NOT
Flawed Storyline
To make the single player portion somewhat interesting, Forza Horizon has a story, but it fails to keep the fans interested. Those who care about the story, Forza Horizon takes place in Colorado and you are this person that wants to participate in the Horizon Festival. At the beginning, you hear from the radio that challengers who are fast enough to get to the event will be able to participate in such a rare event. Luckily, you will be one of those and as soon as you arrive in the event, you can now begin your career and conquer every event the festival has in store for you. From my standpoint, the storyline holds nothing to keep everyone interested but luckily, a racing game is never about the story.
Lack of Tuning and Mechanical Damage
Forza enthusiasts that are fond of tuning cars will be disappointed to hear that the ability to fine tune your cars will not be present in the game. While it is a sad news for those who cared for it in previous titles, they will just have to settle on the customization the game has since they’re pretty decent enough to stand on their own. Also, another disappointment factor that I’ve noticed in Forza Horizon is the lack of mechanical damage. Since Playground and Turn 10 have decided to make the game open-world, it would make much more sense to add mechanical damage to it to add challenge and effects but unfortunately, they didn’t. Instead, racing through the game without mechanical damage makes the game less challenging and rewarding.
Not the Forza Game You Played Before
When it comes to a game shifting from one type to another, the reaction of fans will be divided; some will like it and some will not. In the case of Forza Horizon, it’s the same thing. If you are used with the classic racing simulation of the Forza series, you will be somewhat disappointed as Forza Horizon will seem like a new game that copies several things from other racing games. The open-world gameplay may feel new to some but in reality, it’s been done by other racing games but luckily, it’s better in Horizon. Test Drive Unlimited fans are more likely to enjoy this game than others.
VERDICT
Forza Horizon is yet another game that racing fans will love on the Xbox 360 platform. Their take on the open-world gameplay may seem all new to the series, but it’s already been done by other racing games. Playground and Turn 10 did it all better as they incorporate it with great visuals for everyone to enjoy and look at. The lack of tuning and mechanical damage may disappoint some fans, but the overall experience that you will feel when playing Forza Horizon will be priceless. If you are a hardcore Forza fan, it’s a good idea to rent this game first if its new style of gameplay isn’t your cup of tea.
[Editor’s Note: Forza Horizon was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]