Forza Horizon 3 Review
Forza Horizon 3
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Playground Games
Genre:
PEGI: 10+
Comments:
If you loved playing Forza Horizon 2, picking up the next iteration of the franchise is a must own. With just enough new content to make things feel fresh, heading to Australia feels like a legitimate extension of the base they build in Forza Horizon 2.
Reusing What Works
You are once again at a Horizon Festival, but this time around, you are in charge of the festival. It’s up to you to tour around Australia and sign up great talent to make your festival better than ever before.
The Australian setting definitely tops the environment in Forza Horizon 2, because it is varied. While everything felt very similar in Horizon 2, Horizon 3 brings in different environments for you to explore, including desert atmospheres, lush forests, and even mountains. This is really important, however, because of what we are about to talk about next.
Adding Something New
Off road racing in Horizon 3 has been taken to a new level. With accurate physics that alter the way you drive on beaches and grass. choosing the right vehicle is VERY important. But no matter what vehicle you use, the chance of victory always seems within grasp, and even when you lose, you are still left with a smile on your face. Why? It is so, damn, fun.
Barns are back in Horizon 3, and with the new environments and off road vehicles, you will have to go off the beaten path quite often to find that new, fancy sports car. Again, Horizon 3 – much more than Horizon 2 – gives you a good reason to explore every nook and crany of the Australian outback.
Arcade Racing, Realistic Sounding
Although you play Forza Horizon 3 and know it’s a fairly arcadey racing title, the developers did not compensate on the other aspects of the game. The cars sound like they should, and the weather affects, and other sound affects – driving through streams, over vegetation, etc. – all feels authentic and real.
The included soundtracks – spread over 4 varying radio stations – is also outstanding; it was nice to see some of my favorite bands featured in the game. If the variety of songs available is not to your liking, you can loop in your own music via Xbox One. While you miss out on the DJ voice overs, everything else remains virtually the same.
Customization to the Max
The variety of cars is outstanding, and the ability to upgrade almost every aspect of every car. There is no shortage of things to do in this regard As you race you will earn fans and credits, the latter of which can be used to purchase cars, and subsequently upgrade them.
There is no reason to upgrade every car, which is actually a really appealing aspect of the game. With each class of car, and each event type, you can – if you want – have a variety of vehicles to choose from. Pick your favorite in each class, and upgrade away.
Conclusion
There is a lot of things the game offers that are not covered in this review. The sheer number of cars you can collect is insane, the variety of brands is outstanding, and creating your own Horizon Festival is exhilarating. If you’ve liked the franchise in the past, purchasing Forza Horizon 3 is a no brainer. If you are looking for a new racing experience, you really can’t go wrong with this title.
Don’t come expecting an accurate sim. Do come, however, expecting to have a lot of fun.