Every time I see a game that has box art featuring a vehicle and the Codemasters logo, my interest is instantly piqued. These guys make some of the best racing games on the planet, after all. So even when they handle a license that I have little to no history with, I'm still interested. F1 2012 is an example of such a case. It builds a very strong case for accessibility in simulation racing games, and it comes complete with strong offline and online offerings. If you feel the need for speed, F1 2012 might just be up your alley.

Codemasters' racing games are often acclaimed for looking and sounding as great as they actually play. F1 2012 may not be as stunning as any of the DiRT games, but that's just the nature of the beast. I may not know much about Formula 1, but I know that they generally don't make a habit of racing off road through snow and mud. F1 2012 is all about clean stretches of pavement flanked by grassy areas and the occasional set of bleachers. And to that effect, F1 2012 is a good representation of the sport. Cars look sleek and badass, and the game offers a multitude of interesting viewpoints through which to see the action. If you go off the road, your tyres will become caked with debris. I get the sense that the developers have a good grasp on how real world physics affect these machines.

The soundtrack is heavy on symphonic and synth without crossing the line into party rock and dubstep (like in DiRT). The main menu screens play host to a bit of music that sounds very similar to a major motif in the official soundtrack of X-Men: First Class, and it actually works pretty well. Cars emit a number of intimidating high-pitched whines, and the clicks of shifting gears sounds wonderfully authentic. Your spotter gives you great information: he praises you the instant you do something awesome, and he wryly observes the many mistakes you'll no doubt make over the course of your racing career.

Season Challenge and Career Mode take you on a wild ride through a series of qualifying runs and races. You complete a session in the hopes of winning the best possible starting spot, and complete the official race after your qualifying run. Qualifying runs are occasionally optional in other racing games, but I like them in F1 2012. Ghosts of other qualifying runs appear as you attempt to secure pole position, which gives you a nice indication of how well you are doing. The major difference between these two primary single player modes is in length. Furthermore, Career is far more involving in terms of personal customization.

The Proving Grounds contain your standard Time Trial and Time Attack modes in addition to Champions Mode. This is a scenario-based simulation that has you challenging the six Fia Formula One Drivers' World Champions. Realistic situations force you to adapt on the fly or fail. You can mess up your tires, run out of gas, and choose the wrong equipment for the weather. It's a neat challenge.

Multiplayer includes both online and offline play for up to sixteen players. You can choose from different preset events (Sprint, Endurance, and Online Grand Prix) or customize one of your own. Furthermore, you can play co-op with a buddy in Co-Op Championship, which is a cooperative/competitive mode that has you both vying for stellar performances, while at the same time competing for valuable R&D components.

The racing feels fantastic, though it takes some getting used to. More on that later. There are numerous strategies to be employed if you want a spot on the podium, and your opponents aren't there to make it any easier for you. Drivers cluster up in difficult turns, making it extremely difficult for you to negotiate your way to a better position. You need to know when breaking from your normal line becomes a viable option, as well as when it spells certain disaster.

Part of the difficulty in developing a Formula 1 game must lie in making a niche genre accessible to a wider audience. Lord knows I don't have much experience with it. I know what it is, and that's about all I can say. I've never watched or followed it with any kind of fervor, and even after playing F1 2012, I don't expect to do so anytime soon. However, I can still say that I had a great time with this game, and that's largely due to the graciousness of the developer.

For starters, the Young Driver Test covers just about everything you need to know about the fundamentals of F1 2012. Of course, the fundamentals are admittedly few and far between, but the option is still very nice to have, especially for newcomers.

Numerous driving assists are in place to get the uninitiated into the swing of things. Naturally, you can opt for a driving line that changes color as the recommended speed changes, but it does more than just that. If you're a complete newbie like me, it might be a good idea to turn on the braking assist. Formula 1 is a very different breed of racing from just about everything else, and you need to learn the rhythms and patterns of the turning game before you can start winning on your own. With the braking assist on, all you have to do is perfect your line and cut your corners correctly. As you watch the braking assist do its job, you'll get a definite sense of when you will want to brake once you turn it off.

F1 2012 is a fairly standard racer as far as mechanics are concerned, though the amount of depth is proportionate to your desired level of realism. Turning off all the assists and assuming responsibility for your transmission results in a challenge that feels realistic. Formula 1 cars handle much differently than... well, everything else. They are smaller, faster, and more agile than just about everything else. These tiny beasts take some getting used to, and as mentioned, the game is more than willing to ease you in. That being said, cars handle wonderfully. The controls are responsive and easy to grasp, but as with all great racing games, they are nuanced and difficult to flat out master. Learning to follow that perfect race line takes time, and learning to do it all on your own takes even more time. But once you get it, F1 2012 becomes an almost Zen-like experience.

Even the smallest mistakes can be extremely costly in F1 2012, so it's a good thing the Flashback mechanic makes an appearance. If you veer off the track or cause a collision resulting in a massive time penalty, you will want to stop time, reverse the replay to a point where you were completely in control, and try again.

Some mechanics are universal to the experience, regardless of your playstyle. Two such mechanics are KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and DRS (Drag Reduction System). These mechanics are absolutely fascinating, as they are grounded in real world principles as well as application. KERS takes the energy lost in braking and stores it in a battery pack, which can be tapped to regain some of that lost momentum. DRS can only be used when drafting within a single second of the racer ahead. Furthermore, it's only available when the race officiators deem it so. Pressing a button while "in the zone" lowers a flap on the top of the car, greatly improving its aerodynamics and increasing its speed. Overtaking an opponent using DRS is immensely satisfying, and cutting a perfect corner before unleashing KERS is equally so.

If you enjoy realistic racing games, F1 2012 is a game you should check out. Even if they intimidate you, you should at least give this one a try. It's flexible and accessible enough to attract newcomers, and it's deep and rewarding enough to secure the hardcore fans.