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The first new game in sim racing franchise since 2017 is a reboot that adds RPG elements and deeper customization
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Score: 8.0/10 Platform: Xbox Series S/X (reviewed), Windows PCsDeveloper: Turn 10 StudiosPublisher: Microsoft Game StudiosRelease Date: Oct. 10, 2023ESRB: M
It’s been six long years since the last entry in Forza Motorsport, the Xbox exclusive simulation-style racing franchise that birthed the now much more popular Forza Horizon open world car games, and developer Turn 10 Studios seems to have spent that time trying to figure out how to bring a little of its sister series’ magic into its own games.
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Dubbed simply Forza Motorsport (rather than Forza Motorsport 8), it’s clearly a brand reboot. It still has the sorts of things you’d expect of a sim racer, including precision vehicle handling, gorgeous car models and tracks, outstanding real-time weather effects (you’ll feel the effect of wind shear as the wind changes direction over the course of a race), and, of course, Turn 10’s finely tuned AI “drivatars,” which exhibit realistic, almost human-like driving behaviours.
But it has less in the way of flashy between-race pomp and flair, replacing much of the franchise’s so-called “car porn” with some real meat in how we progress through the career mode.
The most meaningful change comes in the relationships we develop with the cars we drive. That probably sounds a little creepy, but Turn 10 has gone out of its way to make us feel a bond with our wheels. It’s no longer about collecting hundreds of cars, but instead choosing cars within specific classes and then really getting to know them.
To that end, individual cars are levelled up with experience points as you race with them. That doesn’t mean their base stats improve, but rather that you gradually unlock performance parts that you can purchase with car points earned while racing. In order to transform your little Hyundai Veloster from practical hatchback into a true speed demon you’ll need to spend time racing it rather than just dropping a bunch of credits to instantly upgrade it to maximum class level.
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This RPG-style progression is most evident on the track, where points are awarded for things like racing a technically challenging circuit segment close to perfection. It’s a trick clearly cribbed from the Horizon games, but Turn 10 wisely keeps the focus on rewarding technical prowess rather than goofier antics like near misses in traffic or insane drifts. Rest assured, there’s still no trouble discerning Forza Motorsport as a serious sim-style racer rather than a casual arcade game.
Turn 10 also seems to have looked to its series’ own history for inspiration, forcing players to once again begin the game by racing events that are limited to much slower classes of cars. Indeed, you’ll need to drive for quite a few hours before stepping into any of the game’s fastest rides in career mode. I’ve zero qualms with this — my favourite cars have always been Mini Coopers and VW Golfs — but it might be a little annoying for gearheads who want to jump straight to the Bugattis and Koeniseggs.
And in a move designed to give players an even deeper degree of customization — you can still adjust driving assists, AI driver difficulty, and degree of simulation authenticity — we can now also choose our position on the starting grid, from 24th all the way up to first. The game will forecast where you’re likely to place based on your performance in three practice laps (which are now mandatory before each race), and your potential winnings will increase the further back you choose to start.
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It didn’t take long for me to lock in a group of custom settings — simulation wear and tear, no rewinds, 15th place start, and medium AI driver difficulty — that ensured I was adequately challenged but still winning most of the time.
Even with the changes, though, the biggest factor governing whether you’ll enjoy Forza Motorsport remains the same: Do you enjoy circuit and cup racing?
The bulk of the game is still spent driving in circles in pursuit of points and tour championships. There’s no narrative, no exploration, no zany events. Regardless of whether you’re working through the lengthy career or testing your skills against others in online multiplayer, it’s all about hitting race lines and mastering throttle. Braking perfectly prior to a turn, coasting through the curve and hitting the accelerator on the way out. Then doing it again, aiming to shave off hundredths of a second. And then doing it again. And again.
I find it almost meditative. If I pop on an audiobook I can lose myself for hours doing laps in Forza Motorsport‘s beautiful cars. But it may prove a little monotonous for folks who, over the last six years, have become more accustomed to the thrill-a-minute, often over-the-top vibe of the Forza Horizon games.
Still, Turn 10’s 8th kick at the Forza Motorsport can should have plenty of appeal to gearheads looking for a photorealistic, physically accurate simulation of high speed racing. And since it’s included with Xbox Game Pass, there’s no reason for subscribers not to take it for a test spin.
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