Forza Motorsport is by far the best racing game this generation. This one has finally dethrowned the former king.
The first thing is the gameplay is excellent. There is none better. This is the game that has finally dethroned the king, which was Gran Turismo 4. Finally a simulation game with damage modeling and damage that actually affects the handling, top speed, acceleration, shifting and much more. The thing that I have always questions Gran Tursimo for is the fact that they are supposed to be the crème of la crème. I have had a few races where I have bumped into a wall going around 50…well I guess that’s a bit more than a bump, but it actually physically damages your car. Your toe will be severely compromised, and that will make your car swerve to the left or right on a straight-a-way. And this really slows your car down. And if you have the game set to simulation, and you take your engine quite a bit over red-line, your engine will start to fatigue. Same with downshifting too fast if you are driving your car as a manual (the only way a racing game should be played), you can redline it doing that too fast, and this is what I love. Some actual realism. I think that since Gran Turismo has always been a leader in the simulation racing gerne, we have not expected anymore than what they were willing to add. Next you have a parking, or rather an emergency brake that actually works, unlike in the Gran Turismo’s.
The online aspect has been done very well. When Gran Turismo 4 dropped the online functionality, that really killed off a lot of peoples hopes. But Forza Motorsport, coming only four months later, had it and did a superb job with it. I have played this game online extensively, and I have only had one problem in a game, and it was for a brief moment, and it really did not affect the racing.
Next onto the graphics, Forza Motorsport wins here also. GT4 had amazing car models when put in HD mode at 1080i, but the backgrounds and anything else on the screen but the cars looked god-awful. I will admit that the cars may look a bit cartoonish compared to GT4, but the gorgeous backdrops fully make up for this. They are lush, easy on the eye, and I have even crashed into walls for the first few weeks of owning this game because I was gazing at these. I love seeing the small bit of shine on the roads when very sunny, or the skid marks left from the enormous crash 5 laps ago.
The sound of the cars is great, but the soundtrack is iffy. If you have custom soundtracks, use those, but if you don’t, its not unbearable. The soundtrack is alright, but it seems to not have many licensed songs and whatnot. But the engine sounds are amazing; you can defiantly hear the difference between a well tuned Ford Mustang and an ricey little Integra. Likewise, the Ferraris and Porsches sound spot on.
Overall, I would recommend this game to any racing fan of any type. Even if you do not own an xbox, pick one up for this game and this game alone. Forza is now the king, and you will know it in your first few hours of playing.