Forza Horizon 6 is not ground breaking, fresh, or significantly different when compared to the last Horizon game. The game leans heavy on the formula that has made the series successful, but the biggest problem the game faces is not it’s fault, and is really driven by impossible expectations from its fan base. If you remember, and accept, what Forza Horizon is there is a mountain of fun and a worthwhile experience to be had.
The game really falls short of any semblance of a meaningful story. The idea of showing up to Japan as a tourist, stumbling onto the festival and working your way up through the ranks is a fantastic idea. In reality, serves as a forgettable speed bump. The progression system really feels meaningless in Forza Horizon 6 when the game showers you with cars and cash with no real restrictions on using them. The most disappointing thing about the story is the promise of Legend Island, which, as it turns out has to be the biggest let down. There is almost no reason to visit legend island. There are only 3 reasons to visit Legend island: A time attack track, the start of the longest race in the game, and 2 after market car locations.
The weekly Festival playlists will keep you coming back after you have completed the events on the map. But they somehow feel a bit lazier this time around with reward cars, tracks, and tasks on repeat. There is a big playground here and the festival play list make it feel small as you rush through the festival play list.
The map is very large. Taking a 200 MPH car just over a half hour to get from one end to the other. It is filled with undeniably beautiful locations to serve as a back drop for equally beautiful cars. There are some notably absent biomes from the map but what is there feels more meaningful. Surface changes feel deliberate, wet roads feel more slick, snow fields are a slog and getting off the concreate into the dirt will cause you to slide. The ability to ram through almost every tree in sight feels off at first but you learn to apricate it when paying the dreadful Eliminator and Hide and Seek game modes. Make sure you get used to the rain. It is frequent but the upside is everyone struggles, AI included.
Speaking of game modes, there are not many new additions here and as mentioned above there are some frustrating game modes returning with more reasons to remind you why they should probably be retired. The Eliminator really shows its flaws as a game mode on a map with this much height variation. Spec Racing is a welcome addition for those who are genuinely excel at the game. The match making feels faster and does a pretty good job of filling up racing lobbies. Time trials are much more fun than I anticipated and I must admit I didn’t spend much time with them initially.
The vehicle customization options are the biggest sources of unmet expectations from the fans of the series. They will feel nearly identical to Forza Horizon 5. The vinyl editor has some very sensitive restrictions. For example, the letter “E” is not allowed. For a racing game I am satisfied with the level of customization options. For a game where you might cruise or visit the virtually unused car meets it is lacking.
The Games Physics have been upgraded as well. A lot of it is marketing fluff but it is significant enough that coming from a previous Forza Horizon game requires an adjustment to your level of aggression in the corners. This Iteration requires more realistic breaking before the turn than ever before. Gone are the days where dive bombing every corner is a successful strategy.
Even with all its problems this is still a phenomenal game that makes me yearn for the coming expansions and if you have enjoyed the previous games there is no reason you won’t enjoy this one.
