Building an open-world racing game is always an intimidating thing to do because you need to keep your players constantly occupied. We’ve seen plenty of games, such as The Crew and Need for Speed, attempt this, and while those games feature an impressive setting, they both lack that very element that makes you feel as though you’re busy. With Forza Horizon 3, however, this is not the case.
The last time I’ve played an open world racer this addictive was in 2008, after the release of Burnout Paradise. Even the previous iterations of Horizon, while they certainly had their merits, ran out of substance a bit too quickly. This time around, Playground Games made the decision to base the game in Australia, which means there are plenty of elements to consider.
My vehicle of choice while conducting much of this review was the Fiat X1/9. Having owned one a few years ago, it was refreshing to get back behind the wheel of this problematic little Italian roadster and hit the streets of Horizon 3. Once all of the introductory missions were completed and I was allowed to drive at leisure, Horizon 3 opened up and displayed its addictive nature.
A lot of time can be spent aimlessly driving around, as you explore the immersive map and uncover unique locations. If you set a goal in mind, you can easily be distracted when you come across a deserted airstrip or an intriguing gravel path.
The new convoy system, which requires you to hoot at passing Drivatar cars, adds a new element to the game, which makes you feel as though you’re not alone. With this, cars will follow you around on your adventures. If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, an online co-op mode is available in which you and your friends can tackle the game together.
If you wish to follow the main campaign, you can do so by participating in races, autocrosses and sprints. The bucket list drive feature is the most interesting though, as it tasks you with performing a series of crazy activities in an iconic car such as racing against a Jeep Wrangler that’s suspended by a helicopter or hooning a Ford RS200 around an abandoned construction site.
The photography mode carries on from the previous game as well (all of the images above were taken with this tool) but new to the game is the drone feature which lets you hover over the environment if you simply want to have a look at the scenery.
So, how does the game stack up when you take a really close look at it?
Presentation
Being set around a music festival, the general theme is quite playful. The menu isn’t as fluid as what you would get from Forza Motorsport 6, but navigating your way around the options isn’t a pain. Buying and customising cars is also not far off from previous games, making use of the banner system as it does.
Although, the options are bright and in your face, they are neatly placed and not really overwhelming. The vast array of options, however, makes it easy to miss what you’re looking for. Loading times are also a bit of an issue and break the flow of the game, but when you have a look at how much it needs to load, you’ll likely forgive it.
While you’re driving, things can get a bit messy as you’re bombarded with notifications, readings and messages from “Anna”, your GPS guide. Thankfully, though, these can be individually deactivated.
Graphics
This is hands-down the best-looking racing game I have ever experienced, even while being locked at 30 fps. Everything from the detailing of the cars to the lighting and the natural elements is breathtaking and draws you into the game. The depth of field is also great as you have a vast view of your surroundings.
The various environments also look authentic. By making use of locations such as the outback, rainforest, city and coast, the game is able to shift your mood of driving. Textures, reflections and detailing are meticulous and will sometimes have you scanning the surface of your screen.
We also need to talk about that sky, which took an unbelievable number of hours to develop by a dedicated team. It’s based on actual footage of Australia’s sky, captured through stop-motion and changes with the time of day and weather. Night skies, however, lack stars but a burst of fireworks can be seen every now and then from the festival location.
Sound
The sound isn’t up there with the Motorsport franchise but it is certainly respectable. When you fine-tune the audio setting to get the perfect mix, it creates a joyful audio experience capable of matching the characteristic of each car. The four-cylinder carburettor engine note from the X1/9 is exactly as I remembered it to be, which is something I greatly appreciated.
The sounds of the elements have also been produced with plenty of attention to detail. The sound the car makes when it hits the gravel or a patch of water crashes through the speakers and even when you’re standing still the noise of the wind blowing through the leaves or the waves crashing onto the rocks fills the space.
The sound of passing cars, though, isn’t quite up there, especially when you’re driving in convoy. Instead of a cocktail of engine notes, a slight drone masked by the sound of your own car is served up. The backfiring exhaust is also a little underwhelming.
A welcome addition to Horizon 3 is the hooter, which is something I always missed. The fact that you can change the style of hooter is also entertaining, but seeing as this is used to alert other Drivatars, mashing is senselessly will see a convoy of cars suddenly following you.
Gameplay
Forza Horizon 3 is an arcade game, which means it won’t feel quite as realistic as its Motorsport counterpart. Having said that, the game has to be respected for creating an impressive dynamic model that adapts well to various surfaces, such as tarmac, gravel and water.
Traffic is also thin, which means other cars may pose a threat to you when you’re really gunning it, but it’s nothing you shouldn’t be able to handle and very rarely do they frustrate. When you enter deserted areas, these cars also disappear, so if you want to drive uninterrupted, you have the option.
Seeing that the setting is so vast, there are activities around every corner. Feel like messing about in the dunes in a trophy truck? Go right ahead. Want to try your hand at some rallying in a classic Group B? Not a problem. How about some high-speed runs down the Australian freeways in a hypercar? Should be fine. Among these things, you can also partake in some Gymkhanas, off-roading and street races.
In-game racing and competitions can be intense, as they’re a lot wilder than your traditional circuit races. These ones have changes in terrain, jumps and obstacles to keep you sharp. The system also uses the Drivatar AI, which draws data from other players to create opponents. The system has worked thus far and continues to do so.
With all of the assists off, I didn’t find the gameplay too much of a challenge and, although adjustable, the controls aren’t as sensitive as they would be in Motorsport. With all of them on, however, the cars will feel as if they’re driving themselves and that ruins the whole idea of Forza.
Cars also feel slower than they arguably should. Driving a standard X1/9 is no thrill in real life, but in Horizon 3 it feels as if you’re going nowhere slowly. As a result, standard cars in the lower range always need to be modified if you’re going to get the full experience of this game. But this is something most players would do regardless.
Having access to 350 cars is also quite intimidating. It’s unlikely that you will ever get to use all of them, but the option certainly caters to the needs of any motoring fan. Trucks, utes, stationwagons, hot hatches, supercars and muscle cars are all represented and with the different environments you’ll need to tackle you should have to make use of at least one of each.
Lasting appeal
This game is terrifyingly addictive and it’s the first game I struggled to put down since Burnout Paradise. After clocking just under three hours, my stats displayed that I had travelled 277 km already. With that in mind, I still have not explored the entire map as yet.
And this is before I’ve drilled deep down into the actual racing of the game. Don’t be shocked to find that a lot of time spend in this game is just you aimlessly driving around the map, looking for random activities to keep you occupied. With the online co-op community, the lasting appeal of this game is improved so I suggest you play with your friends every opportunity you get.
In terms of size, it’s nowhere near as big as The Crew, but the substance within the map is what gives it the appeal. All of the listed factors above contribute to this game’s longevity and it should keep you more than busy over the next year until Forza Motorsport 7 presumably releases.
Summary
When Turn 10 announced that it would be releasing a game every year, it was making a brave call because it opened itself to saturating the brand … and quickly. Four years into this announcement, however, it seems that the bosses know what they’re doing.
There’s no denying that the third example of Horizon is a success and there are many enjoyable hours to be had. I wouldn’t recommend this for those who are expecting a hardcore simulation, though – for that there is still Forza Motorsport 6 (or Project Cars).
In terms of what I expected this game to be, it ticked all of the boxes. It looks good, sounds great and is an absolute blast to play. My biggest praise, though, is its ability to completely draw you into the gameplay and trap you in to dedicating numerous hours behind its virtual wheel.