There was a point in gaming history when the best racing simulator on the market was owned by Sony with its Gran Turismo series. At the time with its election of real world cars and top-notch graphics, it couldn’t be touched. Desiring to take over Sony’s spot at the winner’s circle, Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios unleashed the Forza Motorsport series, and since the first game was released in 2005 for the original Xbox, everything about the game has just been continuously upgraded over the years with three sequels on the Xbox 360. Now, eight years later, Microsoft has a new console on the market and to show it off they released the latest installment of the series, Forza Motorsport 5, as a launch title. After playing Forza 5, Sony really needs to take note before they release their next Gran Turismo game, because right now this is the best racing game on the market.
GAMEPLAY
This game was made for car lovers…period. As soon as the game begins and you see the racing video that sets up the tone, showing racing footage from every kind of real world event as it is passionately narrated by Top Gear’s host Jeremy Clarkson, you will be ready to put your foot on the gas and go. Before you jump into your first race, you should definitely take advantage of the Forzavista mode, which was introduced in Forza 4. This mode allows you to know what it is like to be on the showroom floor and check out a vehicle of choice, allowing you to look under the hood, open the doors and climb inside to check out the interior of your vehicle. The level of detail is amazing and as close as many of us will get to being able to do this for real on a $250,000 automobile. Whereas, you can only do this with a limited about of cars in the last Forza, Forza 5 and the power of the Xbox One allow you to do this with many more of the vehicles, and it’s a feature you should really take advantage of.
Right up front you should know that there are less cars available in Forza 5, adding up to around 200 or so vehicles compared to Forza 4’s 600 car count, you won’t be disappointed because it’s an issue of quality over quantity. Some of the amazing cars on this list include such wonders as the Aston Martin Vanquish, Shelby Cobra 427, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, McLaren F1, Lamborghini Diablo, Lotus Esprit, and the Bugatti Veyron, just to name a few. As you journey deeper into races and earn in-game credits, you can access more cars to fill your garage, but just like in any competitive sport, only the best will earn the best.
Drivatar, which is basically a mechanic of simulated drivers based on the driving skills of other Forza 5 players stored in the cloud, makes races more competitive, because instead of going up against computer AI, Drivatars pit you against human-like opponents to make the racing experience feel more challenging. For the most part, this system does work effectively in the career mode, but nothing beats going up against a real live player in an online race.
One of the best additions to Forza 5 happens to be a feature within the new controller that immerses you deeper into gameplay. The left and right impulse triggers in the Xbox One controller vibrate to react to actions taking place on screen. This haptic feedback provides the player with a feeling of collision if they hit another vehicle or get to close the rails as they do a turn. It can also inform the player if their tires are about to give out, and provide the feeling of their anti-lock breaks activating. What may appear as a gimmick, actually works extremely well and adds so much more to the racing experience, much more than was offered previously with a standard rumble controller.
Hardcore Forza fans will have no problem jumping into gameplay and will appreciate the new features that Forza 5 offers. New players to the series will have a slight learning curve, but once they understand how the career leagues are set-up and understand how the class of car they choose affects a race, with some practice they will be winning races just like the best of them. Forza 5 shines not only because of its obvious eye candy, but it also demonstrates that the Xbox One is a much more superior console than the Xbox 360, and the haptic feedback alone proves this.
GRAPHICS
Yes, this game is 1080p gorgeous and will keep your eyes smiling as you experience the sense of racing across some amazing scenery. The framerate is very smooth and the draw rate is solid, showing you what is far ahead in perfect detail. The cars are the true stars here, and the level of detail is astonishing, right down to the nuts and bolts around the engine when you go under the hood in Forzavista mode. Of course when you’re racing through the mountains at 125 mph it all looks like a big blur, but every now any then just slam on the brakes and take in the view. One feature which would have been the icing on the cake, would have been night races or weather effects, but unless there will be some DLC for the game in the future, we’ll just have to wait for Forza 6 to offer it.
SOUND
The racing sounds are top-notch, right down to the specific roar of a motor to an individual car, to the screeching wheels as you make a sure turn. Also, just listen to the screaming crowd as you race through audience filled arenas. The addition of voice work form the cast of Top Gear also adds a level of authenticity, particularly if you’re a fan of the show.
REPLAY VALUE
Out of the box there are only fourteen tracks to race on but this can all change with later DLC. Again, just like the there are less cars in this game than in the previous Forza, the limited tracks are quality over quantity. The career mode is where you will get your meat and potatoes and constantly trying to place first in every race to earn more credits will keep you playing. The quest for adding more cars to your garage is the main thing that will add replay value. Earning enough in-game credits to buy better cars is very time consuming so you will probably have to dish out some real money to get your dream car. Via Xbox Live you can live out your Days of Thunder fantasies against players around the world, or if you choose you can just play a buddy in the co-op split-screen mode. No matter how you choose to play Forza 5, you’ll get a satisfying experience that will keep you coming back.
Reviewed by Johnny McNair