Formula Legends exists in a bizarre middle-ground. Its desire to emulate the sport of Formula 1 requires realistic handling and physics, yet the game leans into cartoony aesthetics while lacking the depth you would want from a traditional sim racer. The result is a product that serves as an interesting tour through the sport’s history, even if genre enthusiasts are likely to prefer other experiences.
We don’t get a lot of games that serve as playable museums, so I admire what developer 3DClouds is trying to achieve. You’ll be given the opportunity to race in circuits and cars stretching all the way from the 1960s up to the current day. As technology progresses through the years, the cars become more advanced, with some additional mechanics sprinkled on top for good measure. It’s an interesting way to learn about the sport’s advances, and could certainly be used to educate newer fans on previous eras.
This ambition is massively undercut however by the inability to procure any licenses. Formula Legends is not officially endorsed by any teams, sponsors, or the FIA, meaning that while its contents can allude to the events of the past, they aren’t able to tell the stories of specific figures or brands in the sport’s history. Thus, while it’s able to demonstrate F1’s technological leaps, the game won’t be drawing you in with any of the human drama that often makes the contests more exciting.
Once on the tarmac, the racing is fun enough. You’ll need to brake frequently to round sharp corners, but the cars provide an excellent sense of speed during straightaways. Visiting the pit crew every few laps is essential; you have to monitor tire degradation, vehicle integrity, and fuel supply throughout each race. Additionally, you can select from a small handful of tires each stop, adjusting to the dynamic weather conditions of the track. Tuning up requires a QTE, and it’s a lot of fun trying to complete it as fast as possible to keep your lap time down.
I can’t help but feel that Legends’s aesthetics betray its intentions though. While I’d be hard-pressed to call this a racing sim, the game demands a level of driving proficiency from the player that exceeds the majority of titles on the market. However, the simplistic presentation would suggest that you’d be in for a more arcadey experience, with simple graphics, voxel spectators, and minimal mechanics to master. Perhaps this is a purely personal hangup, but I suspect the market has a very defined idea of what games with this type of graphics should play like, leaving members of the larger audience rather alienated if they choose to pick this up.
Should you find that the gameplay is to your taste, you’ll have a decent amount of content to enjoy. Every decade sports a variety of cups to complete. Participating in them will unlock more cars and tracks to use in the Custom mode, allowing you to race under whatever conditions you desire. If you’re intent on chasing the perfect lap, there’s also a Time Attack option as well as a Showroom, though those will likely only be frequented by the most committed racers.
Formula Legends neither caters to the casual fans enough with simple controls, nor offers a comprehensive history lesson that the hardcore might enjoy. Instead, it tries its best to satisfy both audiences, but its identity crisis (and lack of licenses) makes it difficult to please anyone. It may be an interesting option for those looking to experiment with a semi-realistic racing game, but it’s difficult to see why anyone would choose it over competing titles.
