From time to time, a game or movie comes along that is so ingrained in the import automotive culture that we feel the need to review it for our readers. Here is my take on Forza Horizon.
Over the last few years the amount of free time that I devote to playing games has been reduced. I still try to make time for quality games when they are released but I typically don't buy racing games. It's not because I don't enjoy them but more that it takes so much time to develop the skills to feel good at them. In my mind, Forza Horizon isn't fully a racing game. It blends elements from an adventure game and a hardcore racing simulator into an excellent finished product that I don't think can be placed in one particular genre.
In the Beginning
It doesn't take long to get a gist for how Forza Horizon will play. Five minutes in, you're speeding through the mountains of Colorado on your way to the Horizon Festival. In the fictitious Forza universe, the Horizon Festival is an annual event that pits some of the best drivers in the world against one another on various courses spread out across the area in Colorado.
You start the game driving a brand new Viper GTS. I'm assuming this is done to give you an idea of what to expect later in the game. The sense of speed is even more intense when you're passing cars on twisty mountain roads.
It doesn't take long to be introduced to the main character and get dropped into the starting vehicle. Like previous Forza titles, the starting vehicle isn't anything amazing but it is unique.
Character Advancement
Your character in Forza Horizon advances by placing well in races scattered around the region. As you start winning races, the color of your bracelet changes which allows you to race in more difficult races with faster cars. It doesn’t take many races to advance to the further levels as long as you can stay focused.
Speaking of staying focused, it’s a tough thing to do. The announcer for the Horizon Festival will constantly be bombarding you side events that will test your driving abilities. One of the first Showcase events (as they’re called) pits a P-51 Mustang against a 1970 Ford Mustang. Towards the end of each bracelet level you will be challenged by the best driver in each series. Upon beating this driver, you will be awarded with their car.
None of these side races are required. However, they will provide you with credits so you can afford the higher end cars and upgrades on your current ones.
Not Quite Forza Motorsports
There are a few things that are worth noting for people who consider themselves hardcore Forza players. Some people will be disappointed with the lack of cars and fine-tuning available. An element that is missing in this title is the ability to change the camber/caster and tweak things like sway bars. I think this was done so that people aren't spending all of their time trying to get their car perfect and instead can go enjoy the game. It could also be that since the physics engine is more forgiving in this version these minute changes may not be apparent when driving.
For simulation fans, the arcade style controls and gameplay may be a bit too “Need For Speed” for them. Although the control of the cars feels very similar to previous Forza titles, it is definitely easier to drive fast.
Another big change from other games in the Forza franchise is that there are multiple types of terrain to race on. Occasionally, your character will be invited to racing events that are intended to be on mostly dirt and gravel. These events require an AWD car and remind me of games like DiRT. It's no surprise that these parts of Forza Horizon feel very similar to other offroad racing titles as many of the developers at Playground Games used to work at the studios that made them.
It also appears that the quality of the cars has been reduced on cars (or at least models were recycled from past Forza titles). This might have been due to many things but it may have been done intentionally to maintain a respectable frame rate in the open world environment. The Xbox 360 has aged well, but with the console nearing the end of its lifecycle, Forza Horizon is definitely pushing the limits of the system.
So Much to Do in Colorado
What I enjoyed most about Forza Horizon is that there is so much to do. You can jump in for an hour long play session and actually get something done. This game is a completionist’s dream. There are so many things to collect and places to explore that at times it can feel overwhelming. As someone who has a strong desire to complete everything in the game, I had to force myself to give up on looking for things occasionally.
Another really fun aspect of the game is PR stunts. PR stunts break up the monotony of racing and can actually be very challenging. One of the earlier stunts has you driving a Porsche to over 150 MPH on a pre-determined route. While this might sound easy, there is slow moving traffic along this route that makes it a challenge. This stunt took me 3-4 tries before I got it. They also have photography and style challenges.
Keep it on the Street?
Another section of the game that is far different from any Forza game in the past is open world street racing. I found myself challenging other random racers I saw driving the roads surrounding the Horizon Festival often. Challenging a driver involves driving behind them and hitting the X button to start a street race. A route is determined and the first person to reach the end wins a bunch of credits depending on the difficulty of the race. It was especially satisfying beating much faster cars in my modified R35 Nissan GTR Black Edition.
Loading Times in Horizon
Something that can’t go without mentioning is the long load times in this game. At first I started playing without installing the game to the Xbox 360 hard drive and every time I entered a new menu screen I would see a loading screen for 3-5 seconds. At first it wasn’t bad, but not long into the game it started to detract from the overall experience. I then installed the game on the hard drive and the load times were cut in half. This is definitely an area that they can improve on in future titles or require installation for everyone.
The Verdict
I genuinely enjoyed myself playing Forza Horizon. It’s different from any other racing game I’ve played in years and kept me coming back. If you enjoyed any of the past Forza titles I would highly recommend that you pick this one up. I’m hoping that the developers take full advantage of DLC by opening up new sections on the map or adding more locations.
Pros – Good graphics, precise controls, quality audio, nice variety of cars, always something to do
Cons – Long loading times, less cars than previous Forza titles, open world feels too open at times
Recommendation – Buy Forza Horizon if you enjoy racing games or are passionate about cars and adventure games