Forza Horizon 5

Great Games of 2021 - Game Review

With the sudden rise of COVID-19 cases in Australia, with numbers jumping up from relatively few instances at the beginning of last month up to tens of thousands a day, for those who can, staying at home to stop the risk of infection is a smart move. But whether you find yourself at home to prevent the spread or if you have sadly been diagnosed as a positive case, finding things to help pass the time will hopefully mitigate the stress of our current situation. Over the coming week, I will be sharing several articles which focus on games, anime and more that I think are great ways to pass the time. These reviews will focus less on reviewing them in a typical sense and emphasise their general entertainment and replay/rewatch values.

In Early November 2021, developer Playground Games and publisher Xbox Game Studios released Forza Horizon 5, the fifth instalment in their long-running open-world racing game series. Offering a larger, more diverse map than ever before, FH5 takes players to the streets of a fictionalised Mexico for the next instalment of the Horizon Festival. Unlike the mainline Forza franchise, which is more about being a traditional racing simulator, Horizon gives players the freedom to explore the world at their leisure, partake in hundreds of events solo or with friends online, and even craft their own events. From gaining credits, racing NPC representations of their friends, unlocking hundreds of cars, and partaking in opportunities that take full advantage of its setting – players can progress at their own pace and have what feels to be limitless opportunities to make their own fun.

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While there is an overarching narrative in place, with players filling shoes of the “superstar driver” from previous games, what I found enjoyable was that most of the time you could mindlessly go and drive around and unlock things at your own pace. It was very cathartic to do so, driving with no destination in mind and taking the speed trap / danger flag / drift zone challenges and racing events as they came up. Most of my time was spent thinking about exactly how an event like the Horizon Festival could occur. I spent far too much time focusing on this being an island purchased by a group of multi-billionaires who shape it to look like a representation of their chosen country every few years. It would also explain the likely eye-watering cost of cars for this event, especially with moi behind the wheel. 

Various race types are on offer, including cross-country runs, street races, traditional lap racing, head-to-heads, an online battle royale mode, and some unique events that can feel more like platformer than a conventional racing experience. By progressing through the game and raising your cred in the festival, you can unlock a range of unique opportunities – from racing against trains and planes, exploring ancient ruins in your car, to long-haul races that come in at almost 60km in length. While coming with a wide array of built-in races, you are not just limited to these. Track numbers are expanded by the option to run a variety of player-created courses (or, of course, those created by you) to the Festival Playlist, which provides a range of new opportunities and challenges for each in-game season. Making races of your own is also self-explanatory, although it can take some learning for effective course design. Having sunk dozens of hours into the game, I see no end to my gameplay in sight.

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While there is plenty to do in Forza Horizon 5, it would all be for nothing if the racing experience was subpar. Fortunately, you shouldn’t go into the game expecting a strict simulator experience like the Forza Motorsport series. Instead, there are various difficulty options to support all playstyles – from the hardcore racing simulator enthusiasts who want to control every aspect from their vehicle to the novice racer who may need their hand held for a while. With multiple difficulty settings, auto-control settings and the ability to reverse time – you can experience Mexico your way, with those taking more risks being rewarded with additional credits per race. Coming to terms with the controls are creatively done at the beginning of the game through some early-stage, fast-paced mini-missions which introduce you to the mechanics, while more advanced maneuvers tend to be learnt through hands-on experience. You soon realise that you need to slow down at turns, lest you go crashing into a tree.

While available on the Xbox One, Forza Horizon 5 truly shines on the Xbox Series X and Windows PC – and would be my recommendation for game version choices. The open-world environment is picturesque at almost every turn, and the hundreds of car designs are stellar – and are best enjoyed with the best hardware. For the Xbox Series X version I reviewed, players had the option of a Performance or Graphics mode, the latter of which I would wholeheartedly recommend. Forzavista makes a return as well, allowing you to get up to each close and enjoy their fully modelled exteriors and interiors – ray-tracing support included. Plus, the Photo mode is back and just as good as ever! The in-game radio also offers the usual variety of music styles, with individual commentators for each station providing banter during many pivotal moments of the game.

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The main downsides of Forza Horizon 5 are that without internet access and an Xbox subscription, many of the game’s co-op multiplayer modes are locked out, which I would argue has an impact on the longevity of the gaming experience. At the very least, a few elements such as the livery library and the seasonal challenges are made available to players. Furthermore, the game isn’t glitch free, and it is not uncommon to find yourself stuck on a small rock should you decide to go off the beaten track a bit.

With dozens if not hundreds of hours of gameplay included in Forza Horizon 5, if you enjoy (or even think you’d enjoy) racing games, this is an excellent game to help pass the time over the coming weeks. Plus, with travel being not so possible or safe at the moment, nothing like taking a virtual trip to a downscaled version of Mexico. Although new elements added to Forza Horizon 5 are excellent additions, the gameplay loop that Playground Games have masted over the years shines, and whether this is your first or fifth venture into the Horizon Festival, expect many memorable moments.

9.5

This review was conducted on a purchased physical copy of the Xbox One + Xbox Series X|S version of Forza Horizon 5. All testing was conducted on a launch-day Xbox Series X unit.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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