F1 23 is nearly here, and off the bat, EA has made it clear that the Braking Point story campaign would be making a comeback after skipping F1 22. Story mode enjoyers in sports games will be happy that all of the drama and intrigue that comes along with it will make a return, but will it be as well-received as its debut back in F1 2021?

We’ve been given a chance by EA to take a peek at the first three chapters of the upcoming mode in F1 23 and see if this is indeed the return fans have been waiting for.

Braking Point in F1 23 follows the shenanigans of Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, two bitter rivals that have somehow found themselves under the roof of team Konnersport Butler Racing Team. Now teammates, they have to somehow find a way to coexist or risk losing their seats and bring their season to a disastrous ending. There’s also a new character that will be introduced – Formula 2 champion Callie Mayer.

If there’s one thing that F1 2021 did well, it told a great, albeit cheesy, story filled with drama and twists that really serve as a great introduction to the game. It’s all too familiar, but the feeling of finally getting this mode back trumps the familiarity complaint by a mile. Based on the first three chapters alone, F1 23’s Braking Point looks to continue that, with the race serving as just one course of the full meal.

In F1 23 Braking Point, you’ll be taken through a series of races with various objectives that reflect the current situation. From what we played, one objective was to regain track placement after spinning off the track, and we had a limited number of laps to make that happen. There was also one chapter where a bonus objective appeared (lapping ahead of 2 specific drivers) rewarding us with bonus points should we meet the challenge.

Performance and reputation levels will take a hit depending on how you drive and the objectives you accomplish during the race. In between races, players will be exposed to some choices that can affect said performance and reputation levels, along with getting the latest news and updates via social media feeds and emails. This is a nice touch since even in real-life Formula 1, social media is such an important part of the overall experience and it’s nice to see that folded into this mode.

It’s quite hard to say how these choices and meters will affect the overall story of Braking Point, such as introducing branching storylines and the like. Our guess is it probably won’t, but I’d love to be proven wrong!

F1 23 not only brings Braking Point back but also some of the best controls and visuals in an F1 game. This series has long been an astounding effort from the devs, consistently putting out solid driving feel that captures the sense of speed very well along with immersive audio that brings tire screeches and roaring engines to life.

Controls are good and intuitive, and as a casual race fan like me, it’s great to see that EA has put in enough options and sliders to cater to the whole spectrum of fans and potential speedsters.

At the moment, it’s still too early to tell how this will all shape up, but a big step to making it all work is to bring Braking Point back. Simply based on the first three chapters alone, this latest installment feels set for a podium finish.

F1 23 is scheduled to release on June 16, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.