Forza Motorsport 6
Demo Impressions
Another year, another entry in the Forza series. Thank God for the bi-annual release schedule, swapping years with the more arcade-y Horizon titles, otherwise we’d be exhausted by it all.
Well, many might be already. But not this Forza fanatic. Forza is, without a doubt, the best racing series available to gamers. Sure, each entry isn’t a huge leap forward from its predecessor, but it’s another opportunity to dive into the realm of simulation racing — an opportunity that got just that little bit better.
So, how does the new Forza stand up? The full title isn’t available until the 15th September in the States and 18th in the UK (outrageous- we made the game) but the demo just released (demos- remember them?) gives us a sneak peek at what to expect.
Graphically it looks stunning, as one would expect. It doesn’t look a huge deal different from Forza 5 or Horizon 2, but bearing in mind that each of these is at the very top of racing games’ visuals it’s hardly a criticism. There are moments of literal photorealism, and although the backgrounds aren’t quite as impressive as the cars they do look quite beautiful this time around; the sweeping journey around Rio de Janeiro is almost breathtaking.
The biggest addition to the actual gameplay is a brand new feature: rain. Much sought-after, it affected the race far more than I expected. Rather than just provide a cool visual effect or, as other racing games use it, to create a slightly more slippery track, Turn 10 have turned it into quite the game-changer. Hit a deep puddle and your car will noticeably slow down, allowing opponents to overtake with ease. It makes you adjust your racing line from the obvious or suggested one, making for a more organic and reactive experience.
The biggest criticisms of Forza 5, by far, was its limited content, poor reward scheme and boring campaign. All three seem to have been addressed- there are more tracks (and variants of these) than ever before, over 450 vehicles (individual ones, rather than the clones seen in the Gran Turismo series), there’s a reward wheel system lifted straight from the much more satisfying Forza Horizon 2, and the campaign looks to be far more interesting. More than 70 hours in length, players work through various volumes of races, each focussing on a specific discipline. There are ‘events’ like in Horizon, and a greater sense of progress. Even the demo provided a more satisfying journey than Forza 5, which can only mean good things.
Ultimately you’re only going to enjoy Forza Motorsport 6 if you enjoyed the previous iterations, or if you’re a racing fan that’s inexplicably avoided the series thus far. Forza 5 may have disappointed some but, for those still looking to the series for their next fix of racing simulation, things are looking up.
