Forza Horizon 5 Review: Amazing world and familiar gameplay. The racing queen is back. It does not introduce significant improvements, but it is hard to deny its quality and class – Forza Horizon 5 review.
Forza Horizon 5 Review: a recipe for having fun in Mexican
Forza Horizon 5 was built on the solid foundations of the previous games. We come to Mexico as a special guest, responsible for the expansion of the automotive enthusiasts festival. After just a few hours, the map is dotted with dozens of races and activities, and completing one challenge introduces others to the world.
The goal of Playground Games was not to reinvent – nomen omen – the wheel. Not only the main assumptions of the game and the world return but also a lot of specific components. The interface, icons, graphics used in different moments of the game, GPS voice – all elements that were taken straight from the previous part of the series.
It has indeed been three years since the premiere of “Four”, but even listening to the same commands of the same ANNA navigation voice evokes disgust and mixed feelings, especially if many hours were spent in the previous editions. Certainly, there was room for even small innovations in these elements. After all, we are not dealing with an add-on, but a new part of the cycle.
Various types of races (street races, cross-country races, rallies, and more), music festival stops with dancing people, and challenges activated “on the fly” during a free ride, such as a speed or drift test, also return. Additionally, collectibles, i.e. tablets with a bonus to experience, are located in various, sometimes hard-to-reach places. The so-called forgotten cars, i.e. rusty automotive classics that must first be found in the designated area, then wait for restoration, and then they go to our collection. Fans of the previous parts will feel at home.
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The most effective “tasks” again show races, which are governed by slightly different rules than traditional struggles. And this is a race with a huge plane, and this is trying to keep up with two dirt bikes or a freight train. Another time we drive a truck with a platform decorated for the Festival of the Moon, resembling a huge piñata or a huge monster truck. You can feel the specific atmosphere of the car festival, the organizers of which spare no pesos to feed the driver hungry for sensations.
On the Forza Horizon 5 Review This time, the demonstration races are joined by exploratory races, which are new to Forza Horizon 5. These are, in fact, sightseeing tours, taking the player around various biomes of virtual Mexico, allowing you to explore the map and have a great time at the same time.
And there is a lot to see – the world is undoubtedly one of the strongest points of the new Forza Horizon. Although some people counted on a slightly bolder step, such as Japan and illegal street racing, Mexico looks great. It’s good that the game has a photo mode, because while traversing the fog-soaked jungle, a tropical beach with tourist resorts, a canyon full of rock formations, flowery fields, or swamp and desert areas, we want to capture wonderful views now and then.
On Forza Horizon 5 Review we have noticed that One of the most important points on the map is the huge volcano La Gran Caldera towering over the horizon, the size of which we find out especially on the way to the top – climbing along a winding path takes a good few minutes even behind the wheel of a sufficiently powerful machine, but it is worth visiting the interior of such a monumental landscape element. There is also a large colorful city of Guanajuato, characterized by interesting architecture.
Forza Horizon 5 makes such a positive impression, of course, also thanks to the graphics. The vehicles look phenomenal, and in the Forza Vista demo mode, with ray tracing enabled, they look almost photorealistic. More detail and better shadow work make the world feel nice and deep, which is a real feat in a car game.
It is a pity that the game again suffers from the “mock-up world” syndrome known from the series, in places giving the impression of being made of wood and cardboard, for example for a movie. You can feel it especially in built-up areas – the aforementioned Guanajuato still consists of only a few crossroads and due to the lack of people on the streets, it is empty, which makes it resemble a ghost town. Fortunately, we don’t have time to watch it while racing 180 km / h.
Speaking of speed and cars, 526 cars are available for the premiere. This is undoubtedly an impressive number, but it is worth mentioning that the machine catalog in Forza Horizon 4 – including all DLCs – consisted of 752 items. We acquire new means of transport, traditionally, by drawing prizes, visiting the showroom, or waiting for a convenient opportunity at the auction house, where we can also sell unwanted models.
On Forza Horizon 5 Review we have also noticed driving is a lot of fun, regardless of the type of car you are driving. All types of races and cars are on the same, equal level and it is difficult to choose the favorites. One time we go cross-country in a heavy off-road car, another time we cut corners sideways, trying to overtake our rivals in the night street race on the inside of the bend.
Multiplayer modes
More on Forza Horizon 5 Review, While the game offers all sorts of interesting multiplayer modes, we didn’t manage to connect to any match during our testing – possibly because of a small number of players.
There are also on-the-fly multiplayer challenges on the map that start for everyone on the server at a set point in time and require collaborative work to achieve the goal. Even though this type of activity worked without any problems, there were also no daredevils to reach for the award.
The level of difficulty and assists is so advanced that everyone will find the perfect combination – the game can be painfully dexterous, but also strictly simulated, to the extent that careless driving can destroy the engine and tires, making it very difficult to reach the finish line, and each turn requires focus so as not to slip out of control. Unfortunately, even on the “hardcore” settings, the vehicle damage system leaves much to be desired, and after running into a tree at 250 km / h, the car looks more like a crash in a city parking lot than a completely ruined vehicle.
Despite the great driving model, after some time monotony creeps into the game. It’s hard to resist the impression that after 15 hours of fun you have already seen most of what the game has to offer. Sure, you can’t unlock all cars or complete each route in such a short time, but the farther into the forest, the less surprising Forza Horizon 5.
It does not help that the developers once again took away the feeling of climbing the career ladder from players. Coming to Mexico, we are appointed the god of motorization at the start, and after the races, the festival organizer addresses the character almost as if she saved the world, which makes us feel a bit like a spoiled child who, without any special reason, gets the best, hellishly expensive toys and is praised at every turn. Due to the specific treatment of the main character, the real achievements lose their importance a bit.
Lastly, on Forza Horizon 5 Review: This is a very good game, but it is hard to resist the impression that it is mainly due to the previous parts of the series. The gameplay is not surprising, but fortunately, the game encourages you to play with its diverse world and great graphics. Fans of the series know very well what they will find here – and if the specific atmosphere of the festival and the role of the racing superstar have not tried them yet – they will spend many hours full of fun here. Other players unfamiliar with the brand don’t even have to wonder, because it’s a great time to enter Horizon with a screeching tire.
Pros:
- A very nicely designed, diverse world
- Great graphics
- Car models
- High level of all types of racing
Minuses:
- Very little news
- Recycling of many elements of the previous parts
- Lack of career development
- The world resembles a model in places
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