IGN - Forza Horizon is what happens when you assemble a crack team of talented racing game veterans, plucked from a bunch of the UK’s finest driving developers, and shove them all under one roof and set them loose with Microsoft’s money.
Oh really... I probably should have said the Forza series then. I guess this was just meant as a cash in for Microsoft, and Turn 10 is making Forza 5 for 2013 release.
"I don’t know how a game of this size, with everything going on, can look this good and still support a rewind utility, fully functioning car interiors and a full day/night cycle. I don’t know how the frame rate for this enormous game remains resolutely locked, because whether you’re racing under headlights or screaming down the freeway at over 400 kilometres per hour it never, ever dips. It might as well be witchcraft. I don’t know how it does it. It just does."
I've never played Forza I'm more of a Gran Turismo guy but is this series really as good as the critics say? I haven't touched my 360 since Halo Reach so if it really is as good as everyone says I might have to pick this up. By the way I'm not with LIVE because I refuse to pay for online lol so are the games worth it just for single player?
I am not a sim car fan but I got Forza 4 bundled with my 360 slim last xmas and I have not stopped playing it since then...The thing that you notice right off the bat is how my detail and attenion Turn10 put into the game...you can see that these guys love what they do and have fun while do it instead of just making a game to get paid.
I heard good stuff about GT5 as well which I will pick up becuase now I am loving sim racers.
Edit: Can belive this guy was saying that the game was horrible and he will never play it again SMH
Forza: Horizons isn't quite a sim like Forza: Motorsports and GT. Its essentially a new game, with some borrowed assets of Forza 4, developed by a new team-Playground Games(composed of ex-Codemasters, Bizzare Studios, and others.
The game isn't quite a "sim" but isn't quite an "arcade" game, it strikes a nice balance and is open world.
A demo of Horizons and Forza 4 is on the Xbox Live Marketplace, so feel free to download them now.
If you don't have a Live account just make a Silver account and download the demos. The two games (4 and Horizons) have a good amount of single-player offerings. If you shop around at Christmas time, I'm sure you'll be able to find Forza 4 cheap.
@ HarryMason - if you're a Gran Turismo fan, you'll also love Forza.. I'd say go with Forza 4...you can find it in gamestop or Bestbuy for about $30 bucks.
Forza 4 and Gran Turismo, are much more similar than crazed fanboys would have you believe. Both games have the same set of difficulty assists, but Forza has more parts to upgrade your car than GT, although the actual tuning options are pretty much the same. Forza also will suck you in for hours in the decal and paint shop where you can pretty much make anything you want as a decal for your car, plus there is tremendous community support on the in-game storefront, where you can use earned in-game currency to purchase user-designed graphics, decals, and whole car designs.. and there are some SERIOUSLY talented gamers that design stuff on the storefront. Also, the 400 or so cars in Forza are fully rendered inside and out (cockpit view is a big deal to me, that's how I prefer to play) and overall the game is gorgeous. Forza also has a more diverse selection of cars too, there are plenty of classic American Muscle cars and hot rods, alongside tons of sleek Euro sportsters, sedans, and coupes, plenty of supercars, and a double helping of Asian tuner styles as well.. Car variety is the one area where, in my opinion, Forza trumps Gran Tursmo. Also, listening to Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson give a narrative on some of the featured "Auto Vista" cars in Forza is truly entertaining, and that feature alone will consume plenty of playing time.
The drawbacks to Forza, especialy if you're a GT fan, are that you will only be racing during the day, on tarmac tracks, under optimal (dry) conditions. There are a vast number of fun tracks to race on, but there is no rally, no NASCAR, no cart racing. Forza does have Drag racing though.
I play both GT and Forza when it comes to my racing games. Overall, they both have something to offer, but if you've never played Forza 4, I'd definitley say its well worth the money..
The game is indeed brilliant. I was really surprised by the demo.
The only real downer for me is that, although you can drive freely online with your mates; the traffic is supposedly non-existant- that takes away some of the fun in my opinion. I want to be able to play cops and robbers with my mates and weave in and out of traffic. Still, its a small gripe. The game is easily one of the best driving games out there.
Yeah my 360 got rrod, but i got my girlfriend one for her b-day so imight pick this up and play it on hers. I only like open world racing games like this and test drive unlimited.
Haven't played the game, not commenting on gameplay, just stating that the presentation appears to be directly lifted from the Dirt series. Not a bad thing; the game looks great.
Instead of speculating or forming an opinion based on videos you have watched online, why don't you just play the free demo. I would not have responded to you if not for my extensive time with the demo and in terms of presentation, it is absolutely fantastic and stands firmly on its own.
I'm pretty sure thats what he meant, because thats what I meant too. I haven't played this new Forza so I don't know what it plays like, but judging from the videos it doesn't look like it plays like Dirt, the menus and presentation just looks similar
Yes great using talented UK game devs but does the game have be so cringingly over the top American?
When I played the demo it felt like they had taken the look of dirt and the scenery of NFS and bred it with Forzas cars. It played well though once I'd turned the music off.
I realise everything happens in USA and they have the only great roads and scenery but... /s
If it was set in Italy or Austria/Switzerland and had drivers and voice overs that didn't sound like they were from the OC then that would be great. After all most of the great cars in the game are not from NA.
At least test drive felt a bit more worldly even though they still felt the need to have all of the voices as American which is ok in Hawaii but Ibiza?
The localisation in these games needs to be better. I guess Turn 10 being American had veto - shame.
Animal Mutha 76 - "does the game have to be so cringingly over the top American?" Perhaps it should don a top hat, spectacles and a gentlemanly moustache?? After all, THE GAME IS SET IN AMERICA. People who live in Colorado don't have British accents.
All i have to say to you good sir is... AMERICUHHHHHHHHH FUUUU*K YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Er I think you will find that I suggested it be set in Europe not the UK.
I know it's set in America, that's my point. Everything bloody is, and as it was developed by a team in the UK I was hoping for a more worldly view. At least its not in New York where virtually everything that could fictionally happen to the human race just happens to occur.
And your last statement totally illustrates my sentiments regarding excessive American culture and the loutish mindset that the world perceives you to have.
Your crowd at the Ryder cup were another fine example.
You and me both. Considering it was an untested studio full of brilliant talent, it reminded me of 343 industries. I'll definitely have to check this game out now.
What does the 1 year subscription for TopGear Australia get you (aside from the free copy of the game)? Is it based on the Top Gear TV show here in the UK?
Fantastic scores all around for this baby. I cannot wait to pick up my copy on the 23rd. The demo was brilliant and its a totally new Forza franchise to look forward to.
"I don’t know how a game of this size, with everything going on, can look this good and still support a rewind utility, fully functioning car interiors"
False sort of... They have Yet to have Functional GPS on cars that have touch screens... Atleast out the cars Logo in the screen.. Im sure Test Drive Unlimited have Functional GPS screens in the cars interiors
Yet another stellar entry in the best rated racing franchise of the generation.
I still don't trust IGN though.
IGN do seem to live on a different planet to everyone else, I find that their reviewers babble too many big words that they learn in Uni.
Great score! Definitely picking this baby up :)
A must buy for me.
Nothing against the game but this looks almost exactly like Dirt 3. The presentation is nearly identical.