Forza Horizon 5 Review: A visual treat

Verdict

Forza Horizon five is more of the aforementioned for the series and it makes a glorious impression. Information technology'due south a visual treat on Serial X, with fun and outgoing gameplay that always feel varied.

Pros

Admittedly stunning visually
The cars are a dream to bulldoze
Loads of varied events

Cons

Lack of ray tracing in the master game

Availability

UK RRP: £54.99
Us RRP: $55

Key Features

Platforms Bachelor on Xbox Series 10|South, Windows PC, Xbox I

Introduction

Forza Horizon 5 is exactly what yous expect it to be: a gorgeous open-world playground full of cars, diverse environments and plenty to do.

Set in United mexican states this fourth dimension around, Forza Horizon 5 doesn't stray much from the blueprint set past the fantabulous previous entries in the series. It'south an open up-earth car game, with but every bit much of a focus on exploration as on racing.

After spending numerous hours lost in the gorgeous earth of the game, at that place'southward no denying this is one of the greatest racing games ever fabricated.

Gameplay

Very like gameplay to its predecessor
Fun to play even if you're non into racers
Each vehicle features its own unique trait

There hasn't been a huge shift in gameplay for Forza Horizon 5, and that's no bad matter. Like Horizon 4, the focus here is on cars that feel fun to drive, rather than trying to simulate the real-life experience. You have the regular Forza Motorsport series for that.

There's certainly an arcadey slant to the driving, but there remains a satisfying feel, with each vehicle displaying unique traits. The Land Rover Defender, for instance, bounces off the dirt, while a sportier model rattles down the highway.

Braking feels tighter this time effectually and cars have more weight to them, which gives an added sense of realism. The balance between fun racing and Forza's simulation roots is handled fantastically, with just enough skill required to really master every motorcar.

At its core, Forza Horizon 5 is simply fun to play – whether you're big into racing games, or not. It does a groovy job of getting you into the activeness fast, equally y'all move between multiple vehicles in an exhilarating opening act that showcases the diverseness both in the vehicles on offer and the various environments you lot'll delve deeper into afterwards.
Within a few minutes y'all'll have already raced off-road, through a beautifully realised jungle and more, all in various vehicles.

The game's verticality is immediately obvious, too, as y'all get-go off on the top of an active volcano. Previous Forza Horizon take felt grand in telescopic, but defective in acme – that issue is solved within seconds of playing Horizon 5.

Graphics and Presentation

Most "next-gen" feel on Xbox notwithstanding
No ray tracing enabled in the main game

I've been playing Forza Horizon 5 primarily on Xbox Series X – and, visually, it's a stunning title. Information technology'southward certainly 1 of the most obvious 'next-gen' experiences I've seen on the Microsoft panel.

If you're playing on an Xbox One S or Ane X, the experience remains impressive. Both of the older machines handle the game very well, looking pretty darn impressive in the process. While this is a showcase for the Series X, information technology gets far more out of the older consoles than I was expecting.

On the Serial X you take a duo of modes: Graphics and Performance. I went straight for Functioning mode, which targets 60fps along with a 3840 x 2160 resolution; it plays superbly. Graphics style targets the same resolution just enables ray tracing in the Forza Vista style. If you're playing on a Series S then the resolution goes down to 1080p (over again, with 30 or 60fps options).

Sadly, there are no ray-traced reflections in regular gameplay, in any mode y'all choose. Considering this a highlight characteristic for the consoles, it's slightly disappointing. In reality, though, the regular reflections still expect great. Sun bounces off a shiny car's exterior as I've never seen in a racing game before, and I spent far also long just gawping at how fantastically well all the vehicles had been recreated – both within and out.

The activity this time takes place in United mexican states, which immediately seems like a far more diverse playground than the UK was in Horizon 4. You'll motion between jungles, deserts, dusty roads and dominicus-soaked highways – and each feels distinct. The way the water splatters up as you speed through the water is something to behold.

Along with these biomes, of which there are 11 in full, there are also distinct seasons that touch the weather around yous. In the moisture summer y'all'll have the bright sun beating down, and plenty of puddles around. You can drive straight into, and through, sandstorms that seem to appear from nowhere. The multifariousness on offering hither is very much welcome and information technology feels similar there's something different to experience all the fourth dimension.

Story

Uses a like story blueprint to its predecessors
Events do a practiced task of getting you into different cars

The setup of Forza Horizon 5 is very much like its predecessors. Yous take office in the Horizon Festival, which comprises many events scattered all over the game's take on Mexico.

I love the variety on offering. At that place's an open-world exploration attribute that's so easy to become lost in, while in that location are more targeted races and photography missions too. No event type outstays its welcome, and you take a off-white corporeality of control over the kind of events you focus on. If you like street races, for example, you tin customise your festival experience to hone in on those. It'south a similar story if you lot're a fan of off-road competition.

As you complete these events, more open up up, and they practice so very quickly. In that location are some slightly corny cutscenes, too, although these are mostly used at the starting time to prepare the whole festival approach.

Like previous Horizon games, there are a number of showcase events that put you into more flatulent situations in diverse vehicles. They're fun, fairly straightforward events that await great but aren't quite every bit memorable as those in previous games.

Of class, you lot could ditch events and just drive around, edifice upward coins in order to purchase new vehicles. I've spent a lot of time sitting in a Land Rover Defender, tearing up the Mexican countryside.

There's a large multiplayer element, too, with opposing vehicles appearing in your game earth.

Of class, you could ditch events and just bulldoze effectually, building upward coins in order to purchase new vehicles. I've spent a lot of time sitting in a Land Rover Defender, tearing up the Mexican countryside.

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Should yous buy it?

Yous want a visual treat and a ridiculously fun game: This is one of the best looking games around. But information technology doesn't stop at that place, information technology had depth too and is very fun to play.

You really dislike racing titles: The just reason I tin can think why you wouldn't want to even give Forza Horizon 5 a try is that you tin't become on with racing games.

Final Thoughts

Forza Horizon five is a curiosity of a game and a standout title on the Xbox Series X. It'south a near-perfect racing and exploration game that looks stunning, plays like a dream, and just begs to be played over and over over again.

How we exam

We play every game nosotros review through to the terminate, exterior of certain exceptions where getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is close to impossible to do. When we don't fully finish a game before reviewing information technology we volition always alert the reader.

Played both offline and online

Reviewed on Xbox Series X

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FAQs

Where is information technology set?

Forza Horizon 5 will be set in Mexico.

When is information technology coming out?

Forza Horizon 5 volition launch on 5 November 2021.

How big is the map?

The map will be the biggest in the serial nevertheless, and will be 50% larger than the map in Forza Horizon 4.

Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/forza-horizon-5

Posted by: ahrensheivices.blogspot.com