BD40

User Score
8.3

Presentation - 8.0
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 8.5

Let me start of be saying Forza Two is better then one but not in every way. But i'll touch on that.

The game starts off pretty normal making you choose a smaller slower car that compared to what you want to be driving is slower the malasis. Making you work your way up slowly. While this doesn't differ from most race games it does divide the cars up into different classes. Now i know there are ohter games that do this as well but not in teh same way. While other games do break them up Forza takes it a step further. Dividing the cars not only by power but also by engine postion drive type and even number of cylinders. Which lets people be somewhat picky what they race, and race against. 

There are however as i mentioned before a few steps taken backwards were taken from the  first one. First of all there no 1/4 mile straight track. This was fantastic in the first forza what better way to see how you engine tuning really works then drive a 1/4 mile. Quick and easy sadly this is missing in the second one which really cut into the performance of drivers. Instead you can download someone else tuning setup. While this may make for a better car for you. It means that less people adn tuning cars adn there is little difference between them. Some races and done with 4-5 people with the exact same setup. Which to me kills it a bit. Secondly the is no large graph for the dyno. They have a benchmark test while informative. I foudn the graph in the first forza a lot more helpful in tuning the car. And lastly The thing i love the most about the first one and the fellowed the other games on this and it bugs me even now. You have to hire a driver to race, races you don't want to. The idea they had in teh first forza was fantasic. A "Drivatar", which is you. You would drive around tracks in a given car and would be rated on each corner you took out of a hundred. Your "Drivatar" would then race according to those values (well it would race a little worse, it would be you rating minus a little bit).

But don't get me wrong forza 2 took many steps forward. While engine tuning took a step back everything else as far tuning goes, took a step forward. Suspension, Brakes, Tires, Aero (body moldings/spoilers). *(Side note I include transmision tuning with engine tuning as they goes hand in hand)*. Suspension tuning is broken down nicely, with detailed information on how to tune and how it will effect your car. Tires are a bit over rated as far as how much they really do and how much it boost your rating. Brakes and aero have some neat tuning features inteh game with adjustable downforce and braking pressure. The next thing which a hear for grandturismo is a new thing damage effects your car. Now before you go saying damage has always affected the cars let me finish. The damage i'm talking about isn't the kind your used to where you run into a wall snd your bumper goes flying and your engine slows down to 20 mph. No this damage is different. If you hit the fron tleft side the damage will be in the front left and it's not always the same. If you damage your brakes you won't notice a thing until you hit them. If it your suspension that side will "bunce/handle" different then the other side. You you alignment might be off. If you luckly you have anything. This i hear (haven't played it myself) is new to gran turismo, but it's old hat for forza. Which makes the game a bit more real.

In game play in nice. Each car does handle differently, however some cars that are closely related or close in design handle alomst the same. Which in some cases does feel like you doing the samething over again. The career mode does seem to be a little on the long side, but considering the different types of cars in the game i can't see it being done any other way. More tracks copuld have kept the game more fresh. As playing the game for 2 weeks for a few hours each day does seem to repeat. The car graphics aren't the best. Although better then the first not where they should be for a 360 game. The different camera angles for driving are good except the behind the car view. One of these is right behind the car while I don't like this view for those the do it wil be fantasic. But for those who want to be behind and slightly above the next view only moves you back slightly whioch while better i do not believe it's the best position. The in car views no real good drivers view. The bumper views are good. (But seeing as they are done in almost every racing game I can't see them doing it badly). Online play is fantasic. I can't say i've had any problems with it. The odd laggy player but that's not the games fault. Auction house is a neat feature for players to buy/trade cars. Again in some cases this causes some cars to be mass replicated.

The replay features/cinema is good. Not only can you watch the race and take photos. You can go and view car data. Which is nice when you trying to tuen a car. Only two things bug me about the replay modes. One teh are times i would love to share 20 seconds or so of a race with a friend. You can do it in other games would be nice. Secondly when i'm watching the races and theres a sweet angle in the replay. I want to take that as a picture, and you can't. Shot that look great look really bad in camera mode. Partly because once you go into camera mode it starts you behind the car and find the same angle/lighting/distance is impossible. On the other hand other shots turn ok. Again would have been nice.

Now don't get me wrong this is be far the best racing game i've ever played. I still play it every week but have the first and having a PS3.  Feel this game was a bit rushed. The most realist game i've played. Some features i feel need inprovment while others are just missing.