Forza Horizon 5 is the Next Great Racing Game
Experiencing the unique community of the finest simcade racer
At the time of writing, Forza Horizon 5 releases to the public in nine hours here in the UK, November 9th around the world. Due to buying the premium edition, I have been granted early access to the release and already have around 10–15 hours under my belt. By the time you read this, it will almost certainly be available to you to play it right now on Xbox’s Game Pass. If you can, go play it right now.
If you need a little more persuading, sit here for a moment. Brush aside the coffee cups and chocolate wrappers. No, look, there’s a bit of cushion just there, just squeeze in. Don’t ask about the smell. Let me explain what makes this series so exhilarating and unique. Don’t ask about the smell.
For almost a decade now, Forza Horizon has been almost single-handedly flying the flag of “simcade” racers — not enthusiast-level like Gran Turismo or Assetto Corsa, but still taking itself seriously as a driving game unlike, say, Mario Kart or Burnout. Other IPs like Need For Speed and The Crew have been trundling along, attempting similar things but not coming close to Horizon’s success. Other series’ from the genre’s heyday have disappeared entirely, like Sega Rally or Ridge Racer. Only Codemaster’s Dirt provides another viable option for modern simcade racing but as a game focussed entirely on rallycross, it offers a much smaller scope.
So what does Forza Horizon do that’s so special, that’s allowed it to survive the decline of an entire genre? Put simply, it feels good. Horizon is, of course, built on top of the engine that powers its older, simulation-centric cousin Forza Motorsport and benefits from over fifteen years of perfecting realistic car handling. With just a bit of tweaking to make the handling more fun and/or less frustrating to non-car enthusiasts, Playground Games already has a solid foundation to build on, which is a game as deep — or as simple — as you want it to be.
Want to tune your differential? You can still do that. Want to just use the default tuning or download one from another player? You can do that too. I have never known another game to perfectly blend the casual and hardcore audience like this. It’s more than just existing in harmony, the two communities actually complement each other. Simulation enthusiasts provide the perfect tunings, artsy players provide beautiful paint jobs and decals, arcade players provide the most exciting custom tracks. Everyone benefits from this melting pot of racing enthusiasm.
It’s this combination of a rock-solid foundation and a fervent community that elevates Horizon above the competition. The Crew tried to foster the same kind of player creativity and collaboration but suffered from dreadful car handling. Driveclub tried so hard to be a social experience but failed to garner any community spirit.
Playground Games encourages a community simply by providing a fantastic canvas — a perfect launching point for the community’s creativity and adventurous streak. The map in Forza Horizon 5 provides a variety unseen in previous iterations, with sandy dunes, thick offroad jungles, dense city streets, and even a smouldering volcano. The provided races are often epic in scope and spectacle, with the game beginning by dropping your car out of the back of a plane and into a thick sandstorm.
These moments are incredible and would make the game a classic in its own right, but the true magic will come in the following weeks. As more players join, bolstered by the day-one Game Pass access, more wacky stunt tracks will appear. More beautiful and/or ridiculous paint jobs will whizz past you on the overworld and more players will be queuing up to take part in the game’s incredible (and absurd) car-based takes on classic competitive FPS modes like capture the flag, king of the hill and, naturally, even a battle royale.
Get out there and get exploring. Trust me, you want to play this game.
I promise this article isn’t sponsored by Microsoft. I just really, really like Forza. And if you liked what I have to say, you can find me on Twitter for more (un)witty remarks and geeky ramblings about games close to my heart.
