Every year or two I can rely on Turn 10 Studios to pop out another Forza baby around my birthday and this year is no exception. Turn 10 is currently showing off a very short demo of the game which I got hands on with and I’m interested because it’s no longer the same closed-in racing experience that it always has been year after year but instead it is fully open world. Unfortunately, with a small demo I didn’t really get to see just how large the area is but a rep told me within an 8 hour shift he was not able to make it around the entire map once which to me seems unheard of and I’ll believe it when I see it.
There are many modes that you would expect such as closed course set races and circuit competitions but there are many other new features that would only feel like home if you played any Need For Speed title as now you are able to compete closer with your friends by going through speed traps during races. Meaning, once you reach a certain checkpoint it will display your speed and the speed of someone on your friends list. I can only assume there will be a leader board for each track time but the main point of the game is to be social in a very open world. Turn 10 is targeting the game toward those users who loved Forza 3 but didn’t bother to pick up Forza 4, for whatever reason, so they are taking a risk that seems like it will pay off as everyone around me was giving it glowing reviews.
To earn credits, you no longer have to continuously grind through long races to earn money with Forza Horizon it appears they give you credits for just about anyway you drive so you can feel rewarded for your driving especially if you do extra tricks such as weaving, which is where you drive in and out of lanes quickly like a drunk person to get extra bonus points.
Although not demoed, all the online modes will stay the same as before such as Cat and Mouse but instead of a closed track it will be completely open world to add a bit more challenge to the game.
Lastly, the graphics on this game are exactly what you would expect from a Forza title; clean, crisp, and realistic everywhere you look. Game is set to launch on October 23, 2012 so get your pre-order on!
