Are Microsoft over-revving the Forza franchise?

Steve Clist shares his love for the Forza franchise and asks whether Microsoft are mishandling one of their franchise favourites.

[nicksetzer1]

IMO no, we get a motorsport entry which is a sim every two years and we get a horizon entry which is an open world arcade racer every 2 years.

The quality of the games goes up with every entry and frankly the quality was through the roof to begin with. As long as playground and turn 10 continue to deliver amazing games I see no problem.

I think people just get hung up on the fact that they used the name forza for both franchises, they are different games. Every 2 years is not too often at all, in fact, I look forward to the forza entries every year.

The day the quality takes a hit is the day I complain, so far it has been quite the opposite.

[4Sh0w]

The short answer is No....but if you think theres too much Forza just skip one until the next Forza and let us car racing game nuts enjoy what I consider the best racing franchise in gaming.

Its like showing up to a buffet and complaining theres too much food -NO, as long it tastes great, eat 'til you are full then go home, don't complain 'cause other people are still eating....or sort a like that.

[christocolus]

@Nick and @4show

Well said. We keep seeing these articles but are they really necessary? Horizon and Motorsport are two different type of racing games,fans enjoy the variety provided by both,they are top notch and are always successful, MS should just call Forza Horizon PGR then maybe we will stop seeing these articles.

[nicksetzer1]

@xbob "Forza 5 was done half-ass and not a real forza game"

Really? It was a launch game for a new console generation that had a completely new engine, 1080p 60fps, (locked) over 200 cars, drivatars, full car customization (paint and parts) multiplayer with custom game modes, top gear challenges and car descriptions, free tracks and cars after launch, etc.

Name any other game this gen (other than horizon 2 and soon motorsport 6) that has had anywhere near that level of content, even 2 years after launch.

The sad part is, even with all that, at launch, people like you whine and moan about the crowd? What a joke. Then you have those who whine that over 200 cars isn't enough, yet are completely fine with the content of other racers that launch with 50 or less cars...

[bouzebbal]

As long as there is demand and quality keep being there then no. Useless article

[beans]

@4show

"Its like showing up to a buffet and complaining theres too much food -NO, as long it tastes great, eat 'til you are full then go home, don't complain"

That was well said lol.

[Godmars290]

But is a two year gap between releases really a gap when it take 3-4 years at least to make modern AAA game?

[freshslicepizza]

does it take 3-4 years to make aaa racing games? there are a lot of people at turn 10 and what they have been able to do since forza 5 seems rather impressive. sports games seem to come out annually so i'm not sure we need 3-4 years for each entry in racing game franchise.

[nicksetzer1]

"But is a two year gap between releases really a gap when it take 3-4 years at least to make modern AAA game?"

Considering they have done it for almost 10 years now, yes. Every forza game since the first was 2 years apart. Every motorsport game was 2 years apart.

Your argument really makes no sense at all when you look at the fact that they ARE doing it and have been since its inception. Not only do they release every 2 years but they always release an excellent game every 2 years.

Forza 5 was a launch game and was criticized for lack of content, but there hasn't been a single racing game that launched with anywhere near that amount of content since other than horizon 2. In fact, not any game has really come close to having over 200 cars at release with 12 tracks each having 4-11 variations, full car customization, top gear challenges, multiplayer modes (from standard races to cat and mouse) and extra 4 tracks for free, extra cars for free, etc.

Even crazier Forza 6 is more than doubling the cars and tracks. I'd say 2 years is plenty if they can do all that in that time. Along with adding weather, (including physics such as lower traction and aquaplaning) day night, split-screen, 1080p 60fps, drivatars are returning, full car customization as always, (parts and paint, to a level no other console game has ever matched) customizable multiplayer modes, etc.

[rainslacker]

I don't think they're remaking the entire game with each iteration, so a two year cycle isn't that far out of the realm of believably.

For the most part, they're updating what is there, and adding new features which make it better.

I mean, there's no reason to remodel every single car with each release,maybe just update certain things.. There's no reason to remodel the entire track each release, maybe just apply better shaders or up the polycount or whatever.. No reason why they can't add in a feature like weather and just apply the proper physics to the assets which already exist. So on and so forth.

Forza is a quality franchise, so seems that every couple years for a substantial update is not that unreasonable.

[CYCLEGAMER]

@godmars
Sooooo....basically you think they should be like Grand Turisimo??? Ummm no, they are putting out top notch racers every two years....i am ready for the next and would rather not have to wait 4 or 5 years for the next racing game.

[Godmars290]

@MELMAN26:
I think that they shouldn't be copying from the COD/Battlefield book of game making note for note and being praised for features not only added by their competition 2-3 games ago, like weather and night transitions, but by themselves, like Drivatars.

This is the same brain-dead fan worship, the "Its better than GT" that happens everytime with this game. Nevermind that unless either Forza or GT go multi, it means nothing.

[3-4-5]

* 2 year dev cycle and two studios working on it, one for main series and one for Horizon.

It's fine.

[jackwei22]

Forza has become an established racing franchise like Gran Turismo so the answer is no.

[StrayaKNT]

No I spent $1000 for a wheel setup so I can use it, forza 6 can't come soon enough.
Forza horizon 2 was also the best racing game I have ever played so the more forza, the better. Plus motorsport and horizon are like apples and oranges

[nicksetzer1]

"Plus motorsport and horizon are like apples and oranges"

Absolutely correct, and in my case I love the apples (motorsport) and the oranges. (Horizon) As I said some just see the name forza and aren't able to see anything past that.

[StrayaKNT]

Well most will know it's different they just won't admit it because it's not on their console so they try to down talk everything but at the end of the day we're the winners because we will be playing the best games :)

[Khajiit86]

@Aussie

The winners? lol How old are you? Really, How old are you?

I dont miss Forza 1 bit as I have Project Cars, Driveclub, Asseto Corsa atm

[christocolus]

Agreed. well said. bubs up Aussie.

[Halo2ODST2]

Disagreed. Not well said. Bubs down...

[RJ92009]

Nope one of the few racing series I buy each year!! I want a new pgr dam it!! You hear me MS were is pgr on the Xbox one I need my kudos fix!!

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

When there are not that many great AAA games to choose from for the Xbox1....Then a constant new Forza is more then welcome....

[Elit3Nick]

that salt is burning my nostrils

[Spotie]

You shouldn't sniff salt...

[WildDonkey]

Not that many great AAA games on either console. Less on PS4 in my opinion and I own both.

[StrayaKNT]

Yeah I own both aswell, libraries can't even be compared right now xbox has heaps more and better AAA games imo forza 6 looks like another masterpiece to add to the library

[Vasto]

I like the Forza releases system of getting a game every year but they are totally different games. Turn 10 and Playground keep up the good work.

[USMC_POLICE]

No we don't get enough quality racing games, GT and forza is all we have that's sim like.

[spicelicka]

Over-reviving?? wtf lol since when did Forza die??? It's easily one of the top racing franchises and gets better with every title, what kind of nonsense is this headline.

[Spotie]

I think, maybe, you should re-read the title.

[spicelicka]

haha oh shitt, hard to see on the cellphone. I thought over-reviving? is that even a word??

[Nick_The_Slick]

Overreving is actually a car term for going past the redline and damaging the motor, in simplest terms.

[ThePresentIsAgift]

It's like when you desperately needed to bring Cloud back fighting a Weapon in Final Fantasy 7 and in the heat of the battle accidently alot it to a team mate who's currently alive, then, are are decimated.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Every other year is fine imo.....they just need to be super careful that Horizons and FM stay very different. I would like to see Horizon move into more fictional over the top racing...maybe even a tad more arcade like.

[urwifeminder]

Considering car games are my most played games no I want more Rallysport challenge next MS , reviving lol but its never been on hiatus .

[beans]

Good call.....Rallisport 3 use to be my dream game. It was so fun and addictive.

[objdadon]

Yes, same game different year

[Nick_The_Slick]

k

[WitWolfy]

I say give it a rest for a while... like 3 years or so.

[majedx9]

My only problem with that game it's the name "forza" a name of a 50 year old slut,if the just called it PGR😕

[RiseofScorpio]

If Forza Horizon was merely called 'Horizon' there wouldn't be articles like this.

Like I said Microsoft makes the best racers in the industry until that changes then you have a point.

[spicelicka]

This ^

Project cars is more like Forza motorsport than Horizon is.

[Rhythmattic]

People buy it, People love it.
I don't see the problem at all.

[Fro_xoxo]

or would you rather MS spend a decade to release one game, like gran turismo?

Motosport 'nd Horizon are two different games.

[Immorals]

Last year we got horizon 2, which is easily the finest racing game I've ever played.

I've been playing forza since the demo for the first that came with the xbox magazine, and they are far from stagnating. keep up the good work!

[Rookie_Monster]

Dude...Forza 6 has like 450 cars are have autovista, 26 locations, 24 cars on track, and night and rain and is the biggest Forza game Turn-10 have ever built and will be one of the best racers ever when release. Racing fans should be thrill we are getting a quality AAA racing game every year instead of waiting 4-5 years for one great racer. I mean, seriously, we are complaining about getting to many games too soon? LOL.

You know why MS keep releasing Forza? Because it is extremely popular, especially in the racing game craze nation of UK, in which Forza Horizon 2 is still in the UK top 40 chart as of last week. That game came out last September.

[llxKonanxll]

If people are going to complain that there's too much Call of Duty.. there will be those that say there is too much Forza.

The regular installments are always 2 years apart. it wasn't until 2012 we began to see releases of the Horizon series. From 2011-2015 there have been yearly releases. I will bet they will continue on a yearly basis. Now is that "over-reviving" the franchise? No.. it was never in need of a revival in the first place.

[raggy-rocket]

No

[wakeNbake]

As long as the qualitys good I dont care.

[mochachino]

Seems like it's becoming the COD of racing.

[RiseofScorpio]

Comments like yours fit that description more.