When details about Forza Horizon were first released I have to say I was really unsure about the whole open world experience. I have played every Forza ever released. I think of Forza, I think of track racing so how was this whole new open world experience going to benefit a game that is already street ahead of any of its rivals?
I have to agree that there is only so far you can take a game with track racing so maybe we need something a little different however having played Burnout and Test Drive, neither game filled me confidence of open world racing and I was hoping Forza wouldn't do the same.
Forza Horizon is set in Colorado motorsport and music festival. Acts are playing on stage while drivers race off in various events dotted around the map. The races provide you with a variety of difficulties and also give you the option of the freedom to try whatever event you like.
Forza keeps the concept from previous games that the more events you take part in the more credits or cars you earn. The upgrade shop is also there so those who are tuning enthusiasts, you can tune up your cars. There is also the addition of earning your wrist bands. These give you entry to certain events. Obviously the more you race the more wristbands you earn, the more events you can enter. In comparison I found that leveling up or earning credits alot easier this time than in previous Forza games. With a couple hours of driving I had earned enough to have some top race cars in my garage. This is something that I liked as with limited time it allowed me to progress quicker in the game. The whole structure of the game is fantastic as it doesn't limit you to taking part in events. If you feel you don't want to take part then you don't have to. That is a bonus to the open world racing.
What impressed me was that alongside the races you also have a popularity rating. This unlocks specific PR events. The first one had me racing against a plane through check points. The second was trying to catch a hot air balloon. The reward for these for completing these events is a new car so they are worth the effort. You can also hunt down a classic selection of cars. These are hidden in barns across the game. Listen out and you will hear it mentioned. Race to the point set on the map and hunt your gem down. Once you have found it will be sent to the upgrade shop where it will be restored and ready for you to use in a couple of races time.
A great addition this year has been the Forza Horizon radio stations. So simple to control with the D-Pad, you can choose between three stations in total. Horizon Base Arena, Horizon Pulse which is my favourite and Horizon Rocks. Graphics wise Forza Horizon doesn't fail to deliver. Following on from previous Forza's quality the backdrops that they have created are spectacular. Characters are more lifelike in fact id put it on a par with most FPS games. Night racing is another welcome addition. This comes around every 25 minutes. There really is so much to take in graphics wise.
Forza is renowned for being a driving simulator however I think they have changed the handling of Horizon to suit the new open world aspect. The handling of the cars now feels much more like Need For Speed. They have given it an arcade feel, making driving much easier. This will probably appeal to those pick up and play gamers. Previous Forza's game took a while to find your feet but this tweak has changed that. Simulation enthusiasts can still customise the car to their needs but for those how just want to get in and race then it also has a few pre set options that you can use to upgrade. The car themselves are what you would come to expect from Forza. Workling dials, pop up and hideway headlights. Small details but it shows how far they have pushed this game to bring it close to realism.
As with most games these days, no matter how good the single player offering is you cannot overlook the multiplayer aspects. In their most diverse take on this yet they have provided different race styles (Circuit, Street and Point-to-Point), allowing the racing enthusiasts to show off their ability. But where they’ve improved most is on the fun side, my favourite being Infected (there are others such as King and Cat & Mouse) which involves one virus ridden vehicle hunting down and turning all the rest of the gamers in session. When you’re the last man standing it’s incredibly tense and takes a large amount of skill to avoid multiple incoming infected players.
That’s not where it ends though as you can transition your driving party from set game types into free roam. The whole offline world is available online for you and your friends to cruise around searching for those pesky collectible upgrade sign posts to smash into. Also added are a selection of rather obscure co-op challenges that could range from total driving distances, breaking speed limits past cameras or driving to certain locations in specified cars. For me the online side is a world ahead of previous years with much more to do all round and plenty of enjoyment to be had no matter what your preference is.
It’s easy to lose yourself in Forza Horizon as there is so much to do. If you’re driving from race to race then you will be side tracked by everything that’s going within the open world. All of the tracks in the game can be driven in the open world, they are different paths down the streets of Horizon. This will give you the edge when racing as you will have the familiarity of each track and any sneaky shortcuts. Whilst the game offers such a vast amount to do both online and offline there’s isn’t much you can fault.
Overall Forza Horizon is a welcome addition and has brought a fresh look to a game that was already a huge success. I always wondered where they could take Forza without releasing game after game of track racing and small tweaks. Guess this answered that question for me.
A solid 8/10