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Gaming Hype: Codemasters Combines Mario Kart Style With F1 Looks In “F1 Race Stars” Comic-Con Announcement (Video)

In a surprise Comic-Con announcement Codemasters has revealed a trailer for a new F1 game. Hold your horses though. This is not an extremely early trailer for F1 2013. In fact this is a trailer for something entirely different from any of their previous F1 games. The new IP titled “F1 Race Stars” puts a “Mario Kart” like take on Formula One racing. Look forward to “toon” style cars and drivers instead of the hyper-realistic visuals you are used to from other games. Also this looks to be the first time that actual driver likenesses are used in a Codemasters F1 game. Previously you would see a drivers suit, helmet, and name but never their face. That appears to have changed based on the first official trailer titled “over the top”.

According to the press release game modes will include 12 player online races, 4 player split screen modes, and various career modes. The release also states that like the more “serious” F1 games F1 Race Stars will feature real Formula One tracks (including the new Austin Circuit Of The Americas) albeit “fantastical” versions of them. What does that mean? Try skyward vertical hairpin turns, jumps, and 360 degree loops. Also like other “kart style” games F1 Race Stars will feature power-ups and weapons that can be used against your opponents. If this sounds like an awesome time to you then you may be interested to know that Codemasters has announced that the game will release for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC this November. For now check out the trailer featuring toon versions Lewis Hamilton, Sebastien Vettel, and Fernando Alonso below.

UPDATES:

We just learned the official driver line up for the game will be as follows: Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Bruno Senna, and Sebastien Vettel. We also have a batch of screen shots which you can view by clicking the thumbnails below.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WYugq0uuoI’]

Press Release:

Today Codemasters® announced that the all-new addition to its acclaimed FORMULA ONE gaming portfolio is F1 RACE STARS, a fast-to-the-fun arcade racing game for all ages featuring official FORMULA ONE cars, teams and circuits as they’ve never been seen before. Set to arrive this November, gamers can see how F1 RACE STARS will take FORMULA ONE over the top in the first trailer video, now playing at www.F1RaceStars.com.

The video reveals how 2012 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ drivers Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have been transformed into personality-packed heroes and FORMULA ONE circuits are converted into over-the-top tracks built for super-charged speed.

In the video, the drivers are shown blasting down the track in their F1 RACE STARS cars. However there’s a surprise ahead as the circuit begins to transform and a tight hairpin elevates into the sky. Undaunted, the racing heroes accelerate and take the race onwards and upwards.

Coming this holiday season for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC, F1 RACE STARS is now in production at Codemasters Racing Studios in Birmingham, UK, the home of the BAFTA award-winning series of Official FORMULA ONE games, and is being created under exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One World Championship Limited.

F1 RACE STARS will deliver formula fun on every straight, hairpin, jump and loop-the-loop with super-fast racing and a range of power-ups for players to collect and deploy as they sprint for the chequered flag ahead of their rivals.

F1 RACE STARS will take players on a world tour of iconic FORMULA ONE locations, including Monaco, Silverstone and the new Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas, recreated as fantastical racing circuits built for speed and wheel-to-wheel competition. Friends and family can share the fun too; F1 RACE STARS will deliver 4-player split-screen racing and 12-player competition alongside an extensive career mode featuring a number of Championships.

Chris Gray, Senior Producer, F1 RACE STARS, said: “We’re really excited to bring the whole cast of FORMULA ONE into a fun new world of racing. We’ve really let our Art and Design teams off the leash to bring F1 stars’ personalities alive in a new way and create a game where racing fans of all ages can jump into all-action solo, split-screen and online multiplayer races. It’s the game we’ve wanted to create for a long time and, building on our strong relationship with Formula One Management Limited, we’re now able to bring Codemasters’ long-standing expertise in track design and AI to create a FORMULA ONE racing experience quite unlike any other.”

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