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In this EA Sports F1 25 Review, we take a look at Codemasters' latest entry in their Formula 1 video game series. At its core, F1 25 brings the classic gameplay fans have come to love over the years, but with many new improvements and features. Between Braking Point 3 and My Team 2.0, as well as the updates to the Circuits and Decal Editor, F1 25 seeks to improve the game on all fronts. But how does it all feel in the end?
EA Sports F1 25 Review – What Is F1 25?
EA Sports F1 25 is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is available on PC, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5. It is the 18th game in the series from Codemasters, and the fifth to be published by EA Sports. Side Note – For those curious, we did an interview with series' Creative Director Lee Mather on the history of F1 Games (Go check it out!).
F1 25 features real Formula 1 and Formula 2 teams, drivers, circuits, cars, and much more. And for those who pre-ordered the iconic edition, you'll also have the chance to drive with Sonny Hayes from the F1 Movie.
For reference, my first Formula 1 video game was F1 22, and I've been able to play every title since. So far, I've actually come to enjoy the series more than Codemasters' Rally games like WRC and Dirt 2.0. But all that said, is this game still worth your hard-earned cash?
F1 25 Review – Gameplay
In general, F1 25 feels very similar to its predecessors. So if you're a fan of the series, you'll feel right at home with F1 25. But like every annual release, there are always improvements in various areas.
At its core, the gameplay remains fundamentally the same. And personally, I'm glad they didn't make any major changes here. Instead, most of the team's development efforts seemed to be on improving their modes, rather than the gameplay experience. And I'm perfectly fine with that.
If it's not broken, why fix it? The F1 game series has always offered a great experience, and I believe Codemasters has already done enough over the years to deliver fun and authentic gameplay. We've seen Dynamic Handling in F1 24, improved driving physics in '23, and adaptive AI in '22. The point is, Codemasters has seemingly perfected the gameplay aspect of F1.
This year, they updated five circuits, but I was more excited to see the new “reverse” circuits. As the name suggests, these circuits allow you to drive in one of three tracks, but backwards. What seems like such a simple idea actually completely changes race strategy. It's almost like playing on a new circuit entirely. These races are available instantly in Grand Prix or Time Trials, but can also be used in Career Mode too!
The updated tracks look great and feel great to drive on. Every circuit feels fun to drive in (except maybe Monaco) and true to the real-life event. But we'll dive into the visuals a bit later on.
What I've always liked about the F1 series is the amount of control you have over your gameplay experience. There's a vast amount of difficulty levels and assist options to help you find what works best for you. While some difficulties are set in certain modes, I always felt, for the most part, that I had a great level of control when it came to gameplay.
Outside of difficulty, you can also adjust race and practice lengths to your liking. So if you really want to drive through a full race just like the Pros, you certainly can. Just be prepared for long sessions, which can be tiresome after a while. But I do appreciate the variety of options that players have.
But just having good gameplay may not be enough. A sports game needs content for the player to enjoy. Unfortunately, many Sports games suffer from not offering much beyond the base “Franchise” or “Career Mode”. But thankfully, F1 25 offers more than enough content for you to enjoy at launch.
At launch, you can dive into Driver or My Team Career, as well as the Braking Point Story Mode (which we'll dive into later). But there's also F1 World, where you can hop into online matches, create a Grand Prix, or play in Time Trials. And if you pre-ordered the Iconic Edition, you'll get to enjoy the F1 The Movie Chapters, which lets you play as Sonny Hayes from the film.
Out of all the modes offered this year, I really took a liking to F1 World. I love being able to upgrade my car over time and compete in these short series. These little micro-races offer me a quick way to jump into a race without investing too much time. While I enjoyed Career Mode, it can take time to set you or your team up for the next race.
F1 World offers a seamless experience in which you dive right into a Series or Invitational with very little to block your way. Additionally, FanZone offers a nice incentive to keep playing and earn Fan Points. While I definitely won't be able to keep up with the game's hardcore playerbase, it was amusing to see myself standing next to virtual Charles Leclerc for a brief time.
Of course, flagship modes like My Team and Driver Career return, as well as the recently introduced Challenge Careers. While the latter two remain relatively similar, My Team saw some great improvements.
Starting with the Team HQ, it now evolves over time along with your team. The more success you earn on the grid, the more it reflects on your Team HQ. Furthermore, Accolades now come to My Team, allowing you to check out even more of your accomplishments.
On the circuit, everything remains the same. But off the circuit, you'll have your hands full. Whether it's researching and developing new parts, earning fans, managing your schedule, or making deals with sponsors, My Team keeps you busy. There's a lot of depth here, which makes it feel worthwhile to try out.
And it's not just you that will be busy, but so will other teams. In my one My Team Playthrough, I allowed Driver Icons to appear in the game. Now, I'll need to be aware of Michael Schumacher signing with any team to change things up. And just for fun, I threw in the drivers from Braking Point's Konnersport and APXGP from F1 the movie.
Perhaps the best new feature of My Team this year is that they allow you to play as both drivers. Before Race Weekend, you can choose to play as either driver, helping you develop both of them with each race. This was great because it allows me to shift my focus from Driver to Driver. I still focused on upgrading one driver first before working on the other. However, I now know that over time, I'll be able to make both of them great.
However, one thing that disappointed me this year was that I was unable to play as a Driver/Owner. Instead, I was forced to sign two drivers as opposed to creating one and then signing another. At the time of writing, I was unable to find a way to create my own Driver in My Team, which was kind of a let down. Personally, I would like to do that again, pretending to be some billionaire racer who drives his own team's cars.
Additionally, while I appreciate the new Decal Editor, customization could still use some more improvements. While I like the variety of Car Liveries, I do wish we had a bit more control. I look at other EA games like Super Mega Baseball 4, or even Madden's buggy Team Builder feature and think “Gee, I would love to see something similar in F1 games”. I really just want to recreate the classic Marlboro Racing team, but the current customization options don't offer much for creativity.
Nevertheless, these issues paled in comparison to all the fun I had in My Team. The process of preparing for each Race Weekend feels addicting and easy to pick up. And I've always preferred it over Driver Career because you have even more control over your experience.
But Driver Career (and the much shorter Challenge Career) is fun, too! Although Codemasters put more focus on My Team and Braking Point 3, the experience is still fun. And just like last year, you can still be one of the 20 official drivers like Max Verstappen or Iconic Edition cover star Lewis Hamilton.
Challenge Career offers a fun career mode if you want something simple. And I imagine Codemasters will add more over time as the real drivers aim to make history this season.
Overall, I really enjoyed F1 25's Gameplay. The controls feel great, I felt in control of my experience, and there's a lot of modes to dive into. But now let's take a look into its Campaign Mode, Braking Point 3.
F1 25 Review – Braking Point 3
Perhaps the biggest mode in this year's installment is the Braking Point 3 campaign. The series first began with F1 21, with the story continuing in F1 23 (Braking Point 2). It follows several fictional characters in the F1 World, who've all come together to the same team.
The series' first protagonist, Aiden Jackson returns. He, along with Braking Point 2 Protagonist Callie Mayer make for the grid's 11th duo as they drive for Konnersport. But off the circuit, Devon Butler (Jackson's former rival and Mayer's brother) works for the team alongside Casper “The Flying Dutchman” Akkerman.
Interestingly, Braking Point 3 changes things up a bit. Konnersport, formerly owned by Andreo Konner, has been purchased by Butler's father, Davidoff. However, you still see him throughout the game, even controlling him at times. So all the major characters have made a return.
Fortunately, Braking Point 3 starts with a recap of events that took place in BP2. So in case you don't feel like redownloading '23, you'll get caught up with all the big events in the league. Afterwards, you begin your experience in the 2024 season.
Things start off great for Konnersport, who produce two great race results to start off the story. However, while things are great on the track, drama stirs from within. Davidoff shows no interest in Callie, while also assigning ownership responsibilities of the team to Devon while he “goes away”.
I won't spoil too much of the story, but unfortunately, Davidoff is unable to return to the team, forcing Devon to run the business in his absence. But Devon and Callie continue to butt heads while the team struggles. Ultimately, they lose out on winning anything in 2024 as their year ends in disaster.
The problems continue in 2025, and Akkerman steps down from his position for a personal reason. Fortunately, Andreo returns to help save the team's 2025 season. But Devon, unable to handle the task of ownership, causes problems for you on and off the circuit. Additionally, Callie isn't helping either as she's lost focus due to family problems.
Aiden, meanwhile, tries to play mediator between the two. But while he's trying to resolve issues off the track, he still needs to race well to save his team. And while all of this is going on, there's a major problem brewing for Butler Global. So to sum it up: things are an absolute mess. And it's up to you to help Konnersport save their season.
On the circuit, you need to complete a main objective (as well as a bonus objective) to complete the level. Overall, the level structure is simple, but not too long where it gets boring. Furthermore, the levels feature dialogue throughout to keep you going.
But off the circuit, things get more interesting. You control either Akkerman, Konner, and even Devon at some point. Here, you need to make key decisions that impact your team throughout the season. And I'm not going to lie – these decisions had me thinking for long periods of time.
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Do I give an employee a promotion at the risk of alienating others? Do I send Aiden or Callie to an interview and cost them training time? The different decisions I made ultimately ended up coming back to bite or bless me in the end. This mechanic adds replay value, incentivizing the player to have numerous BP3 playthroughs and see the different outcomes.
Furthermore, you also need to keep an eye on your Performance and Reputation levels. These levels unlock new dialogue options for both the drivers and staff members to use. However, sometimes these options are locked if your level isn't high enough in that category to use it. It made me think even more about the decisions I was making, and whether I wanted to focus more on Reputation or Performance.
So in terms of gameplay, Braking Point 3 feels fun. And the replay value here makes for a great addendum to an already sizable campaign. But how did I feel about the story?
While I loved to see Aiden, Casper, and Andreo, I still found it difficult to like anyone from the Butler Family. All the family drama took me away from what could've been more drama elsewhere. I don't mind a little in-fighting, but I feel it should've had more to do with the season, team, or car, rather than a squabbling between siblings. While the cutscenes look amazing, I feel they're wasted on many arguments between Callie and Devon, when they could've been about Aiden, Casper, Andreo, or other staff members.
Callie and Devon are in a constant fight about their father. Callie thinks her father loved Devon more. Devon doesn't believe that while both of them are neglecting their jobs. Again, I love a good, dramatic story, but it actually needs the former for it to be enjoyable. Whenever these two fought, I often considered skipping the cutscene.
But I didn't, because the other characters of Braking Point are still awesome. Characters like Konner, Akkerman, and Jackson gave me more than enough reason to keep going. That's why I played as Jackson whenever I could, because he was the one I connected with more. In the game's last race, I very much enjoyed picking Jackson seeing him accomplish something great. Again, no spoilers here, but I very much enjoyed the ending that I earned.
In the end, I really liked Braking Point 3. Aside from the few annoying cutscenes, I really liked the gameplay experience, replay value, and cutscene quality. Plus, it adds more content to the game, helping F1 25 feel like a complete product. I wonder what Codemasters has next in store for this beloved series.
F1 25 Review – Graphics
Codemasters' F1 games have always looked incredible, and F1 25 is no exception. This year, the developers used LIDAR Technology to update five circuits (Bahrain, Miami, Melbourne, Suzuka, and Imola). On PlayStation 5, F1 25 is a visually impressive title. I can only imagine the experience is much better on a decked-out PC, but the visual quality on console looks incredible, too.
It's the little details that make these F1 games so great to watch. I especially love to race on a wet track with rainy conditions so I can watch the water slide down the car. But whether you're racing in the rain or in the sun, the series continues to offer high-quality graphics and detail we've come to expect.
Authenticity is a big thing for Codemasters, and the 2025 Circuits not only feel great to drive on, but look great, too. Whether you're playing on the new updated circuits, or the reverse tracks, you'll instantly notice the key points that resemble their real-life counterparts.
Braking Point's cutscenes continue to astonish me. They look absolutely incredible in F1 25, whether the characters are in an indoor or outdoor environment, the scenes look life-like. Even if it is just Callie and Devon verbally brawling in meetings, it looks really good.
And while not the biggest change, the new podium celebration angles are a nice touch. It makes the broadcast look a bit more true to the real deal. Hopefully we see even more presentational improvements in the future.
Overall, F1 25, just like its predecessors, looks visually breathtaking. Codemasters continues to set the precedent for visual quality in Motorsports titles. The sights are great, but how about the sounds.
F1 25 Review – Audio
On the circuit, F1 25 delivers a more authentic experience in terms of its audio, too. The new radio sequences make it more worthwhile to play as a real Driver in Career mode. Furthermore, even Team principals have new audio, and all of the new sounds come together to bring better quality presentation.
On the circuit, the cars sound as great as they feel to drive. Furthermore, I also love the little authentic sounds, like the radio sounds, to match the real-life GPs. The addition of Driver audio from last year's title has turned out to be great. It gives me the sense that Codemasters can improve this feature even more in the future.
Off the circuit, F1 25 features a long list of head-bumping tracks that fit the game's theme perfectly. The soundtrack ranges from a solid variety of genres, mostly featuring a techno/house vibe. Overall, the song selection feels pretty decent whenever you're not driving around.
Overall, F1 25 sounds just as good as it looks. It all feeds into and enhances the game's goal to bring an authentic Formula 1 experience.
Review Verdict – Is EA Sports F1 25 Worth Your Time & Money?
EA Sports F1 25 takes a podium position amongst the best Formula 1 games out there. The gameplay is as smooth as ever, the Braking Point 3 Story Mode provides more substance, and Codemasters once again manages to deliver a great experience all-around, packed with content to keep you on the circuit.
It's often hard to recommend Sports games at full price unless you really love the sport and/or series. But I encourage those on the fence to check out F1 25 if possible. It's a fantastic entry in the series, and offers a wide variety of modes to justify its price. And if you purchase the game's Iconic Edition, you'll get to play the F1 The Movie Chapter Scenarios.
The best thing about the game is just how much it offers. You can spend all day in F1 World, or in either Career Mode (My Team or Driver). The Braking Point 3 storyline is pretty long, and has a lot of replay value with all the decisions you can make. And when you want something more simple, you can dive into modes like Challenge Career to get warmed up or to just have fun.
A problem with many Sports games nowadays is that there isn't much offered beyond the base “Franchise” mode. But that's what makes F1 25 special. It overtakes the competition with the amount of content it provides even beyond its flagship modes. It's a truly iconic entry in the series, one that's more than worth checking out. Once again, Codemasters deserves the right to pop the champagne bottle and celebrate another great title.
That wraps up our F1 25 Review! We hope you enjoy your time on the grid!
F1 25 Review Score: 9/10
Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a review copy to allow us to cover this game. This copy did not, in any way, affect this EA Sports F1 25 Review's final score and verdict.
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