Yes, Forza Motorsport is coming and it’s ready to make the engines purr on Xbox Series and PC from October 10. But before dazzling auto racing fans, Forza allowed itself to be approached for a few races. Five circuits, a handful of cars and a lot of worn tires, that’s what I saw during a handling session. Yes, it’s just the very tip of a gigantic iceberg.
On the way to a new horizon
We forget the madness and the colors of Mexico, let’s leave that to Forza Horizon 5. In Forza Motorsport, we seek adrenaline differently, in the clock, in the best trajectories, at the top of the ranking. All while getting our hands dirty to pamper each of these cars as if our lives depended on it. But rest assured, if you are absolutely not used to simulations, it doesn’t matter, this Forza has more than one trick up its sleeve. Five circuits is quite a few, especially when you ultimately only drive five vehicles. But it’s enough to see what the big baby from Playground has in his belly, or at least part of it.
Upon release, the game will offer more than 500 vehicles and nearly 25 different circuits. Dizzying, but after all, that’s what we’re here for. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see everything, not even the dealership or the online store just to go do a little window shopping. I was put behind the wheel of a Subaru STI S209, a 2018 Ford Mustang GT, a 2023 Cadillac Racing V Series.R (a pure gem), a 2018 Honda Civic Type R and a Corvette that will only see the light of day later. So many cars that make you dream and some of which I was able to test for one or two laps. It was actually with the Ford Mustang that I did the most. A robust car that has something under the hood, finely modeled along the way. This won’t surprise anyone, but yes, Forza Motorsport is visually quite impressive on Xbox Series Tracing) the game is already sublime despite the presence of a littlealiasing in the environment.
The race for technology
The vehicles are screamingly true and modeled to perfection. Enough to take superb photos and even appeal to players who have absolutely no affinity with automobiles. Forza Horizon 5 was already very beautiful, but Motorsport is a notch above, even more so with Ray Tracing which is active in and out of racing unlike Gran Turismo 7 which only activates it in photo mode. The environments also benefit from more details and even photorealism. We see it especially on very fine backgrounds or even rock. The textures are fine, even at high speed. It’s really pretty, the final game should amaze us.
After drooling over the game’s plastic and its different driving views (the cockpit view is insane), I finally started to take an interest in driving. No steering wheel, this handling was done with the controller and I’m not complaining. It’s responsive and totally controlled, no surprises. Simulation requires, you can of course adjust your vehicle down to the smallest detail. Tires, gears, anti-roll, steering wheel, shock absorbers, etc. The insides of your cars will no longer hold any secrets for you. Unfortunately during my sessions, I was not able to really gauge the impact of these modifications, nor even their viability or their precision. Options are only unlocked by playing and unlocking specific parts for your car. We drive, we gain experience by driving and having perfect driving, and we unlock parts to buy. We will therefore have to see all this in the final game and in any case, we will only be able to judge all this by having several hours of driving under our belts.
There, I was only able to get my hands on a handful of circuits by rubbing shoulders with the AI and trying different driving profiles. Forza Motorsport is a simulation-oriented game, yes, but it also thinks about other players, those who like motorsport without necessarily being mechanically savvy, or simply curious players. This is why, in addition to the usual driving aids, the strength of which can even be adjusted (braking assistance, cornering assistance, ground line to guide, etc.), it is possible to activate profiles pre-set to manage the difficulty: Club rule, the equivalent of easy mode, minimizes penalties, makes damage purely cosmetic and even puts aside tire wear or fuel management. Normal mode, or Sport Rule, takes fuel and tire wear into account and activates moderate penalties. Finally, for track pros, there are the Expert Rules. We’re not laughing anymore, it’s the ultimate simulation, the damage impacts the gameplay, you have to manage the smallest aspects of your car and the penalties are extreme. It is also the only mode that does not allow rewinding, an action that can be activated by pressing a button which allows us to go back when we make a mistake during the race. Useful, and even very strong for players who need a second chance from time to time.
Behind the scenes of the pitlane
The AI too, the Drivatars, can be adjusted via a performance gauge. The more you increase the difficulty, the fewer mistakes the AI will make and the more accurately it will be able to make its decisions to win the race. Adaptability and accessibility therefore. This Forza Motorsport won’t leave anyone behind. Even when the game asks you to make your adjustments or take a look at the parts to modify your vehicle, it has your back. Text windows help with absolutely everything and are even read in good French. It’s clear and clear. Better yet, you can use an option to automatically tune and improve your car. Very useful for aspiring pilots, but it will certainly be less precise than custom settings and improvements.
In-game, the different difficulty settings are directly felt when driving, without even touching the mechanics of the car. When everything is activated to help us, we don’t have much to do except stuff the accelerator like in an arcade game. The car brakes like a big car and reactivates the accelerator when necessary, and you simply never slip. In medium setting, you start to feel the simulation, this is perhaps the mode that I would recommend to casual players who are still looking for good sensations and who want to be able to manage their car settings and feel the difference on the circuit while keeping an eye on the fuel gauge and tires. The expert mode will only be recommended for veteran players, fans of thrills and advanced simulation. It’s difficult to really see the depth of such a mode and the impact that the vehicle’s settings will have on it, but the promises are there.
What is certain, however, is that the driving sensations are there. Damage management also seems to be rather well managed. Visually in any case, it is credible. I will refrain from talking about physics since I was only able to drive in clear weather, without too many problems on the few circuits that were offered to me. So it’s difficult to go into details.
When it is released, Forza Motorsport will offer a career mode where you will have to find your place in the sun as an experienced driver. It’s difficult to say what this big piece will be worth in the long term since I was only able to play its very first hour, but what is certain is that Playground focuses everything on realism. I said, visually, the game is truly sublime, but as a bonus, the atmosphere is quite incredible. The sound design is remarkable, the environments are larger than life, and we are even treated to small cutscenes to animate pit visits, race launches or engine start-ups.
Before each race, we can also do a few test laps just to warm up a little on the circuit and even gain a little experience for our car along the way, nothing is lost on the starting grid, after all, we can take a look at your competitors, see their customized car as well as their track record, just to know what to expect during the race. We suspect that the Drivatars will then be modeled on real pilots, players, friends, etc.
We’re waiting for Forza Motorsport…at full tilt
Forza Motorsport seems well on its way to becoming a must-have in its genre. So yes, it’s a little too early to cry genius, but the fact is that the sensations are there. Half simulation, half arcade, Forza plays on all fronts and knows how to adapt to all player profiles thanks to a whole bunch of options for personalizing the experience and help just in case. However, it does not forget to be generous in terms of customization and should offer everything you need to play the mechanic addicted to asphalt. Final verdict in a few weeks, but for now, it smells very good.