It is widely known that I bought the original PlayStation for one game and one game only: Gran Turismo, the grand daddy of the modern console racers. GT had licensed cars, licensed tracks, and licensed…well everything.
Above all it was beautiful and realistic. Well, I guess if one considers slamming a '67 Corvette head on into a wall and having it still look like it just came off the assembly line to be realistic. Now fast-forward seven years, three mildly different yet acceptable sequels, and countless knock-offs. Does Microsoft’s new flagship racing title have what it takes to compete with Polyphony Digital’s timeless series?
Well as far as presentation goes, Forza Motorsport is very easy on the eyes. The menus are clean and easy to navigate, which is a big deal in a racing game with so many tracks and cars. One could get lost if there wasn’t such a great system to keep it all straight. There are over 60 automobile manufacturers in the game and plenty of things to keep you busy. The game touts 60-80 hours of gameplay time. Modes include the standard arcade, campaign, and multiplayer modes. Arcade and multiplayer are just like they sound. Where the game is unique is the Xbox Live feature, where the player can race friends or people from around the world. Online play was promised in Gran Turismo 4, but not delivered. Those that were disappointed with that, and have the good fortune of owning an Xbox and a Live subscription, should definitely give Forza’s online support a shot. It’s everything GT4 should have been and beyond.
The real meat and potatoes of Forza is the campaign mode. No real surprise there. This is pretty much standard fare. The player starts with a cheap car and race to build an imperial fleet of vehicles to destroy the universe.
Wait wrong game. Ahem.
In order to qualify for certain circuits, one has to have certain cars. And each car can be modified with all sorts of goodies that can be obtained with your winnings. So far so good, but nothing we haven’t seen countless times before. What Forza brings to the table is an RPG like level system. That means in order to get into certain tracks and buy certain cars, one needs to have a certain level of experience. The online campaign gives the player the ability to go though the races with real live players as opposed to AI cars. Not saying that the AI cars are bad, they are actually frustratingly good at the end of races.
The Drivatar is another nice option that adds a sim-like aspect to the game. How it works is the player drives a few races in order to train the Drivatar, and it learns how to drive like he/she does. Then when the Drivatar has been trained enough, it can race for the player. You heard right, the player can sit back, let the car do the racing, and reap its rewards. How awesome is that? Only downside, it cost a portion of the winnings to let it race, but that’s no big deal right? Also, an additive from games like Need for Speed: Underground, the cars can be tuned and customized cosmetically with decals, rims, and tint. Of course, these disqualify a player from certain races.
While not being groundbreaking, the graphics are pretty impressive. The environment mapping on the cars is of particular note, since it gives off a nice shiny paint effect. What is exceptional and usually not included in a racer with officially licensed cars is the damage. This produces things that would make any automobile enthusiast want to cry and thank the heavens that these are not real cars. The replays are some of the most realistic I have ever seen from a racer, and they included things like lens flare, blurring, and haze to make it seem that much more like a televised race. Damn they are pretty.
The soundtrack is where things get ugly. The one that comes with the game stinks, plain and simple. Luckily, they had the foresight to add custom soundtracks to the game, and it plays though out the game, even while browsing the menus. Take my advice, before booting the game up; make sure there is a good soundtrack ready to go. Unless cheesy, third rate versions of “Iron Man” and other barely recognizable songs are entertaining to you. I can’t believe the people who did the music put their name at the beginning of the game. Other than the music, the sound is great and adds a lot to the atmosphere of the game. Engines sound like their realistic counterparts and are different depending on the car. Dolby Digital is a nice addition that made me feel like I was actually there. Coupled with my favorite tunes, it made for a very enjoyable situation.
The gameplay is above and beyond that of GT4 in this editor’s own humble opinion. The physics and damage engines make this, hands down, the most realistic racing game I have ever played. The Xbox controller was made for this type of game. The trigger buttons, not available on the PS2 controller, made accelerating and breaking more like the real thing. The rumble of the controller gives a lot of feedback and is very helpful in when trying to figure out if the car is drifting or sticking to the road. Also in full damage mode, you can use it to sense how your motor is doing. The best thing they did in the game was add a trail along the road which shows where to go and how to break on each track. This is perfect when trying to drive a new car or a new track. For seasoned veterans this guided mode can be shut off for added reward money.
Well, that just about covers my thoughts about the game. All in all it IS better than GT4. This is coming from a guy who loves the Gran Turismo series. This is one of those must own games for anyone with an Xbox. It’s loads of fun and I can’t wait for the next installment.
