Life in the fast lane

If you sit down to play F1 2010 on the Playstation 3, make sure you don't have to be anywhere.

The game doesn't begin from a menu screen, from the very first minute you're thrust into the glamorous world of a Formula 1 driver.

And where else better to start but in a press conference. Once you've revealed your name to the hordes of reporters, it's up to you to choose your team.

The graphics and dramatic sound effects make you feel as if you're at the centre of a Hollywood blockbuster as you are whisked to your trailer on the paddock. This is the base for your career.

Your agent introduces herself and you can either proceed to your first race or go back outside to race the Grand Prix of your choice, start a multi-player race, or have a go at Time Trials.

But let's go back into the trailer and off to the practice session at Sakhir.

In the garage on the pit lane you've several options as to how your car is set up to deal with the conditions - brakes, tyres, suspension, it can all be altered.

Out on the track, the high-pitched scream which characterises F1 cars brings the experience to life.

Driving with the gearbox on auto gives a feeling of detachment, although it'll be quite a few laps before you can go manual successfully.

Handily, you can activate a feature called 'Dynamic Racing Line' - arrows on the track showing the route taken by the better drivers which is colour coded and helps you to brake at the right moment on approach to a corner.

On to qualifying and it quickly becomes apparent that the programmers have done a fantastic job of making this game true to life in the way cars perform against one another. In a Lotus for example, if a Red Bull appears behind, it won't be long before it roars past.

And so to the race itself. The useful 'Flashbacks' option means that, should you suddenly make an error that costs you several places, you can rewind to before it happened.

The number of times you can do this varies depending on the difficulty setting.

This game has been needed for a long time and is by far the best and most accurate representation of F1 racing. Many who want to simply race their mates will no doubt opt for Gran Turismo 5 when it surfaces. But, for a true F1 fan, there's no alternative.