management features compared to similar games like the Football Manager series. Well, F1 Manager 2024 aims to remedy that a bit with the new Mentality system. Mentality tracks the motivational status of individual drivers and staff, giving you control over how to increase team morale. For example, favoring certain racers at the expense of others will result in disillusionment, but may result in a win if the star racer you focused so much on wins it all on the weekend. Micromanaging the morale of the team seems like a cool way to add more agency to your managerial duties.

Mechanical Failure System Introduced for the First Time

It’s hard to believe that a Formula 1 sim such as F1 Manager never had vehicle breakdowns before, but it’s true. The 2024 iteration of F1 Manager introduces mechanical failures for the very first time. Races previously tended to get predictable in past games, so mechanical failures will throw a nice wrench in the flow. We’ll see how fun this new sim element is in practice and whether or not the AI will be frustrating with the frequency of mechanical breakdowns; it’d be really nice if there is a way to tune breakdown frequency yourself, but maybe it’ll be decided via difficulty options.

New Dynamic Overhead Helicam

Didn’t like the restricted cameras from past F1 Manager games? Well, F1 Manager 2024 finally offers another viewing option. A new birdseye overhead Helicam allows wide panning angles that follow large swaths of the race track to better see the playing field. While the far zoomed-out map with little dots representing race cars was nice for strategic planning in past games, having a dedicated helicam actually showing the car detail with a beautiful overhead view is very needed. Many players didn’t like how the default race cam shifted between cockpit and overhead sporadically in previous games, so this new camera is a welcome addition.

Base Game Price Is Half That of New Triple-A Games

F1 Manager 2024 releases at a modest price point of £29.99 / $34.99 / €34.99. Frontier Developments publishes and develops these games at a much lower operating cost than triple-A companies like EA. One of the reasons F1 Manager isn’t as feature-rich and graphically intensive as Football Manager is because it’s made by a smaller team and because they crank these games out yearly. Still, with all the new features added onto this year’s edition of F1 Manager, the price being half as much as a majority of new game releases is a win-win.

Uses The Official Drivers and Circuits From the Real Life 2024 Season

Despite its smaller studio size, Frontier Developments has the license to the official F1 FIA Formula One World Championship, the FIA Formula 2 Championship, and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. Like other licensed sports games, F1 Manager includes a complete real-life roster of competitors that you’ll get to race with and compete against. In addition to the drivers, every race track from the official 2024 F1 season is included here, built with track marbling and real-world scans.

F1 Games Are Yearly Releases, so Don’t Expect A Complete Overhaul

As previously mentioned, the F1 Manager series gets a new entry every year. Past F1 Manager games received a small scattering of new updates and even fewer modes, but this year’s iteration looks to be the most jam-packed entry so far. Still, even with the anticipated create-a-team this time around, don’t expect a completely new game from last year; F1 Manager 2024 uses the same engine and provides a very similar experience to F1 Manager 2023, albeit with roster updates and more new stuff than previous years.

Still No Media Management Like Interviews and Press Conferences

One of the missing features that I’d like to see implemented next year is managing the media side of the sport. The game would feel so much more feature-rich if it had press conferences before race day where your answers affected public opinion, further influencing team motivation and morale. My favorite aspect of a lot of sport games’ career modes has typically been managing public relations and finding ways to hype up the fans of the team, but this media/PR element is still missing in this year’s iteration of F1 Manager.

Can Add F2 and F3 Drivers to Your Created Team To Form a True Underdog

What’s really cool about creating your own team in F1 Manager 2024 is the ability to build a true underdog team using F2 and F3 drivers. Past games had F2 and F3 talent for recruiting, sure, but you still had to use the pre-established F1 team drivers as the baseline. Similar to using an old beater car and upgrading it to win against more powerful cars in car-PGs of old like Need for Speed Underground, you can now create a team using F2/F3 underdog talent and build them up over time to beat the Verstappens of the world.

Research and Design Should Appeal to Fans of the Broader Sim Management Genre

One of the engaging aspects of F1 Manager is deciding if you want to research next-gen car parts for next season, or implement small stat upgrades for the current season with design. You only have a set amount of budget and time to allocate to these, so it provides a fun strategic layer. Civilization players will find themselves right at home with this strategic allocation of research and design. If you like management sims in general, F1 Manager might scratch that itch.

Cannot Control Races Themselves

This one comes as no surprise to most gamers familiar with management sims, but for newcomers to the genre, no you can’t actually control the cars during races. Your occupation will instead be dictating how aggressive or conservative your team’s driving style is as they race. The new helicam and mechanical failure system will help races feel more active as you micromanage your team to victory from the director’s chair.

Can Finally Simulate Races To See Results Quickly

Want to focus on pre and post-race management exclusively? Well, skipping multiple races in a batch still isn’t an option, but you can now simulate a race weekend for the first time in F1 Manager 2024. Previous years of the series could only simulate practice and qualifying races, so this is yet another new addition to this year’s game that fans are happy to see. We have yet to see just how balanced the computer is when a player isn’t directing things during a race, but with the new layers of management added this year, you may want to oversee the races yourself anyway.

Finally Have Livery Customization for Cars and Suits

Create A Team mode brings the much-requested livery editor for the first time in the series. For those not aware, liveries are basically the arrangement of car decals and logos on the car. The range of user-generated liveries they’ve shown so far looks really nice, and I like how vibrant the color combinations look here. In addition to custom designs for your car and suit, there are over 50 fictional sponsor logos to decorate with. These fictional sponsors aren’t just for show though, since they tie into a brand new sponsorship feature that has objectives and rewards for each sponsor you take.

Improved AI Drivers

Previous F1 Manager games were occasionally plagued by AI drivers blocking the line and behaving sporadically during races. The AI was hit or miss with previous entries, which is not something you want in a race you cannot control yourself. Thankfully, F1 Manager 2024 boasts improved driver AI resulting in more balanced and realistic behavior. We have yet to really see just how good the AI has gotten, but it’s obvious based on player feedback that they fixed some of the more obvious issues with previous entries.

Over 30,000 New Radio Comms Providing Lots of Team Banter and Unique Dialogue

Radio comm banter has always been one of the most beloved aspects of F1 Manager, with a reported 40,000 lines of banter being featured in last year’s title. In total, it’s looking like F1 Manager 2024 will have a whopping 70,000 broadcast radio comms to look forward to. If you only play with a single team and use the same drivers and engineers, it’s likely you’ll just hear a fraction of that, but it’s still quite impressive. And yes, we’re sure some of these will just be variations of Lewis Hamilton complaining about the car being slow.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail

A new world awaits in Final Fantasy 14’s new expansion, Dawntrail, as the Warrior of Light ventures to a new continent in Tural. Whether it’s new cities like Tuliyollal and Solution Nine; new Jobs, from the Viper and Pictomancer to the limited Beastmaster; or brand new dungeons, it promises tons of content for long-time players. You even have a new Alliance Raid Series tying into Final Fantasy 11, The Arcadion and the MMO’s first major graphical update. What new story threads will be woven, and how do they connect back to the Twelve? We’ll find out when Dawntrail launches on July 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Zenless Zone Zero

From the developer behind Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact comes a brand new free-to-play action RPG with an over-the-top sense of style. Zenless Zone Zero is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where the last bastion of humanity, New Eridu, fights against the Ethereals. Various factions are intertwined in the conflict, and as a Proxy, it’s the player’s job to rally them together on different missions. Featuring fast-paced combat, gorgeous animated visuals and an incredible soundtrack, Zenless Zone Zero could be yet another hit for miHoYo when it launches on July 4th for PS5, PC, iOS and Android.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn

Ashen developer A44 Games’ next title, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, is a mix of action-adventure, hack and slash, and Souls-like mechanics. Following multiple delays, it’s finally set to launch on July 18th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. As Nor Vanek, players venture to the City of Dawn after the Great Below’s Door has opened, fighting back against undead forces and other threats. With a flintlock pistol, swords, Nor must fight back and ultimately seal the door. Whether you played the demo or found its trailers intriguing, Flintlock is certainly a dark horse, and we’re looking forward to exploring it.

EA Sports College Football 25

When football gaming needed it most, EA’s College Football series returned. EA Sports College Football 25 launches on July 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, featuring several new features like Wear and Tear for more realistic player health over a match. Abilities like Homefield Advantage can influence how well your team performs on the opponent’s turf, and a new kicking meter, trick plays, and more further add to the strategy. It’s been a long wait, but College Football could surpass expectations.

F1 Manager 2024

After the previous entry and its post-launch controversies, Frontier is back with another F1 Manager. There’s a lot new with this year’s iteration, from creating your own team and Mechanical Failures that alter races in unpredictable ways to the Mentality System where your decisions can affect the morale of different drivers. It’s intriguing, for sure, and hopefully, it can make up for its predecessor’s shortcomings. F1 Manager 2024 launches on July 23rd for PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Earth Defense Force 6

Humanity has finally won against its hostile invaders after a seemingly endless series of conflicts, but Earth is much worse off. Of course, another threat emerges as well, and it’s up to the EDF to instill hope back into humanity by slaying hundreds upon hundreds of enemies (as is tradition). Earth Defense Force 6 touts the most number of missions and weapons in the series yet, with online co-op for up to four players. It’s out on July 25th for PS4, PS5 and PC.

The First Descendant

You’ve probably heard this a few times by now, but the future, invaders from another dimension, humanity struggling to survive, and so on. This time, however, it’s a third-person looter shooter from Nexon, where players control the Descendants – humans with strange powers that lead the fight against the Vulgus and the overwhelming Colossuses. Though there are some Destiny influences, The First Descendant also takes hints from modern shooters with its various Descendants and abilities, weapon modding and more. Launching on July 2nd as a free-to-play title, it will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

EvilVEvil

We’re due for a fast-paced first-person shooter in July, and EvilVEvil could be it. As a vampire investigating a conspiracy, players shoot, slice and slay hordes of enemies. Three different classes – Assassin, Berserker and Arcanist – are available, each possessing different vampire abilities. Of course, there’s plenty of firepower to go around, and you can tackle the game solo or with up to two other players. EvilVEvil launches on July 16th for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – The Sky Breaker

Though it didn’t enjoy explosive popularity, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora offered a pretty immersive take on the series’ mythos with some compelling action. The Sky Breaker is its first paid DLC, launching on July 16th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, with players venturing to the new Upper Plains. New locations are available to explore, though the RDA isn’t far behind, bringing new lieutenants to the forefront. Nevertheless, with new Legendary items, an increased rank cap and new challenges to complete, The Sky Breaker may be worth returning for.

Asphalt Legends Unite

While Forza and Gran Turismo are more well-known, Gameloft’s Asphalt series has had a pretty dedicated following through the years. Asphalt Legends Unite continues in that vein, serving as a rebranding of Asphalt 9: Legends, with racing clubs, co-op races, and a new Career Mode. There are over 250 Hypercars to unlock, and the series’ signature arcade racing remains intact. Asphalt Legends Unite is available on July 17th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS and Android as a free-to-play title.

Once Human

If you were craving some survival action but with more gunplay, Starry Studio’s Once Human could be worth a look. Out on July 9th for PC, it sees players as Meta-Humans, exploring the remnants of the post-apocalyptic world while fighting against the effects of the Stardust. Fighting mutated creatures and inter-dimensional beings, managing one’s sanity, base-building and more await, along with plenty of guns to customize.

Nobody Wants To Die

New York, 2329. Death is but a memory, as consciousness can exist in memory banks. Of course, it’s far from ideal – a serial killer is going around, hunting more affluent citizens, and it’s your job as detective James Karra to stop them. With gorgeous visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 5 and a cyber noir aesthetic, Nobody Wants to Die presents a compelling mystery as players manipulate time and gather clues to arrive at the truth. It launches on July 17th for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Flock

Imagine shepherding a flock where creatures of all kinds – sheep, birds and whatnot – can join. That’s more or less the premise of Flock from Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg. Explore the world, discover all the different animals, some rarer than others, and add them to your flock. Maybe encounter some other players doing the same. You can even create scarves, socks and hats from any excess wool. Flock launches on July 16th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC while releasing day one on Game Pass.

Anger Foot

It feels like Anger Foot’s been, well, kicking around for a while now, each new trailer looking more surreal than the last. However, it’s finally launching on June 11th for PC, allowing players to kick doors, enemies and much more to their heart’s content while on a vigilante mission to recover their stolen sneakers. With a focus on clearing levels quickly and multiple pickups to mix things up, Anger Foot could be a surprise hit.

F1 Manager 2024 features a new season with new cars, an updated F1 Sprint format, and ten official teams. However, you can also create your own team, from customizing the livery design and logo to the racing suits. You’ll need to recruit staff and drivers, talk to sponsors, and much more to make the team a success.

A new mentality system is in place for motivating staff (all the more essential since poaching is included), and there are also dynamic contract negotiations to go with improved rival team AI. Dynamic new cameras and “improved racing behavior” are also promised.

Frontier will share more details on F1 Manager 2024 before its release this Summer, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out our review for F1 Manager 2023 here.