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We've had the chance to try out the first two Chapters of Braking Point 3 in F1 25 and build up our own first impressions of the experience. The narrative story which began in F1 21 continues once again, taking us back to the 11th team on the grid, Konnersport. But things have changed for the team, who are now under ownership of Davidoff Butler, Devon Butler's father. How does this affect the dynamic of the team, as well as the overall story of the series? Let's dive right in.
F1 25 Braking Point 3 First Impressions – What is Braking Point?
Braking Point 3 is the single-player narrative experience offered in EA Sports F1 25. The series first started in F1 21, and was continued in F1 23. Overall, the story follows several fictional characters from drivers to team members and more. Even before Braking Point, we've seen characters like the egocentric Devon Butler appear in older F1 games from Codemasters. But Braking Point really took things a step further with better quality cutscenes and a bigger focus on the plot.
The first Braking Point entry focused on protagonist Aiden Jackson. You follow his career from his days in Formula 2 to his beginnings in Formula 1. Along the way, he meets The Flying Dutchman, Casper Akkerman. Although tensions rise between the two, Jackson looks up to the mature Akkerman, and both drivers resolve their differences in the end.
The same can't be said for rival Devon Butler, who becomes Aiden's teammate in Braking Point 2. Now with Andreo Konner's Konnersport, both drivers must find a way to work together. Unfortunately for Butler, a tragic event causes his driving career to come to a sudden end. Conveniently, his sister and F2 Champion, Callie Mayer, is ready to fill in his shoes.
Fast forward to Braking Point 3, where Konnersport is now owned by Davidoff Butler, Devon and Callie's father. With Andreo Gone, Casper manages the team with Devon's help, while Callie and Aiden continue to fight on the grid.
Throughout Chapters 1 & 2, you either play as Aiden or Callie, completing objectives and racing on the grid. These objectives range from overtaking a certain driver, finishing at a certain place, or something else entirely. Furthermore, there's sub-objectives you can complete in a race for a boost in your performance or reputation.
At this point, we've only completed Chapters 1 & 2. Check out our thoughts on the full story when our review releases!
EA Sports F1 25 Braking Point 3 First Impressions – Gameplay
Before we tackle the Story, however, we'd like to mention some key gameplay changes that were worth mentioning.
Firstly, we like Braking Point's extra difficulty setting, which we feel helps offer players an experience they want. I'm no try-hard, and I prefer a more casual experience when playing. And thanks to the new difficulty setting, I feel the difficulties are more properly balanced. But if you do try out the newest difficulty setting, prepare yourself for a real challenge.
Additionally, it's cool to see the addition of Konnersport in other modes like My Team or Driver Career. So if you really wanted to play with them, or their drivers – Aiden Jackson or Callie Mayer – you have the freedom to do so. And if you wanted, you can add them as the 11th team on the grid in Driver Career.
At its core, Braking Point 3 follows the same formula… at least in terms of gameplay. On the circuits, you'll be fighting to complete various objectives en route to a good finish for your team. And when it comes to the actual gameplay, F1 25 feels great. The controls feel responsive ever, and it's the same classic experience I've come to love and cherish over the years.
But off the circuits, you need to make decisions that impact your team all the same. I really enjoyed the moments between race sessions, which offers a ton of replay value. With three save slots to use, the game encourages you to try different things throughout the story. I only played through the first two Chapters, so I didn't get to see the results of every decision I made yet. But they're keeping me on the edge of my seat, making me wonder in the back of my head if I made the right choice.
EA Sports F1 25 Braking Point 3 First Impressions – Story
At the time of writing, I only completed Chapters 1 & 2 of Braking Point. Furthermore, I won't dive too much into the story as to avoid spoilers for fans who were looking forward to trying it out. But there are some things we can discuss.
Firstly, F1 25 Braking Point 3 continues the story of Konnersport, now known as Konnersport Butler Global. Davidoff Butler, the father of Devon Butler and Callie Mayer, has acquired the team. But the goal remains the same as Konnersport fights for 1st place on the grid. For those who didn't play Braking Point 2, you may want to skip the section below.
Drivers Aiden Jackson and Callie Mayer make a return, as well as other characters like Casper Akkerman. Andreo Konner did make an appearance, but since he's no longer the owner, I'm not sure how much more we'll see of him. I won't dive in too much about their roles in the story, but the core cast of characters all made an appearance early on.
Braking Point 3 begins in the 2024 season, which was a great way to start things off. It's cool to see drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, and Carlos Sainz drive for their former teams again. Furthermore, it seems like Konnersport is doing well, being able to compete against the top teams like Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari.
But from what we know based on the Braking Point 3 blog from EA Sports, that won't seem to be the case forever. By the end of Chapter 2, things still seem to be looking up for Konnersport, despite some of the internal drama between the Butlers. So i'm more than curious to see how this “dramatic event” will shake things up.
Off the track, I was really impressed by the life-like cutscenes in Braking Point 3. The character models and their facial animations look absolutely insane. Braking Point always looked good, and that continues to be the case here in Part 3.
Verdict – Braking Point 3 First Impressions
In conclusion, I'm really impressed by what I've seen from Braking Point 3 so far. While I'm still very early in my experience, I'm already waiting with excitement to see what comes next. The gameplay on the circuit feels smooth, and it still feels fun to overtake some of the best drivers to ever grace the game. Off the track, I can't wait to make more decisions that could affect my team.
Between the replay value and high-quality cutscenes, Braking Point 3 is already looking like a great reason alone to pick up the game. We hope you enjoy your time with it too when F1 25 launches later this month!
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