Although we write car racing as a game category for Forza, we cannot help but think that we are doing it unfairly by putting it in the same category as other games of this genre. Forza is perhaps the best motorsport game series of all time, allowing you to steer freely in the most interesting geographies of the world, where you may never have the opportunity to go, by sitting in the seat of vehicles that most of you can only dream of, and the fun aspect that seems to never end with its crazy activities. . Due to the gloomy atmosphere of England, we were stuck in the previous game because we did not spend a lot of time in the previous game and we only played enough to examine it. But the new Forza Horizon 5 deserves to be played just because it’s set in sparkling Mexico, let alone everything else. Well, apart from that, let’s take a look at what it offers us.
The beginning of the Forza Horizon games is the subject of the opening scenes, where the dose of action is skyrocketed every time, just like the Mission Impossible movies starring Tom Cruise. Every time, Playground Games manages to raise the bar somehow. Traditionally, Horizon 5 starts as it moves towards the festival area. In the first few minutes, which started as a showcase where all different types of vehicles, terrain dynamics and the interesting geography of Mexico were introduced, this time there is no standard transition between vehicles. You’re dropped from a plane at a time, and from sandstorms to an active volcano, you experience the most dramatic moments Forza Horizon 5 has to offer in one eye-catching action sequence. I think our introduction to the fifth game in the series is not only excellent, it’s the best in the series so far.
Our playground is Mexico, it dazzles
The open world is truly diverse, from vast deserts to the towering volcano in the center of the map, from dense forest cover to sparkling seaside resorts and cobblestone streets lined with colorful buildings. Whatever racing genre you loved in previous games, Forza Horizon 5 has it all. Road races, changing weather conditions and street races at different times of the day, off-road races, drift areas, speed traps, vehicles waiting to be found and a ton of different stories are just some of them. Everything you could want from a Horizon game is available in Forza Horizon 5.
There are so many icons on the map that you have to zoom in almost completely to see the individual icons in the later stages of the game. But there’s actually no need for that, because Playground Games does a great job of organically navigating you through events. When you finish a race, there is almost always something else to do directly in your way. It makes it really easy to try out different types of races and you never have to aimlessly scroll through the map. Although the map is so beautiful you might want to do that too 😉
Enjoy double the fun with multiplayer modes
If you’re more tempted to roam freely in these beautiful landscapes, you can still dive into the usual multiplayer modes, from flat races to Horizon Arcade and party-style games. The Battle Royale-inspired “Silencer” mode, a later addition to Forza Horizon 4, is also available in the new game. If you want, you can enjoy all of them in cooperation with your friends. It can be said that there is nothing missing in terms of content, but there is nothing new either. In this regard, the developer company did not want to take risks by changing a formula that had already worked. It is impossible not to justify this. Even playing all this fun in another geography makes enough difference in our opinion.
Although Forza Horizon is an arcade, there is an important point that distinguishes it from other similar racing games. While most games fail to give the real sense of speed, Forza Horizon 5 shows its success at this point as well. Even if you don’t look at the gauge, you definitely understand that you can’t take that corner at that speed. Although, this situation was not different in the previous game. However, the balance offered between arcade and simulation was still very good, we didn’t want to go without saying.
Looks great on all consoles
Let’s get to the graphics, sounds and performance! Many parts of Mexico are very close to the real thing in the game and it is definitely one of the best looking games on the Xbox Series S that we have experienced the game. In quality mode (2k, 30fps) the details are really good. The vehicle models are works of art both inside and out, but it was the incredible landscapes that impressed us the most. Despite the motion blur, the quality is quite clearly more detailed and very sharp. Technically speaking, Forza Horizon 5 offers a performance mode in addition to the quality mode. Here, the resolution drops from 2k to 1080p, but you get a good speed of 60fps, so be sure that it is not possible to focus on the difference in detail when traveling at 200km per hour. I recommend Series S users select the performance mode. Of course, Xbox Series X will be a much better option to do justice to this game.
In the meantime, the fact that the game works without any problems even on Xbox One S reveals its success in performance. However, Playground Games does not seem to have fully utilized the potential of the new generation while trying to make Horizon 5 backward compatible. To find a middle ground, a game that might look much better in the next generation is somewhat limited. There are some physics problems related to the vehicles in drifts, but considering that this is an arcade game, one should not get too hung up on it.
Only those who want to race may be confused
There are many types of points and credits available in Forza Horizon 5. As you win races, you earn credits and 2 types of XP, one for your driver level and the other for advancing the Horizon adventure. On the points side, there are also skill points that give you driver XP, points that increase your driving proficiency and unlock perks. Having so many different screens and menus to control things can be a bit confusing. It can often be overwhelming for those who just want to race, but for those who want to juice up the game, it also means there’s tons of stuff to do.
We would like to point out that we found the progress in the game a bit fast. Often times, another chapter is unlocked in Horizon Adventure before you can complete the previous event, which can lead to a map that gets too crowded that you can’t follow. Of course, these are just a few small negative drops in the game’s sea of success, and they don’t diminish your enjoyment of the game in the slightest. Driving in Forza Horizon 5 is the perfect balance between arcade and simulation. You witness silly things happen regularly, but the game still reminds you that you can’t take that corner at 200 km/h. The game offers entertainment for players of all levels. It doesn’t penalize players for being less technically skilled. The harder you get, of course, the more credits you earn, but it’s purely for personal satisfaction rather than necessity.
Conclusion
Forza Horizon 5 is essentially about having fun behind the wheel and presents it very well. One of the best Forza Horizon games Playground has ever made. It’s like Forza Horizon Best of Album. The driving and other core mechanics are unbeatable, the vehicles are still stunning as always, and when it comes to our playground Mexico, it really looks incredible, especially on next-gen consoles (although it also works perfectly on the lower-end Xbox One S console). Forza Horizon 5 may not be full of exciting innovations, but it is clear that Playground Games has positively reflected all of its experience with this series over the past nine years. One of the most impressive exclusive games of Xbox is definitely a candidate to be one of the best games of the year. It also supports Turkish subtitles and will be offered free of charge to Xbox Game Pass owners from the first day. It is even played just to visit Mexico.
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Developer: Playground Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform: Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Racing
Web: https://forzamotorsport. net/en-US
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