Reviews// Forza Horizon 2

Posted 29 Sep 2014 13:22 by David Turner

My personal favourite is the Bucket List. A bunch of challenges based around cars that are out of budget. They offer a glimpse into the future of the game. Showing off its sheer speed before you have the right to experience it. Most are pretty easy, but some offer a real challenge and, although they are essentially ‘side quests’, they’re so entertaining that I often sought them out before entering championships.

Finding your way around is made incredibly simple, with Anna (your in game sat-nav) being con-trolled with Kinect. Kinect has come under much scrutiny, but those who opted for the big brother-less version of Xbox One are missing out here. It cuts down menu navigation and hunting around for events on the mini map and replaces it with order-barking. “Anna, Nearest Event” and you’re set. Wonderful, and something that proves that with a bit of thought the obsolete hardware still has a chance of pulling through.

Discovering classic cars also offers more than simply buying cars from specialist dealers. In Horizon 2 you’re given a tip off as to where they might be and you have to go hunting for them. These are the moments that find you exploring, because if there’s one area where Horizon 2 falls flat it’s the open-world driving.

Roads feel a bit sparse and although that means that driving is a lot less stop-starting, it means that the world feels a little empty. You’re tempted to go and find collectables, but it’s not enough to keep you from setting a waypoint at the nearest event in order to keep your interest.

As the game goes on, the modes become a little samey, but at no point did I feel a grind. The progression is strong. Alongside filling your garage you’re treated to an RPG element. Levelling up and unlocking perks are again things we’ve seen before, but Forza Horizon 2 does it all so effort-lessly.

This, coupled with your consistent improvement from experience as you get to grips with its excellent handling, means that by the time you finish, you feel like a pro. There are no massive difficulty spikes, it lets you grow as a driver with it, and it continues to make races seem challenging but never overbearing.

So Forza Horizon 2 is a huge success. It takes from other games here and there but it does so with great effect. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a driving game since Burnout Paradise, and beats the likes of the excellent Test Drive Unlimited 2 at its own game.

All this and I’ve yet to try the multiplayer, which in itself feels like a whole new side to Horizon 2. It once again offers nothing new but to know that I can experience this with my mates. The only reason I’m still to try it out is because before release it’s a bit of a waste land.

Forza Horizon 2 might just be Xbox One’s first system seller. Although it’s also appearing on 360, the step up visually is enough to show you that the last generation is truly over. If you’re into racing games then I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll love this one.