Forza Horizon 6 (XS) - Review
by Stephen LaGioia , posted 6 hours ago / 642 Views
Since its debut hit the ground running over a decade back — goodness have I gotten old — Playground Games' Forza Horizon series has redefined the racing genre, melding arcade-style speed and thrills with dynamic open-world gameplay and a dash of nuanced racing sim elements. This has resulted in essentially a new subgenre which the studio hasn't just pioneered, but expanded, fine-tuned, and largely perfected with its sixth installment. Everything from its awesome Japanese vistas to the reliable, solid driving mechanics, to its countless entertaining events round out a top-tier sandbox game that's among the best racers I've played in my decades of gaming. While it still falls a touch short of flawless, Forza Horizon 6 leaves most of the genre in the dust in various ways.
Fans were largely pleased with the distinct locales in past FH entries, though the latest installment truly excels on this front, edging a bit past my previous favorite setting of the colorful, multi-seasonal UK in FH 4. The various well-crafted elements — among them a plethora of diverse race and off-road tracks, and the changing seasons/conditions which affect your driving mechanics — return stronger than ever here. But the notable major addition has to be the dense, gorgeous Japanese landscapes, which yield a wide range of landmasses, awe-inspiring landmarks and mountains, organic-feeling wildernesses, and (relatively) bustling cityscapes — all crammed into a truly huge, seamless biome that dwarfs even the Mexico setting of the prior game.
Whether coasting through the hilly, snowy regions of the north, zipping across coastal highways towards the firework-spouting Horizon festival at night, or swiftly delivering food to customers through vibrant and tight Tokyo streets, there was scarcely a moment I wasn't entranced by the thick sense of atmosphere and stunning visuals that seemed to pop right through the screen. I even had to slow my lightning-quick speed at times to take them in. As much as the game brings an exhilarating supercar sim(cade) ride, it also approximates a virtual Japanese tour and spectacle, complete with a detailed photography mode to drive this point home.
The game showcases historic landmarks and structures from the lavish Hirosaki Castle to the towering Mount Fuji. Between these awesome sights and little details sprinkled in (often interwoven into the gameplay, a-la region-specific smashable relics), the environment is just dripping with culture, history, and character. It seems to present a new surprise around almost every corner, and vast expanses of nothingness, while still present, are fewer here. Indeed, there's much to see, and more to do. One moment you'll stumble upon a neat retro car via Barn Find nestled in a thick bamboo woodland, and the next you'll come upon the quaint Edo-period fishing Village of Ine and Shirakawa-go, or find a tempting million-Credit mansion to save up for.
Of course, this enriching experience can't be complete without a top-notch soundtrack, and for the most part Playground Games delivers here, too. Staple favorites like the foot-tapping club, techno, electro, and EDM music of Horizon Base Arena and Pulse set the fast-paced party vibe, with artists like Calvin Harris and Ninajirachi taking center stage. Being a hard rock and metal fan, I was also pleased to see the game's definitive rock station excel with hits from Poppy, Spiritbox, Coheed and Cambria, the cute-meets-hardcore Babymetal, and a recent genre-bending discovery Passcode.
I also like tuning into Horizon Wave to accompany the scenic, chill tone at night, led by Mitch Murder or Lazerhawk. Synthwave has become a favorite for background tunes in particular - in fact, I'm jamming out to some as I write this - and it's particularly fitting in this game, especially when coasting along in, say, an '85 Toyota Sprinter Trueno. There's even a local station with Japanese tunes to further drive home the local themes and culture. And, of course, there are the lovely Classical melodies of Horizon Opus to complement the epic vistas surrounding you as you explore and search for the next fun activity.
Coupled with this is a deeper, more authentic sound design at large, with each car bringing unique, more pronounced noises and engine sounds that add to their distinct feel. This well-crafted audio extends to the environments and types of terrain, yielding a more dynamic sound that blends with different locales and, coupled with some very pretty lighting and particle effects, brings the area to life. This holds up, whether it's the more compressed, reflecting sounds of the city streets, the gritty crunch of large truck tires plowing through gravel roads, or my howling wolf car horn echoing through tunnels.
Recent FH games tended to have a sometimes-messy hodgepodge of separate events that didn't quite feel like they were working toward a collective progression. While I usually favor the sense of freedom sandbox romps offer over a more rigid linear style, Playground Games draws a few more bits that work from the "linearity" camp while applying them to the open-world, making the sandbox dynamic feel more cohesive and rewarding than ever. FH 6 strikes a nice balance here, yielding a playground (pun intended) of events everywhere that coax you to venture out and explore, while keeping a throughline that feels neater and grants a more tangible sense of progression.
The notable addition here is the new "endgame" content of Legend Island, which offers bigger and tougher events requiring higher-tier car builds. This tempting unlockable is a smart inclusion, as it entices players to press onward and notch their coveted gold wristband to gain access. But even beyond this, everything just feels a bit more streamlined, pointed, organized, and as a result, more rewarding as you progress. Things tend to feel more "earned" here in various ways; even the Wheelspins, which you're no longer showered with en masse. Menus and interfaces are cleaned up somewhat and easier to navigate, adding to the tighter, more cohesive feel, while several customizations and car/event tweaking options still exist.
The bulk of the campaign is divided into two main categories. The first is Festival Events, which feature the three main racing types, as well as stunts and epic Showcases; a major milestone bout that grants you a new wristband, which opens up the next tier of events. You must knock out several events to earn enough XP, which triggers each Showcase, where your new wristband awaits. Rinse and repeat. It's a fairly simple and more streamlined system that I'm into. Some Showcases include the usual several-minute stints of launching off cliffs while queuing action slow-mo to emphasize the epic moment of an airplane zipping by as you're airborne. Still, there are a few refreshing twists here, including navigating a tight, industrial obstacle course, and a comically out-of-place giant mech scramble. These unapologetically bombastic moments wavered from recognizable to freshly absurd, but overall, I was there for these "virtual ride" vibe shifts from the frequent competition and exploration.
The other major category, Discover Japan, is home to collectible-gathering tasks, sightseeing, and story-mode content. Under this category, you'll find the "Crazy Taxi-lite" feature I touched on, in which you must rush in a clunky, slow truck to deliver food, along with a car restoration-focused "Yuji's Auto", and the return of Drift Club. A few more competitive, intense (and frankly out of place) bouts like Street Racing are also included here. But this is mainly where you'll find more passive events, those that delve more into the cultural lore and "soul" of the game, as well as small bits of actual story development or notable dialogue.
This more linear progression extends to other areas. Fast-travel is now tied to a fog-of-war implementation where you can teleport to anywhere on the map free of charge — but only once you've driven there on the map. While you can purchase pricey hypercars anytime you wish, assuming you can gather the wealth (the game does offer countless ways to do so, at least), the sleeker, more potent supercars and higher-class tunings are restricted for later-game events. It's a welcome change that keeps momentum going and quickens the pace as you advance. Of course, different collectibles and other points of interest like XP boards are still scattered everywhere, and make for nice, simple tasks while aimlessly exploring.
Along with the Barn Finds, players can now send and receive gift cars to other players, find discounted cars on the side of a road, and scout out Treasure Cars using only a vague image and a hint provided. The latter tended to be tricky and even frustrating for me, but on the rare occasion I did locate one, it made for a satisfying pickup. I enjoyed these creative little ways to add to your car collection, as they mix things up from the usual (often expensive) Autoshow car buys. Though, given its massive lineup of over 600 cars, with more undoubtedly on the way via seasonal content and DLC, you'll surely be buying many from there. These scavenger hunts and other collect-a-thons, while more secondary, add to the game's entertainment value and sense of accomplishment in subtle ways. It's certainly thrilling flying down the highway in your newly-purchased Koenigsegg Jesko, but something about driving in an obscure Treasure or Barn Find vehicle that's been restored brings an extra layer of value as you actively sought it out.
For those who want to fully embrace the player creation or creativity angle, FH 6 brings several creation features back and often expands on them. These include custom paint jobs, manual car tuning, and player-made online events and convoys. Gamers can now even collaborate to create tracks and various events, adding to the seamless, elaborate community sensibility. A stand-out inclusion is the ability to build and decorate personal garages and estates. It feels far more keyboard-and-mouse-friendly than using a controller to drag around each little asset, which can feel clunky and limiting, but it's an amusing diversion in the short-term.
As in past entries, the game offers a deep, multi-tiered system of difficulty to accommodate most players. Of course, many factors can play into how tricky or simple a race is even within a specified parameter — as everything from sharp turns and uphill climbs, to weather-battered terrain, to your car's capability on a given track, plays a role in performance. Particularly in the more rugged Dirt and Cross-Country races, control can quickly escape even more seasoned Forza Horizon players like myself. Some of these narrow, rocky, or elevated roads can be unforgiving, especially when adding rain or snow into the mix.
Added to this, FH 6 boasts a more refined physics system, weather effects, car-specific mechanics, and (relatively) capable and tailored AI "Drivatars". These nuanced features set the stage for a realistic, immersive feel that can be quite engaging. Cars feel a bit more weighty, solid, and tactile as a whole, and respond more to their environments. Yet all these deeper mechanics can also produce unexpected outcomes and sudden spikes in difficulty if you don't prepare. FH 6 still stresses the "arcade" side of the "simcade" subgenre to be sure, with its many swift cars, wild ways of racking up your Skill Score (which can also now link or combine with other players' scores), and large mech showdowns. Still, "sim" elements feel a bit more prominent here than prior games, as it can be less about sheer speed — though there's plenty of that too — and more about sharpness and technicality at times.
Thankfully, you're granted progress/rewards simply from finishing an event, with added perks when coming in first, and the seamless rewind feature ensures you can win without much of a grind as long as you pick a decent car and navigate the course. I found my sweet spot to be in the "Highly Skilled" level, while dabbling in "Expert" when speeding through an easier track, rocking a top-tier car, or just craving more challenge. While there's flexibility in the toughness, FH 6 can feel erratic when it comes to difficulty spikes. I've had races where I managed to win on Expert level comfortably, and other flawless performances where I barely edged out a photo-finish win on Above Average. I even handily won a few aptly-named "Unbeatable" matches. The AI could be weirdly forgiving or relentlessly rubber-bandy all in one match.
The game's slew of online offerings bring ample fun — albeit some tough or unpredictable moments. You can take part in several random or player-made racing options with varying rules, including the typical Road, Dirt, or Cross-Country races. Rotating seasonal playlists are prominent, giving players a chance to snag exclusive cars and pumping up replay value. Top-of-the-hour Stunt Party (formerly Horizon Arcade) events return, generating a spot for players to meet up and take on unknown challenges together for Credits. Co-op options are expanded upon, and PvP races are made a bit more user-friendly with implementations like car ghosting to avoid devastating collisions.
Even so, I made more than a few of my own driving blunders that saw me quickly near the back of the pack with little chance to catch up. Be warned — while you may have mastered greater difficulty tiers against Drivatars, real people online can bring a wildly new level of challenge with their souped-up cars, at least in my experience. I found I'd typically end up well behind 75% of players, while most of the remaining 25% would lag laughably far behind me. The skill gap is still prominent, apparently. I did find myself enjoying FH 6's iteration of the Battle Royale mode "Eliminator", which meshes well in the wooded, elevated biomes of Japan. I also got a kick out of the chaotic Hide & Seek game, where several players must disperse and locate a lone hider, who may choose to blend in with traffic or take cover in the wilderness.
Aside from occasionally spotty online gameplay and some inconsistent difficulty spikes, I'm hard-pressed to find many gripes with this latest rendition of Forza Horizon. The game shores up, expands upon, and refines many of my (rare) issues with past titles, and most of its additions, even parts of the estate-decorating feature, are net positives. I didn't even really miss the 90% dialing back of Wheelspins, and in fact, felt more rewarded in the few major prizes I won from them. While I don't wish to dive much into the minutia of nitpicking, I did find Tokyo and other town regions of the map to be a bit lacking in both scope and bustling traffic, as it tended to clash with the otherwise vibrant, epic environments surrounding them.
Does FH 6 take more of a half-step in the recognizable FH formula rather than a revolutionary leap? Perhaps in some ways. Yet, the game brings a solid balance of mostly-honed prior elements that work while sprinkling in just enough novel bits so as not to feel stale. The Japan setting comes alive and brings everything together so nicely for the most part, and is chock-full of things to do. Playground Games brings something for just about all types of racing fans — whether coming from the Mario Kart arcade-style camp like myself, a GT sim aficionado, an online gamer, a creative type, or even a Japanese history/geography buff. With its dozens of hours of "blow your hair back" entertainment, Forza Horizon 6 is easily worth its credits, and is especially worth giving a spin if you have Game Pass.
VGChartz Verdict
8.5
Great
This review is based on a digital copy of Forza Horizon 6 for the XS
