Forza Horizon 6 review: Drifting past expectations

Sometimes, while gaming, you want to just stop stressing yourself with doing stressful shooters, nerve-racking platformers, and such. Sometimes, all you wanna do is just drive and explore new locations. This results in a racing/driving game known as Forza Horizon 6, developed by Playground Games and XBOX Game Studios. 

 

Forza Horizon 6 not only lets you race all over Japan, but also explore it at the same time. Through lively cities, to the quiet backroads of the mountains, and even meadows, there's no shortage of breathtaking scenery that’s waiting to be discovered. While in Japan, there are also festival races known as Horizon events, where you put the pedal to the metal. They can be separated into different types of races and challenges, like street racing and togue racing, just to showcase everything the Horizon competition has to offer. Some of the AI in this game can come from your friends list and randos online, but they’re mostly friendly, unlike the recent menace, Bowie Knife99. 

 

When not racing, there's so much to do in terms of exploration. You can drive through Japan to find some rare cards, smash through regional mascots and signs, drive off of cliffs to get some serious air, and even deliver food to hungry customers. There is no shortage of fun things you can do in a game such as this. When doing all this, you can even score points and checkmarks to gain some new stuff, like new car parts, new avatar accessories, lots of credits to buy things, and even get new cars without spending any money. 

 

The game’s graphics are nothing short of spectacular. Everything has been detailed to the tiniest level, and when put together, can create an incredible experience such as this. From the nightlight cities to the bustling mountains, from the snowy region, and even the beaches, everything has been crafted to give both long-time fans and fresh newcomers an experience they won't soon forget. Some of my favorite moments in terms of the game’s appearance are how detailed the weather can be when driving, like sliding through puddles, skipping over sand, blasting through the cherry blossom pedals, and even snow in the north. 

 

And like every good racing game, there's no shortage of what cars you can pick. From local brands such as Toyota and Nissan, to foreign cars such as Volkswagen, Chevy, and BMW, to even cars from fiction, like the Warthog from Halo. Each car brings its own unique flavor to the game. Some of these cars are good for long straights, and others may be good for cornering in tight spaces. There are over 620 playable cars to collect, fine-tune, and drive in this open-world game. Each car feels like a new experiment of what I can and can’t do in a game like this, and it’s exciting to see which car I get to drive next. There needs to be alot of practice with handling these speed machines, but it shouldn't be that hard to get the hang of Forza Horizon 6’s physics for driving around.

 

The Sound Design for this game is also something noteworthy to mention, not only for the cars, but also for the world around you. For the cars, you get to experience the engines that make these cars possible, plus the additional tires squealing when turning, which makes the game all the more realistic while driving. Outside the cars, you get to experience the world around you with the wind whistling while you drive, the water splashing, and even the city life when driving through Tokyo. And if that isn't your style, there are even in-game radio stations that help set the mood anywhere you might be. From anime openings to hardcore rock, all the way to bass and drums, and even pop and electronic music, there's something for all your driving needs. 

 

Overall, I say that Forza Horizon 6 is a triumph of racing and driving, perfect for when you're a casual driver or for when you need to put the pedal to the metal when racing against rivals and computers. The location, Japan, is just gorgeous when driving through its multiple environments, regardless of the weather. This game features a lot of hidden details, missing cars, and even just sightseeing makes this game the perfect racing game to get, no matter what your skill level is at.

 

9.5/10