Hyderabad: There’s not much for me to say with Horizon 5, other reviewers have emptied their quiver of compliments marvelling at what Microsoft and Playground have delivered with the latest title in the Forza franchise. This is a racing game unlike any, on a scale larger than any and with a terrain so varied and vividly different that you can race in the dirt, in the jungle, amongst the dunes, on the streets, and on the track; all as part of a regular day in Horizon 5.
In terms of cars, the game offers you over 500 of them and just going through the list takes over 10 minutes, acquiring them all could take well over a couple of years of dedicated play, if collecting is your thing. Similarly, the sheer number of events on the map is mindboggling and only ever increasing as you expand the Horizon festival to newer areas; if you are a player who loves to finish games then you are not finishing Horizon 5 anytime soon. The game also offers you a steady stream of new seasonal content thus, this an extremely vast game that will only get bigger with time.
In terms of gameplay, Horizon 5 is buttery smooth and there is very little that the game doesn’t get right. The game can be played as a casual racer or as a petrolhead/automobile geek as you can spec out your cars in any way you desire and then modify every element of the driving experience by tuning it the way you desire. Most cars can also be transformed to your preferred driving style by equipping them with specific body kits, the Lancer Evo X for example can be a track car, a drift vehicle or be equipped with an off-road build depending on how you wish to use it. It’s the same with the iconic Nissan 370 Z and the Skyline (of Paul Walker fame). Tuning and customization have always been Forza’s strength and with Horizon 5 it scales new heights.
In my playthrough of Horizon 5, it took me about 8 hours to reach Level 30, unlock the first two stages of each of the five distinct racing locales, buy my ever-favourite Porsche 918 Spyder, unearth a rare dilapidated Ferrari and successfully win an 18 KM long marathon race with a 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z), but, I had barely even scratched the game’s surface. By comparison in both NFS Payback and Heat the game’s level progression caps at Level. 50, Playground is revolutionizing the racing game genre with Horizon 5.
In my time with the game, I have felt and relived many iconic cinematic moments. I was Gandalf as I scaled Horizon 5’s Mexican mountains and made my way to an active volcano; Dom Toretto as I jumped off a cargo plane and subsequently raced the plane; an entitled billionaire as I drove my Lamborghini into the sea; and Ferris Bueller as I restored my own 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Horizon 5 can be anything you wish and therein lies its strength; with over 4.5 million active players it can be everyone’s own unique racing story.
Growing up, for a lot of people of my generation, 2003’s Most Wanted was the best racing game ever made and every year I have looked for a game to dethrone it, Horizon 5 finally accomplishes that by being a game so different that I could have never imagined loving it. Love does come from the least likely of places after all.
An absolute experience you must try if racing games are to your liking.
What Stands Out C
Fails to impress D
Everything from the humongous selection of cars available to the wide variety of race events. This is simply the best racing game I have ever played. Period.
A game this large is bound to have its glitches and bugs, it will be a while before the sudden crashes and unexpected freezes and interactions stop.
The relaxed, open world racing universe has reached its perfection, everything about Horizon 5 is about doing it at your own pace
The Forza selective rewind feature while a great add, also has a drawback as once you get to the first position in a race, you can ensure you remain here.
Sneak Peek:
Title
Forza Horizon 5
Developer
Playground Games for Xbox Game Studios
Game Type
Single player and Multiplayer Racing Adventure
Platforms
Series X, Series S, Xbox One, and Windows, a Microsoft exclusive
Price
INR 3,499 on Steam, INR 3,999 on the Xbox store; free with Microsoft Game Pass (from Nov. 9)
Verdict:
Innovative Gameplay:
4.5
Game Handling & Quality
4.5
Value for Time
5
Value for Money
5
Overall
4.8
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