Few racing games excel when it comes to adding innovative new features, and Forza stands out as a leader. Night-time driving and wet weather simulations don’t just fill gaps – they add an extra level of tension as you navigate Lime Rock puddles or aquaplane around the Nurburgring.
Forza 6 looks fantastic and should be on any Xbox One owner’s must-own list, but its purpose runs much more profound.
1. Cars
As opposed to Forza 5, which was plagued by Microsoft’s internal obsession with microtransactions, Forza 6 offers an abundance of cars you can afford from day one – almost 450 models, including every produced model (along with some prototypes) are fully modeled with viewable interiors and doors as well as functioning hoods and trunks – perfect for building your garage!
All these cars are rendered in Forza Vista’s gorgeously detailed photorealistic style, and you can customize your ride’s appearance by making changes such as altering its paintwork color or swapping out tires if you purchase a flagship model such as the 2017 Ford GT supercar.
Forza makes another significant advancement with the introduction of League Racing, an innovative ladder system for ranked play. You can compete in themed leagues that run for seven days, awarding credits based on your rank placement in the rankings. Companies are available throughout the day at different times with different races and varied difficulty settings to fit every player.
As you win races, credits earned can be spent at the Forza Store to purchase new rides for showcase events. Each showcase event highlights different car models, such as exotic or muscle cars – you can drive these against AI-controlled opponents on track race events!
Other notable additions are nighttime and wet weather driving, both of which add a unique feel. While nighttime driving may not have the sophistication offered in Project Cars and DriveClub, it still adds tension by making tracks seem thinner and corners sharper compared to daylight driving. Wet weather physics is even more impressive; standing water creates a slick surface, which affects different cars differently.
Forza allows players to turn off most forms of assists, giving you an enhanced feel for its improved physics model and providing you with more feedback on its improved handling physics model. This feature represents an improvement over Forza 5, which relied heavily on tail-happy handling to make the game accessible for newcomers.
2. Tracks
Forza 6 brings not only new cars but also exciting tracks into its fold. Some ways, like Dubai’s stunning new FIA Formula E raceway, first appeared only in Forza Horizon 2 and its open-world spin-offs; others, like Rio de Janeiro streets rendered with photogrammetry and laser scanning as well as Brands Hatch’s nighttime racing circuit, are making their Forza debuts. Turn 10 has used photogrammetry and laser scanning techniques to craft some of the most intricate racing locations ever seen before in Forza; these locations feature dynamic time-of-day lighting effects as well as volumetric fog and weather effects with animated spectators to fill stands – truly incredible racing locations indeed!
Forza fans should also be pleased to find that the game features an in-depth, physics-based weather system that operates seamlessly at 60 frames per second – unlike Project CARS’ more impressive but less functional weather systems – and creates engaging racing conditions. Rainy races, in particular, add new layers of challenge; driving through puddles without aquaplaning necessitates getting to know your car inside out; seeing raindrops hit windshields adds further immersion!
Turn 10 has also added some valuable touches to enhance the racing experience, such as working odometers for each car and the ability to set your brakes automatically – an improvement on Forza 5’s often frustrating braking performance. Rewind and retry features are also invaluable, especially when the edge of the grip slips away during tight turns.
Forza 6 marks an innovative step forward for Forza with the introduction of a livery creator and marketplace. Players can create custom liveries for any car in the game and share them, earning rewards each time someone downloads, Likes, or uses your designs – an achievement not shared by other games in its category until now! It’s sure to inspire more people to create beautiful car livery designs in Forza 6.
3. Career mode
The Forza series has constantly introduced players to exotic cars and tracks they never before imagined existed, yet this time around, Turn 10 has gone one step further by expanding both car count and track number while continuing its impressive physics engine and adding weather-dependent and night racing events.
It’s an impressive leap forward from Forza 5, and while there are some flaws, it is also much more enjoyable and has a tangible sense of progression. While its cars and tracks may feel generic at first, there should be enough variety here for anyone interested in automobiles to stay entertained for quite some time.
The primary career mode in Forza 6 is less linear than in previous Forza games, yet still extremely enjoyable. The pacing of races within each tier is well-balanced, and the variety of cars to race is astounding compared to Forza 5. Each vehicle feels like an opportunity and challenge worthy of being driven.
Each season of Career mode offers its distinct theme and series of events, such as the ‘Built for Sport” series that highlights compact sports car masterpieces such as the 2020 Toyota GR Supra, 2023 Nissan Z, and 2017 Alpine A110. In these races, the game’s impressive physics model puts its impressive oversteer and understeer simulation capabilities on full display, allowing drivers to easily understand each car’s handling while remaining safe when pushing beyond limits.
There are also plenty of ways to earn credits, from Forza Rewards to the brand-new Rivals mode, allowing players to race against Drivatars or the best online times of friends and rivals alike. This feature has been improved significantly with rolling starts and limited fuel available, yet its potential remains untapped as an ultimate Forza rivalry mode.
Forza 6 features an expansive car database and livery creation system. Users can even share paint jobs they create with other players and get paid each time one downloads them – creating an immersive community around Forza 6, as well as providing an example of how this model could be applied to other genres that don’t currently provide such advanced features like what Forza offers.
4. Multiplayer
Since Forza 4, players can finally compete against other racers online with Forza 5. You’ll be able to battle it out against up to 24 other racers at once with fully detailed cars featuring working cockpits and extensive damage. Racing fans will love this feature; for others, it may serve as an introduction to what the new physics engine can achieve.
Forza 6 delivers an immersive online gaming experience, featuring leagues that allow players to organize themselves based on car class, performance index, and more. By building teams based around similar skill sets, weekly races against similarly skilled opponents become possible, and rewards and promotions to higher leagues are possible for top teams. In addition, Forza’s reputation system rewards regular players with cars, credits, or other prizes.
Like its predecessors, Forza 6 features an exceptional driving model. Pad control is responsive and supple, while throttle and brake sensitivity is beautifully tailored; even its rumble can provide communication about what lies beneath. Tire grip or slippage and reacting to track surfaces is palpable, unlike Project Cars, where tire-slapping twitchiness often dominates gameplay.
Forza 6 features many novel elements, but two standout additions are nighttime and rainy conditions – two pieces missing from Forza 5 but now implemented beautifully. Driving at night without your headlights illuminated shows off just how well Forza 6’s lighting engine works; raindrops actually form on the road surface and have real impacts on speed and handling!
No matter your level of motoring knowledge, understanding a racing game’s tuning options can sometimes be daunting. Forza 6 makes this task more straightforward with an accessible left-side-of-the-screen guide that explains each option and what it does; in addition, many helpful official videos from Xbox UK provide information regarding each option in simple language.
