itsNephilim
Forza Motorsport 2023
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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.
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.