Formula 1 is the most popular motorsport on the planet, and once upon a time Formula 1 games were a very big deal too. Many would argue that the quality and love for F1 titles has lulled over the last three quarters of a decade, but Codemasters aim to change that, promising an exciting revitalisation.

People who love the sport, the games, or both, have been looking forward to F1 2010 with keen anticipation for a couple of years now. Well, it's here, and we're about to see if it has lived up to the hype surrounding the release. Is it realistic, is it fun? Will it satisfy both sim and arcade racers? The last few days have been spent almost entirely playing both the PS3 and PC version, and all of those questions have been answered.

There's a lot to love about F1 2010's sound engineering. The cars sounds authentic humming on the starting grid, racing with their high pitch whine, and shifting up and down corner-to-corner. Nothing really seems amiss while racing at all, and you're never left thinking something is out of place.

Additionally, the team radio, and most dialog for that matter, is well voice acted even if sometimes repetitive. The only major audio disappointment is the lack of race commentary. Trying not to sound too pedantic, this is is a sorely missed piece of the atmosphere puzzle.

The difference between visuals on the PlayStation 3 and the PC is large, to say the least. The PS3 suffers from inconsistent frame rates, choppy mirror visuals and low resolution textures. On a high-end PC however, the game looks absolutely stellar and runs tremendously well - even with Nvidia 3D Vision enabled. There's a clear winner here, and those who plan to own the PC copy can rest assured that you'll be privy to the better experience.

On both platforms, the weather effects are of particular note. There's no doubt that F1 2010's wet weather racing has raised the bar for the entire genre. Racing along at 200km per hour with a face full of rain has never felt so tense, so risky, as the water-covered and puddle-riddled track glistens so beautifully. While you zip across the slippery asphalt, the cars in front of you kick up water, and the closer you get the harder it is to see. Yet despite the immense wet weather visuals, it's never actually impossible to drive. It's something to marvel at; instilling real stress, fear and caution with amazing special effects, yet keeping the race action alive and fun. It's a masterstroke.

Let's be clear before moving onto gameplay: this is not a sim racer. Riding grass is very forgiving, and braking when going into a spin will point your car back in the right direction on track. Liberties have obviously been taken to ensure casual racers aren't alienated by the daunting task of controlling these extreme open wheel cars.

That said, the balance between a somewhat realistic racing mechanic and outright fun is to be commended. With all of the assists off, you need to feather your throttle and ease the car into acceleration on a corner exit, and you'll often be wrestling with your twitchy car using aggressive setups on circuits like Singapore. It's challenging, and extremely enjoyable. Unless you're an absolute arcade or simulation purist, there's a good chance you'll appreciate and enjoy what has been accomplished here.

Looking towards multiplayer, the netcode seems tip-top. Online games have been void of stuttered cars and unexpected collisions, even with a grid of racers from all around the globe. There is one very frustrating issue with multiplayer however, and that's the lack of a spectator facility. When you're disqualified, crash out or finish ahead of everyone else, you're forced to sit and look at the standings. Thankfully, Codemasters intend to resolve this complaint in the game's next iteration.

For those craving true race authenticity, I have some bad news. There's no safety car, no warm-up lap, and no manual race starts - not in single player or multiplayer. Again, Codemasters acknowledge the community's desire for such features, and there's a good chance we'll see all of this in F1 2011. These shortfalls have left many sim fans looking forward to the game undecided about a purchase, but to be frank, we didn't miss the presence of these features once firmly cemented in, and enjoying a lengthy session of racing.

This much fun hasn't been had with an F1 title since Bizarre Creations' Formula 1 on the original PlayStation. There's a lot of room for improvement in many areas of the game, but Codemasters have gotten the racing so very right, and that's the most important element of any racing game.