Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsOne of the best racing games I've played in awhile, and a worthy addition to the Forza series
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2016
Forza has always been the one Xbox title you can count on to end up being absolutely graphically beautiful, and Horizon 3 is no exception. That's the first thing you'll notice about the game as soon as you load it up. The graphics are absolutely outstanding, and it's a testament to the quality that a game made with the Xbox as the focus can produce. If you're coming into Horizon 3 without having played either previous Horizon game but having experience with Forza Motorsport, forget everything you knew. The car handling is a lot closer to arcade racers like Need For Speed, and it complements the focus on blistering speed, style, and split second corrections as opposed to the deliberate and careful pace of main series Forza games. Immediately upon loading up, you're given control of the cover cars, and you get to jam out to the awesome selection of music that makes up the other half of Horizon's main draw. Forza Motorsport is more about the experience of being a race driver, while Forza Horizon is all about enjoying the act of driving, celebrating the fun that cars bring us when paired with a stand-out soundtrack, and being accessible to pretty much anyone. While I will say that I'm sure there will be a select few that can't find a single radio station they like, there's feasibly something for everybody no matter your music taste. I almost feel like my Spotify playlist was raided by Playground Games and Turn 10. As soon as I got access to my first radio station selections, I was greeted by X Gon' Give It To Ya by DMX, and while it was heavily censored (expected for an E rated game), and that set the tone for my first few hours of gameplay. For the select few I mentioned above that will hate all the radio stations, you can always use Groove Music to personalize the in-game music to your exact liking.
If you liked Horizon or Horizon 2, you will love Horizon 3. Enough new events like the new Danger Zone jumps, new showcases, and new scenery via the lush Australian outback/cities/coasts will keep the game feeling fresh. New skills and new features related to being the boss of the Horizon Festival instead of just another participant add an RPG-esque layer to the game that was already somewhat implemented with the skill trees of the previous Horizon games but is fully realized here. I'd elaborate more on the Horizon Boss aspects of the game, but as of this current posting I've spent around four hours with the game and don't have enough hands on experience with it to say how content-rich it actually is, although from the first look it appears to be more than just an afterthought. It is nice to feel like you're in control and be referred to by name (as long as you have one of the pre-entered names, of which there is quite a few, a-la Fallout 4) or simply by "boss", especially after being disrespected by every NPC in Horizon and being the underdog nobody in Horizon 2. For those who devoted a lot of time to Horizon 2, this really feels special, as it's almost like your accomplishments were recognized and carried over.
If you're more used to sim racing titles like Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo, this is going to be a switch for you, but it's a switch worth taking. Horizon 3 is one of those games that draws you in visually, then keeps you involved with a constantly growing list of things to do and try. The cars are as lovingly detailed as in Motorsport 6, and Horizon 3 carries over the "explode" feature to allow you to really get up close and personal just like in 6 itself. Once you get past unlearning your sim racing habits, Horizon 3 feels natural. You can artificially make Horizon 3 feel more akin to a sim by cranking the difficulty up and turning off all assists, but there are no real "tracks" to speak of. It's all cobbled together from various roads, trails, paths, and streets, so it'll still maintain some of its' arcade styling.
If you've never played a racing game before, or never tried a Forza game, or maybe you're just looking for an Xbox exclusive that looks and plays excellent, pick Forza Horizon 3 up. The soundtrack is amazing, and you'll want to keep blazing through Australia with the huge selection of lovingly recreated cars. Turn 10 and Playground Games are staffed by auto lovers, and it shows in every rev, tire screech, and acceleration. The gameplay is as accessible as you need it to be while also being able to be customized to be as hard as you want to make it. You do NOT need a racing wheel to enjoy this game, even though it does help. It plays just fine on a controller.
All in all, Forza Horizon 3 carries on the tradition of being a game series you can show to someone who doesn't play video games to wow them and make them consider changing their mind on video games as an art. Pick this one up, it's worth every cent.
