How I learnt to drive the Forza way.
I have a love/hate relationship with racing games these days. Every new release seems to want to be more realistic than the game that came out before it. I like my racers arcadey. I want to be able to apply the handbrake, lift off the throttle, throw my car into a corner and immediately accelerate and not worry about realistic handling effects. I have been spoilt by Le Man's 24, Out Run, Ridge Racer, Sega Rally and Hang On. And in more recent times Project Gotham Racing, Moto GP, Motorstorm, Blur and many, many others. So it was with a great deal of trepidation that I offered to review Forza Horizons 2 on Xbox One.
I am writing the opening paragraphs of this review as I play for my initial impressions. The game starts and by start I mean I am in a race with no warning. My Stepson let's out a howl of laughter (he will be getting a slap later) so I grab my controller and I am off. I drive like a mad man. No braking allowed in this house. Within seconds my car is bouncing from side to side and smacking any other car that is unlucky enough to be near me. I try to handbrake around a few corners but all attempts meet failure. By the time I finish the introduction race my car is a wreck and my joypad is sitting next to me on the couch. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven times in total I restart the initial race and each time ends in failure. I am having a nightmare of a time. Already I am feeling deflated. Maybe Forza Horizons 2 isn't the racing game I have been looking for.
One calming cup of tea later and I decide it's time to get back on the horse. Now I get to pick a car. I know nothing about cars but the Toyota Supra RZ is red so that's good enough for me. Sitting on the starting grid I suddenly notice lots of familiar Gamertags. I am racing against my friends list or drivatars as they are called in Forza. This is Forza Horizons answer to driving against AI cars. Now that is a cool feature. Go, I slam the accelerator, the tyres scream and smoke erupts as they struggle for grip. Already I am lagging behind but I persist. A tight corner is approaching and the chevrons glow an ominous red. I am hurtling towards the corner at top speed and then I do something unthinkable. I ease off the throttle a little, apply a little brake and throw the car into a seriously tight bend. My car begins to drift but it's not out of control. One car, two cars, three cars passed. I accelerate out of the corner in full control. Weaving in and out of traffic I slowly but surely make my way through the grid until I am in first place. Careering through the streets I slowly but surely learn how to drive the Forza way and I am loving it. Several races later and I am truly hooked. I may not win every race I enter but I have one hell of a good time trying.
Each car handles differently but not enough to put you off mixing things up. After a few laps in each you will soon pick up your new cars different characteristics. Some glide effortlessly around corners while others need to be wrestled round. Take the Bugatti Veyron as an example. That thing sticks like glue to the road and no matter how fast you push it or how fast you take a corner it seems impossible to lose control. Now take the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 RC as another example.This bad boy twists, slips and slides all over the road but still handles like a dream once you get use to it.
The amount of races and challenges so far amount to 700+ and with the promise of downloadable content this list is due to grow and grow. Forza Horizon 2's multiplayer is designed to be a completely seamless experience. There are two modes to choose from, Online Road Trip and Online Free-Roam. When you enter the pause menu you can join an Online Road Trip, with several options for car class and game modes to choose from. You can choose to race in lower or higher class cars, in modes where all racers are driving the same car as a test of skill, point-to-point races, cross country rallies and more or in fun modes like Infected or King.
After selecting you get to vote for one of three locations. Each location will host four races of various length and include various modes. No matter how good or bad you are you will gain points for various achievements during each race and your finishing position. Infected is a personal favourite of mine because it allows me to drive like a maniac and to hell with the consequences.
My only problem with Forzas Online Road Trip option is if you get entered into an event that is already in progress you will be stuck in whatever car you are given and this is a serious disadvantage and can lead to some very frustrating races. But on the other hand its a great buzz to beat someone who is in a Ferrari or Bugatti. I will also add that I constantly read about Forzas online etiquette and as far as I can tell its just like any other racer with players trying to barge you out of the way and make you crash in any way possible just to gain a position.
My favourite option of all is the bucket list. Here you will get to drive a selection of exotic cars that have rather handily left at the side of the road. Just drive up, press X and you're away. Challenges range from point to point challenges, speed camera challenges, skill challenges and many, many more. In my first bucket list challenge I raced against a formation of jet plane. But my favourite so far has been a race against a steam train. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I rounded the final corner. There was barely an inch between us as I crossed the finish line in first place. This is the kind of buzz playing Forza Horizons 2 gives you and it's that elation that has been missing from racing games for a long time.
The open ended nature of Forza Horizons 2 is something I was not expecting at all. Need to get to a race meet quickly? Then don't just follow the chevrons, plot your own route through farmers fields, vineyards, small towns and huge expanses of open space. The same applies to races as well. Shortcuts are available during any race but don’t miss those checkpoints or you will be punished in a point to point race.
I haven’t even mentioned how stunning this game looks. If you play with an ingame view I suggest switching it just so you can admire what Playground Games have achieved. Forza Horizons 2 is truly breathtaking. Try racing at night with full beams on in the pouring rain. Just look at the road as every light you pass and every headlight reflects beautifully as you drive past it. Drive your car to a high vantage point and just take a look around. The vistas are stunning. The fact that everything is rendered realtime in 1080p makes this even more impressive.
I am not a fan of Kinect but here it is used sparingly and to great effect. Anna is your personal assistant/GPS and responds to various voice commands. If you're stuck for something to do just ask Anna. Need directions to an event or a bucket list challenge just ask Anna. You can even just ask her what to do if your bored.
I could go on and on about about Forza Horizons 2 but my best advice is just buy it. I haven’t even touched on the perks you unlock, the decals you can design or just buy outright, the photo mode, the 200+ cars, the tuning options including the hours upon hours of gameplay you will get out out of the game.
It's been a long, long time since a racing game has gripped me like this. Even when I have a terrible race I still love this game. After playing the demo and not enjoying it one bit I was prepared to dismiss Forza Horizons 2 and it was one of the reasons why I wanted to review it. I can't imagine anything more pleasurable now than racing my Ferrari through the quaint streets of Italy whilst listening to Ride of the Valkyries and it doesn't get much better than that. I cannot recommend Forza Horizons 2 enough, Playground Games you have made me a believer.
Thanks to the Xbox Communty Network for all their support and tender love.