Rebooting a franchise is an arduous task. There’s a lot of expectation to measure and there are many challenges to meet. There is also an especially important question to answer, is this worth rebooting? Forza as a series stands atop the mountain of racing simulation games, some might argue in favor of others, maybe there’s a joint top, but no matter how you cut it the Forza series is either there or its in the conversation. That matters less than how it has started to compete with itself.

Forza has done an interesting thing, the spin off series of more arcade style racing has vastly surpassed the original, more grounded, and realistic, racing simulation game. The Horizon series is super fun, the vast open worlds, and the multiple types of racetracks from sloppy and slippery off-road circuits, to tight, precision street racing in high performance super cars. The breadth of the game is wide, the customization is deep. Forza Horizon is a spectacular racing game. This is a problem for Motorsport.

The Forza quality is intact, the accessibility options and all the various menu customizations are all present. Playground Games continues to impress with their quality in tweaking not only car performance in race but difficulty and option setting. The major challenge for Motorsport is on the track, in every respect outside of racing this new offering is as good as its Horizon counterparts.

Motorsport has a sizable number of tracks, many based on real world racetracks, though a lot of the variety is based different configurations of the same tracks. This isn’t a knock against the game, it creates an interesting dynamic where you can become familiar with different track elements while having a sense of familiarity with others.

The main problem that Motorsport suffers from is that it just isn’t enough. In comparison to its own counterpart, Horizon, it lacks in variety, it lacks in number of tracks, it lacks in number of vehicles. It’s a good game, the car tuning and the tracks are good, the vehicles are more limited but still interesting to experiment with, the game just can’t hit the same peaks of Horizon. This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad game it just makes one wonder about the main question I asked earlier. Is this series worth rebooting?

That’s more complicated. Motorsport is still different enough from Horizon to be worth asking after, but the answer, if this particular game is the answer, is a resounding no. I still have fun with it because the formula is good but I, and I’m sure the majority of Forza fans these days, would be lying to you I said I would prefer more of this over Horizon. When Motorsport was first announced I was intrigued, I wondered what they would do with it to differentiate it, how it could be rejuvenated. The result, sadly, is nothing really. Horizon is growing and pushing limits, Motorsport is languishing and becoming irrelevant. There’s still fun to be had here but it would have been much preferable to get Horizon 6 than a tired old Motorsport with a new coat of paint.

It had so much potential, including how damn well it was tuned for controller play, but the insanely bad optimization on PC, lack of content and overall soul, and repetitive gameplay loop really turned me off. Especially because you HAD to do practice laps, even on tracks you've already done before. Just lemme jump into the race already, jeez!

I ended up refunding it on Steam and used the money to buy games that were actually fun and functional instead.

If I were you, I'd stick with Horizon. If you really want more sim stuff, Gran Turismo 7 is better even with some of its BS, you can also nab Assetto Corza for insanely cheap since it goes on sale practically all the time.

Forza Motorsport é um jogo de corrida exclusivo para Xbox Series X|S e PC, que impressiona com gráficos incríveis e áudio de alta qualidade. O jogo oferece uma jogabilidade viciante, com pistas que parecem ter sido escolhidas a dedo e uma variedade de carros para escolher. O jogo também conta com um modo multiplayer robusto, que permite competir com outros jogadores online em corridas especiais ou personalizadas.

No entanto, Forza Motorsport também tem alguns pontos fracos, que podem decepcionar os fãs da franquia ou os amantes de simuladores de corrida. Um deles é a campanha principal, que carece de emoção e desafio. O jogo não tem uma história envolvente ou um sistema de progressão satisfatório, e as corridas se tornam repetitivas e previsíveis. Outro ponto fraco é o novo sistema de upgrades, que é inspirado em RPGs e limita as opções de personalização dos carros. O jogo também tem algumas fabricantes e modelos de carros ausentes, que podem fazer falta para alguns jogadores.

A duração da campanha depende do nível de dificuldade e do estilo de jogo de cada um, mas pode ser estimada em cerca de 20 horas. O jogo também tem conteúdo extra, como desafios, eventos sazonais e pacotes de pistas e carros que serão lançados após o lançamento. O jogo vale a pena jogar para quem procura um jogo de corrida bonito e divertido, mas pode não ser a melhor opção para quem busca um simulador de corrida realista e complexo.

This game just has no personality. Sure the cars look great, sure the tracks look great. But now that these games are all Game Pass released, Horizon is easily the more entertaining racing game available on Xbox.

Mix in an underwhelming new upgrade system, Forza Motorsport is just not worth it, especially when the competition on both systems is so good.

Because this isn't a Horizon entry, Forza Motorsport features no world "base" of sorts. It's a lot of menus. While Forza may not be alone in going for a more serious sim approach to the racing genre, the menus and UI in this game are incredibly bland and boring. Yep, these are menus. Gran Turismo at least tries to go for a stylish layout and visual presentation. Forza doesn't.

Now look, Forza Motorsport is a good playing game. The cars are gorgeous, the driving is nice, you can get DEEEP into the tuning portion if you are a sim fan. There is a good game here, it's just hard to feel good about this one when it's just so standard.

While the gameplay I can praise, there are issues I have with it and some of the new upgrade systems. First, the game locks certain upgrades. As you level up, the game will unlock upgrade/improvements that you can purchase for your car.

Want to upgrade your flywheel? Gotta level it up. Want to reduce the weight of your car? Gotta grind it out and level up. It's an unnecessary roadblock.

The better you drive, the more experience you receive and of course, the faster you level up. To make matters worse, when you do level up, you are only leveling up that individual car. If you get into a new car, you start back at 1.

On top of this grind, if you want to race (in a racing game?) the game practically forces you to practice before every. single. race.

You cannot on the standard setup menu get around this. You have to pick practice before starting the official race. You can exit out of the practice once you start the practice session but it's once again a completely unnecessary roadblock that just makes this game feel grindy and slow.

I always have high hopes for a Forza game and this one is good but a massive disappointment. If you are a hardcore sim gamer that needs a new sim racing game, go wild with Forza Motorsport 2023. Otherwise, stick to Horizon or Gran Turismo if you are looking for a sim style racing game.

Or, how to ruin a console car simulator: Exhibit B. What a shame. What a pathetic attempt. I thought that my disappointment with Gran Turismo 7 would be the biggest I would ever have with a beloved racing car series, but there's this game to prove me wrong. First, talking about the PC problems: Why does this look so washed out and uglier than both Horizon 5 and FM7, and run WAY WORSE than both? That aside, the game is uninteresting, with boring tournament designs (all the older Forzas did it better), the visuals lack color, and the structure is just unfun.

I'll never forgive the GaaS gaming model for ruining two of my favorite series ever. But this isn't the only culprit here; the game is bad. With Gran Turismo 7, I was just sad that behind this shitty GaaS model (even worse than in here), the game was at least pretty good. I can't say the same about Forza Motorsport 2023, by far the worst Forza game ever (and it's not even close, sadly).

The multiplayer can be fun but the idea of this game needing more than 5 years in the oven is laughable. In an age post Assetto, this game should've offered so much more or at the very least things that the first few games had that made them so revolutionary but nah. They played it super safe here and gave us a competent game with padded content.

Also, tell me why the "practice" rounds we have to do in career mode now before the race couldn't just have been a qualifying session? Instead here we have to use this weird betting system to get our position and it's just...so dumb.

Check out my full review (in Dutch) on our website:

https://inthegame.nl/2023/10/04/review-forza-motorsport/

-- ENGLISH VERSION --

After 6 long years, a new installment of Forza Motorsport has finally been released. Yes, you read it right, this time not an installment 8 but a reboot of the well-known series.
Xbox and Turn 10 Studios have finally released a new part of Forza Motorsport together, returning to serious racing. No open world like in the Horizon series but cool race tracks that allow wheel-to-wheel action. With a revamped system and a brand-new game engine, this simcade is proudly introduced.

This new installment brings out the real racer in you, whether you're a veteran or motorsport enthusiast. Thanks to the new engine and physics introduced in this game, you have never had so much feeling and control over a virtual speed machine. Each car truly has its own character, just like each circuit. The introduction of race weekends also makes this iteration much more serious, offering something for everyone to learn.

Introduction to Motorsport
This Forza Motorsport game is a must-have for anyone who loves four-wheelers. With this reboot, Turn 10 Studios takes a much more serious and realistic approach.

A significant change and introduction in this series is the use of Race Weekends. This means you have room to grow on a circuit during, for example, free practice. An excellent time to explore the track and see where you can gain time. In these sessions, you can also boost your Car Level by setting good laps. A flawless lap, for example, gives you more XP than a lap where you go off-track. Your Car Level determines the upgrades you unlock for your car, which you can then put on your car to make it a bit faster than your competition.

Almost every class from motorsport is found in this game. From your average Honda Civic Type-R to the Cadillac V.Series-R Hypercar, much is present but not everything. The game currently has 500+ cars available from launch, and a considerable number will be added per month. So, don't be surprised if you don't see a car from the previous series among them.

Unfortunately, this also applies to the race tracks that can be driven. Currently, there are 20 racetracks available, some with two or more layouts, but you'll see them quite quickly, and it seems like every few races are the same. Some legendary circuits are already available, such as Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca. An expansion of the number of circuits has already been announced, with the Nürbürgring-Nordschleife soon to be available.

Full of Detail
Turn 10 Studios also impresses us with details wherever you look, on the track, your car, or your own character. The visual aspect is certainly not lacking, playing on an Xbox Series X, but also on PC, Xbox can be proud of this achievement. The ray tracing brings the world to life on a new level. Although the game is already quite demanding for your graphics card, it is even heavier for your storage device. So, a good disk with a smooth reading speed is recommended if you want to play the game at its highest quality on a computer.

C 63 AMG S at Mount Hakone Circuit in Forza Motorsport - Xbox and Turn 10 Studios

Not only does this game excel in the environment, but also through your controller. Now you might be wondering, what does this guy mean? Forza Motorsport has been completely rebuilt in terms of physics. You feel every movement in your controller, steering wheel, or sim rig like you've never felt before. The control of the car during braking, accelerating out of corners, and of course, flying over the curbs and road surface. Each element has such a unique feel that the immersion only increases, enhancing your control over the car.

What is a racing game without sound, absolutely nothing. Therefore, the sound in this game is well done. A thick V12 engine screams through your speakers, and an old-fashioned muscle car shakes your place with its low tones and roar. Although the audio sounds very detailed, there is a strong emphasis on contact between cars. For example, if you kiss a guardrail or ram a door, you hear a dominating thud that cuts through all other sounds. I personally found this a downside and immediately lowered the audio level to 10%.

Not a simulator but not an arcade racer either
Forza Motorsport treads a fine line between simulator and arcade racer with this series reboot. It is a tribute to the sim-racing community that has grown significantly in the last few years, but it is also a welcome for new motorsport fans. So, the game is a lot more serious, for example, by working with time penalties like Lewis Hamilton always tries to hand out. No more artificial slowdowns like in previous games; now you will pay for your mistakes by adding your time penalty after finishing.

However, it still makes it easy for the novice racer by bringing in all sorts of assists and tools. From steering assistance to the rewind button, almost everything can be turned on and off to make the game as enjoyable or realistic as possible for you. You can also, of course, set the CPU opponents to match your speed on the asphalt. I played with all assists off and opponents at the maximum, which didn't give me much competition, so there may still be a difficulty level or two to add.

Casual with friends or winning a championship
The online mode is also quite present, and in my opinion, Turn 10 has taken a bit from the Gran Turismo series. So, there are now daily races with certain classes of cars, such as GT3 or prototypes. This, along with a race weekend, seems a lot like their competition at Sony Playstation.

Although it seems copied, they still do it quite well. Organize small races with your friends or jump into open lobbies and feature races with other motorsport enthusiasts from around the world. If you want to take it a bit more seriously, you can also sign up for an online championship that runs over a few weeks, just like the real deal.

With the introduction of online race weekends, we might see real championships being broadcast on streaming services or YouTube. There are also some rumors circulating about an Esports championship in this game. This should hopefully give an idea of how detailed this game really is.

Summary

After years of waiting, this reboot is welcome to fans of the series but also new fans. The game is full of detail, audio, and visual but also excellent in terms of control. The laser-scanned circuits provide extra depth, although there are not many circuits available at launch.

The catalog of 500+ cars, each with its historical story, is certainly nice to see, but here too, some iconic cars are missing at launch.

The most significant thing Forza does well is incorporating reality into a game, not so much in the environment but mainly in the setup of a race weekend. The introduction of necessary pit stops, different race sessions throughout the weekend, and upgrading your car.