Looking for some more Forza Horizon 2 love to add to that ever growing list of championships and challenges you still need to complete? Well Storm Island will scratch that itch for you and then some. This first DLC is huge not only in scope but also and most importantly gameplay.
When you get to the island there is a ton of stuff to keep you going. All new championships, new bucket lists, new smashables, new speed zone's, new speed traps, one new barn find (which I implore you to hunt down) and that's before you even factor in the new extreme weather patterns.
There are eighty new events in total.
Rampage
Rampage events are point-to-point off-road sprints, where the driver will contend with obstacles and smashables (including the brand new smashable chicanes) before crossing the finish line.
Brawl
Grab your favorite four-wheeled weapon and strap in for these off-road circuit races featuring extreme terrain, lots of obstacles to take advantage of, and new smashables to wreck.
Extreme Cross Country
Fans have played Cross Country events in Forza Horizon 2 but have never played them quite like this. With more extreme elevation changes, a variety of different terrain types, and strong storms to contend with, Storm Island’s Extreme Cross Country races are not for the faint of heart.
Cross Country Circuit
One sprint in a Cross Country race will get players’ heart rates up. But how about multiple laps? In Cross Country Circuit events, players will be taking on those same unpredictable challenges in multi-lap races that will test both their stamina and skill.
Gauntlet
Gauntlet events have become the stuff of legend on Storm Island. These point-to-point races are held only at night, and take place during the types of storms that normally have proper names attached to them. These epic races are long and dangerous – with minimal signage to guide players during the race. Just completing a Gauntlet event is challenging enough. Victory will take a special combination of skill, bravery, and luck.
Five new iconic cars are also included in this expansion,
2013 Robby Gordon #7 Speed Energy Drink Stadium Super Truck:
With 600 horsepower and enough suspension travel to absorb monstrous airtime, Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Truck was built to conquer practically any terrain. Gordon started the Stadium Super Truck series in 2012 and won its inaugural championship title in 2013. Modeled after the stadium off-road racing made famous by off-road legend Mickey Thompson, Stadium Super Trucks crash, bash, and jump their way around real-life road courses and unique arena courses. The trucks are tube frame, full-race vehicles, similar to a trophy truck. For those looking for something to slide around, catch huge air, or just simply destroy property with, the #7 is ready and waiting to take all they can dish out.
2013 MINI X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman:
Since its introduction to the Dakar Rally – the most grueling off-road race in the world – the MINI X-Raid has been the most dominant vehicle in the field. With veteran driver Stephane Peterhansel – aka “Mr. Dakar” – behind the wheel in 2012, the MINI won its first Dakar. Peterhansel came back in 2013 to win again in the MINI. Both years the other three MINIs of the four-car team all placed in the top ten. Built specifically for competition in the Dakar, the MINI X-Raid is all-wheel-drive and is powered by a BMW twin-turbo diesel engine. These rigs are built to withstand the conditions of racing across a multitude of surfaces at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Players won’t find much of the production Countryman here, these ALL4 racing MINIs are bespoke chassis and drive systems. What they will find is a thrilling driving experience that’s somewhere between a world-class rally car and Baja buggy.
2014 Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid:
Ford continues its endeavors to win in off-road racing with its 2014 Dakar Rally effort in the Ranger T6 Rally Raid. Drawing on the proven expertise of South African Neal Woolridge, who beat out several American constructors for the chance to build this effort, Ford has gone to great lengths to deliver a true contender for the Dakar. Under the hood is a military dust-proofed 32-valve V8 – a la Ford Mustang – connected to a Sadev six-speed sequential transmission. The body shell resembles a Ranger four-door 4X4 but, underneath, the chassis and suspension are completely custom. Suspension travel and durability are paramount since this truck will be travelling at more than 100 mph across surfaces that most trucks would crawl over. This will be Ford’s first factory effort in the Dakar and, by the look of things, they are aiming to finish strong.
1981 Ford Fiesta XR2:
The smallest of Fords was a success from the moment it was produced in 1976. While not the first front-wheel drive Ford (give that credit to the Taunus) it was the first widely-selling FWD car for the company. U.S.-bound Fiesta models were built in Germany, offering the appeal of a German-built Ford. With an attractive hot hatch look and plenty of pep, the Fiesta just begged to be tossed around. Other than sporty decals and alloy wheels, the one thing the Fiesta lacked was a performance model. Upon testing the waters with the Fiesta Supersport, Ford built the XR2 which brought a stiffened suspension and a 1.6-liter crossflow Kent engine. Given the already nimble and light base, the nearly 100 horsepower of the XR2 really got the party started. When considering this is where the Fiesta of today got its roots, it’s no wonder the XR2 looks so good against the competition.
1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4:
A turbo-charged, four-cylinder, 4WD, four-wheel steering, four-door sedan, sold in limited numbers makes the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 a treasured piece of JDM history. In fact, without it, the later Lancer Evo might not even exist. The Galant VR-4 was the platform that Mitsubishi developed its impeccable AWD system and, in the process, won no less than six rally championships. It also makes for a barrel of thrills to drive. The VR-4 ignites off the line, cuts into corners, and brakes with precision. The engine develops potent horsepower put to the wheels via a center differential that detects wheel slippage and re-directs power to the axle with the most traction. Four-wheel steering engages at speeds more than 31 mph and turns the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees to enable optimum turn angle and cornering stability. One look at the VR-4 equipped with the bull bar, the huge halogen fog lamps and roof vents and dressed in its classic Mitsubishi race livery make it obvious this car means business.
To celebrate the release of the Forza Horizon 2 Storm Island expansion, Turn 10 are gifting all Forza Horizon 2 players a specially painted and tuned 1983 Audi Sport quattro. This legendary Group B rally monster comes complete with a custom Storm Island livery, as well as the new Storm Island rally tires, suspension, and transmission upgrades you can now apply to any car in the game. It also shows some of the new rally-inspired body upgrades available for this and five other legendary cars in the main game: 1990 Subaru Legacy RS, 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR, 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale, and the 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth. You can redeem this gift car in the Forza Hub app for Xbox One, so check it out or download it today to get your hands on this amazing car!
The variety of races on offer is the only complaint I have about this DLC. Surely some new variants or completely new race types could have been included. You have experienced rain in Forza Horizons 2 before but not like this you haven't. When it rains on Storm Island it's a monsoon, add some dense fog into the mix and it becomes hell on earth. Many, many times fog has descended near the end of a race and completely obscured my view along with the driving rain. It's a heady mix of risk equals reward in these conditions.
Visually this is exactly what you would expect from a Forza Horizons 2 add on. It looks spectacular. Trees bend and look like they are on the verge of being ripped out of the ground by the sheer force of the wind. Raindrops explode on your windscreen and the ground creating huge puddles of water which cascade down your car when driven through leaving mud dripping off your car's bodywork. These effects look even more stunning at night and deserve more praise than I can muster.
If you love Forza Horizons 2 and are not put off by the £15.99 price tag you're going to want to add the Storm Island DLC. As I said above my only complaint is the lack of new race types. Sure it's more of the same but when the racing is this good does it really matter?
This was a review of Forza Horizons 2: Storm Island DLC
Review copy supplied by XCN.
Game: Forza Horizons 2:Storm Island DLC.
Genre: Racing.
Developer: Playground Games (Xbox One)
Sumo Digital (X360).
Turn 10 Studios .
Publisher: Microsoft Studios.
Platform(s): Xbox One, Xbox 360.