FORZA IS BACK
Is 'Forza Motorsport' The Showpiece Racer The Xbox Needs? Here's What Reviews Say
Since the last time we had a regular ol' track-based "Forza Motorsport" game, two of the open-world "Forza Horizon" titles have shipped to great acclaim. Now that the more race-focused series has finally returned, folks are ready to find out if it was all worth the wait.
OpenCritic has over 80 reviews counted for this new installment, and it's earned a "Mighty" average of 84/100. That's pretty much identical to the 85/100 that 2017's "Forza Motorsport 7" earned, so at least the quality hasn't nose-dived since then.
"Forza Motorsport" launches on October 10, 2023 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Here's what the critics really think about it.
It's already big, but it needs a little bit more
With 500 cars and 20 track locations it's hardly a small start but, now positioned as a platform, "Forza Motorsport" has the potential to expand into a seriously rich racing destination over the coming years. If "Flight Simulator" on four wheels is the plan, I'm here for it.
"Forza Motorsport" is serious business. Put the time in, Turn 10 is saying; do your laps, shave off the seconds, make that one small tweak, grind out that win. I respect its focus, and its refusal to pander to fun-addled "Horizon" players, instead offering them a clearly articulated invitation to join its more austere church. This is a game about going round in circles, a little bit faster every time, and it's quite unapologetic about it. That's proven compelling enough to base an entire sport around, so perhaps that's fair enough. But just a little more variety would have gone a long way.
Those are some pretty cars
Even in a field full of stellar-looking racing games, "Forza Motorsport" is a visual feast. Each of the 20 tracks features intricate details and weather that make it feel like a lived-in world, but the cars are the true stars of the show. Whether you're driving around in common street cars from Honda and Ford, supercars from Ferrari and McLaren, or the various racing-tuned speed machines on offer, each vehicle's impressive look and sound match the uncompromised feel of the on-the-track action.
Both in the showroom and on the track, "Forza Motorsport" is accentuated by an attractive implementation of ray tracing, which is even featured in one of the game's performance modes to mitigate any feelings of compromise to enjoy the game looking its finest. While it's difficult to appreciate accurate reflections at breakneck speeds, the collective effect helps to ground each car to the track in a way that makes previous iterations seem a bit strange by comparison. It's not a faultless implementation--there were numerous instances in rain-soaked conditions where reflections would routinely break when ray tracing was enabled--but there's no question it's a transformative change that elevates "Forza Motorsport's" presentation to new visually pleasing heights.
New drivers are welcome
It's a game that, I think, is newcomer-friendly and a good starting point if you've ever wanted to give the series or the sim racing genre a go. There will obviously be more to like for car fans, but this also comes across as a polished title that's considerate towards newer players.
The visuals are some of the best in gaming. And the game does an amazing job of offering plenty of difficulty and accessibility options to cater to most gamers' needs.
TL;DR
There is no doubt that hundreds of hours of fun can be found here, especially if you enjoy diving deep into each vehicle's characteristics.
After all of the "Forza" games I've played, "Motorsport" and "Horizon" combined, this one feels particularly special, and I'm excited to see where they take the franchise in the future.
Prefer your game without so many wheels? Try "Assassin's Creed Mirage" instead.
[Image: Xbox]