Formula One. It's not a deadly chemical made from dioxins and chlordane, manufactured to thin out the population. It's not even a magic cure made from probiotics and antibiotics, despite sounding very much like a chemical. But, like a chemical, Formula One could be broken down into its core ingredients - you've got high intense racing, on flat tracks that those rubber tyres seem to love, a truly miscible mix for a game that has nothing to do with chemistry at all. So start your engines once more, it's time to swallow Formula One 06 from SCEE!

You're welcomed to this edition in a similar way to the rest, with a clean, clear menu and a breezy soundtrack. Then you're asked to create a character, where you pick from more than 20 different faces and helmets. Not the best character customisation system, but it's irrelevant anyway, as most of your time will be spent inside the F1 speed-demon. A plethora of modes await you, along with an even bigger selection of customisations and aids to add to the races, all these offering a hell of a lot of help to the novice driver, such as the racing line, which is a multicoloured line that runs through the track, showing you where you should drive, when you should start turning, start applying the brake and begin blasting out of those corners. It's great to have these aids available, some offering you a helping hand that enhances the game for novices and hardcore players alike, and some offering a generous amount of help for the newcomers who fancy having a go at trying to beat Michael Schumacher!

You may find the modes on offer here similar to what has come before; there are plenty of different race modes available, from Quick Race, where you to chose a driver, car, team, circuit and difficulty level before jumping in, to Time Trials, Grand Prix Weekends, World Championship and the place where Formula One games always shine, the Career. The GP Weekends are like a shorter version of the Championship mode, both of which have you partaking in several races for the best times and positions. Aside from modes, you have Split Screen for two people to compete, options to tweak things like the driving aids I've mentioned, and a bunch of extras, which includes various racing tips - once again, very handy for the newcomer.

The Career mode consists of looking at your Emails and digging up information about upcoming trials, then arranging those trials and races in the Recruitment section. Once you've got things set up for further into the week, you can advance time by a few days until your scheduled races come up. As well looking for work, you can keep your eye on the ball by looking at news, which is where you'll find tips and information that can be handy, yet again, to the newcomer, while for the avid F1 fan it can be amusing to read too.

Whether you're racing for glory in the Career or you're just jumping behind the wheel for a ten minute spin, I'm sure you'll find a lot of challenge in the races on offer. The thing about Formula One 06 is that it's not very forgiving - at all. Miss a turn and you'll slip into last place, and when you're last it's tough to catch up. Even with the aids applied you might have trouble, because at the end of the day, aids are just aids - not trump cards. There is no room for error when you're on the track and, because of this, the game can be looked at from two angles. The first, it's frustrating. Or the second, my favourite, it's such a challenge that it becomes an addiction, and suddenly taking corners, shaving your time down and overtaking Schumacher leaves you with a great sense of achievement. Of course, some people, maybe newcomers and racing novices, will look at this game from the former angle, and that's a shame, because Formula One 06 is very newcomer friendly - the designers really have done everything they can to help you learn how to race properly.

However, the high adrenaline, speed-a-plenty nature of the beast that is Formula One 06 will undoubtedly win over the F1 crowd, and from tearing up the tarmac for a few hours, I can almost see why many people buy this on a yearly basis. Some of the tweaks may go unnoticed if you're coming from the version prior to this, and because Formula One 06 is short of an online mode again, some casual fans that had last year's release may not bother with this one. This series is desperate for a PS3 release, with proper HD graphics and a full online mode - breathing new life into a title that is limited to the skilful, intense action of F1 racing would definitely be a good step in the right direction.

Now don't get me wrong, the graphics on offer aren't bad, but they're no better than the game that came before it; things look nice up close, like the body of the F1 automobile, but things at a distance, such as signs and the crowd, are nothing special - it's just a haze. The grass is green, but not textured, and I guess we're just lucky that tarmac only comes in one colour, or I'd be complaining about that too. They are PS2-quality graphics through and through, but no boundaries been pushed here. As chance would have it, the sound package is a little more attractive - the peaceful, jazzy music that runs though the simple menu system is nice to listen to, while the sound of your motor as you battle it out with other AI controller characters (which happen to also be quite responsive) is very rev-worthy. Topped off with commentary that lets you know periodically who is doing well and who is not doing so well, boundaries have clearly been pushed in the audio department.

And so we reach the end of this chemical-reaction of a review. But before you go, let's reflect. There are lots of things in Formula One 06 that are newcomer friendly, but the unforgiving and harsh nature of the gameplay could put novices and casual racers off. However, anybody with a lust for a challenge should check this out, unless of course, you have the 05 version - if you do, you have to weigh up if the tweaks alone in the gameplay are enough to sway you over to buy the recent instalment. You could compare this game to one of those probiotic drinks you can buy to help your stomach. It's full of good bacteria, things like driving aids and lots of modes, and it tastes nice - it's almost addictive, the challenge will keep you coming back, but it's something you can live without - not taking the probiotic won't have a negative affect on your life, in the same way lots of people could probably live without Formula One 06 due to a lack of major changes and the absence of online play. But hey, chemistry is a funny thing; maybe Formula One 06 will be the best thing that's happened to you, well, since the last one. Take a sip of Formula One if you wish, it might leave a bad taste in your mouth, or you could be pleasantly surprised - that's the risk with this formula!!

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).