I tried Birmingham's F1 Arcade racing car experience and it was better than Top Gear

The highly thrilling launch party has been held to celebrate the arrival of Birmingham's new F1 Arcade.

It took place last week ahead of the opening today (Tuesday, November 21) - and myself and my colleague were fortunate enough to get an invite, so we headed down to experience the new games bar that many people are getting excited about.

The arcade is opposite Albert’s Schloss in Paradise, near Chamberlain Square - it was impossible to miss on the night we visited as a rather large queue had formed when I arrived at around 7pm. My colleague Charlie got there a little earlier and had already been let inside the venue. Despite the fact everyone was on the guest-list for the party, the arcade was operating a one out one in service due to how busy it was when I arrived, so I was stuck in the queue for the next 20 minutes, before finally being let inside.

There was obviously high demand as the arcade was packed with a large number of influencers, businesses and press. After enjoying one of the complimentary glasses of champagne, myself and Charlie then got started on the F1 simulation experience.

The bespoke racing simulators are located all around the 11,000 sq. ft venue. There's a main cocktail bar to the left side of the arcade, with the F1 racing chairs dotted all along the sides of the venue. As it was a launch party event, we were lucky enough to have as many goes as we wanted on the games.

Each race featured different, real life F1 tracks such as Bahrain, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, and Silverstone. You can pick a difficulty, such as semi-pro, casual or professional. I had a couple of goes on semi-professional at first to get the hang of it, and did take me a couple of goes to really get into the swing of things.

There is also an in-house tech crew to give you a hand if required. If you choose one of the higher difficulty levels such as professional, you have to use buttons on the wheel to change gears as you go around the corners of the track. Of course, there are also the pedals, one for accelerating and one for breaking, and the simulators even feature motion and audio-visual effects to really immerse guests in the race.

During each race, which lasted around five minutes each, myself and Charlie were in a race with 10 other drivers who were sat in the chairs next to us. To make the game as lifelike as possible, you have to slow down and hit the brakes when you go around the corners of the tracks and anticipate when the next corners are going to come and how fast you want to approach them. If you crash into any other racers or veer off the track, your chair also gives a bit of bump and vibration to mimic a collision.

During my first couple of races I finished 6th and 7th, before earning a slightly more respectable 4th placed finish. But I was no match for Charlie, who won three out of his four races, despite the fact he selected the higher professional difficulty.

Things will be a little different for customers when the arcade opens in a week's time. Each guest will get a minimum of four races in a session. The custom built race screens and bespoke point scoring systems will then guide you through your booking, letting you know who is up next, handy tips to get you racing and who is in the lead on points as you compete with friends over different tracks as part of your own F1 Championship before an overall winner in your booking group will be crowned.

The simulators are certainly good fun and the F1 Arcade will definitely make for an entertaining night out with friends who fancy competing with each other and having a few drinks. From a personal point of view, the arcade was definitely an exhilarating experience. I'd never had a go on such a real lifelike simulation. But that's not all there is at the F1 Arcade.

'Race, Drink Eat' is the bar's mantra so we decided to get a bit of grub. Although the venue's cocktail bar was packed, so we avoided queuing for drinks, instead enjoying the complementary options which included oysters and crab. To top off the evening, there was also a live DJ set. Drinks on offer at the arcade will include sparkling wine, vintage Champagne, beers, shots and more, with tacos and flatbreads among the food options when the doors open next week.

Overall, it's safe to say that the F1 Arcade will offer something completely new to Birmingham's nightlife. There are a number of great games bars in the city centre now, but the F1 simulators will provide a gaming and drinking experience that is quite unique.

What else will be on offer at the arcade?

You will also be able to watch the real F1 live from the venue with a number of watch parties planned to take place. The venue pledges that it will be “the best place to watch F1 in Birmingham." Grand Prix races will be broadcast on huge TV screens with live commentary, enteratinment and unlimted sim racing before the pros get on the real track. The F1 Arcade in London hosted a watch party for the Bahrain Grand Prix in March hosted by Jodie Kidd.

Your own F1 Arcade currency and how to book

This is the heart of the F1 Arcade universe where you’ll find your personal Arcadian stash (the in house currency). You can use it to engage in captivating in-venue games, acquire exclusive products and unlock VIP experiences. You will be asked to upload your own profile before you get racing.

The new arcade will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, November 21. Bookings for the F1 Arcade are open now. You can book online, here