Forza Horizon News Post

Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

03:10 PM - October 10, 2012 by RaychelSnr

Playground Games, made up of ex-Bizarre and Codemasters employees, take the wheel (pun intended) on Forza Horizon. You start out the demo driving the Dodge Viper GTS, eventually race in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR, and then finally go behind a Ford Mustang Boss 429. From the first race, which takes place on a dirt road, you can easily tell past DiRT developers helped on this game with the feel of the cars on dirt.

The controls feel solid when driving off-road, and the cars handle appropriately. The cars will get loose, but no so much that you feel like you don't have control of where it's going. Overall, the gameplay felt solid and nothing that casual racing fans can't the hang of pretty quickly.

Read More - Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

Game: Forza HorizonReader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360Votes for game: 7 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 iluspook @ 10/10/12 04:13 PM

These were pretty much my impressions as well. Arcade racers normally turned me off (except F-Zero, for some reason, if that counts) due to the unrealistic handling, but the demo proves that the same realistic handling engine from Forza 4 powers this baby. Take that and place it in an absolutely breathtaking depiction of Colorado (I kept changing my view and looking around just to keep my jaw dropped), and add in one of the best soundtracks in a game this year (Forza games were never known for good, let alone great, soundtracks...until now), and the atmosphere just permeates from this thing. ...and that's just the demo!

Definitely looking forward to cruising in my dream machines in just a couple weeks!

# 2 venga @ 10/10/12 09:34 PM

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

# 3 thewb27 @ 10/10/12 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venga


	Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...) next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either that's my new policy.

That's an immensely short sighted view. All developers have allot of their DLC pre planned even before the game releases. Basically you want the company to lie and pretend this isn't the case. You going to retire from gaming?

# 4 DickDalewood @ 10/10/12 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venga


	Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...) next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either that's my new policy.

So you won't be buying anymore games this gen?

# 5 JMD @ 10/11/12 06:54 AM

I loved the demo. I also love Forza 4, the thing I like about the demo is the handling, I enjoy the handling style of Horizon. It's nice to be able to jump into a game and just drive and not have to tune and test the car just to keep it on the road in the turns. If i were to complain about anything if would be the horrible selection on music in the game, but I NEVER listen to music in racing games so not an issue. A day one purchase for me for sure.

I wish these guys would make an updated remake of PGR 2. The feel of this game brought that game to mind.

# 6 mrprice33 @ 10/11/12 09:58 AM

You don't have to buy the DLC, there's plenty of content on the disc.

# 7 DBMcGee3 @ 10/11/12 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venga


	Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...) next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either that's my new policy.

I like your policy and will be subscribing to your newsletter. $50 DLC?! C'mon man!

# 8 pk500 @ 10/11/12 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venga


	Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...) next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either that's my new policy.

Then your life as a current-gen and next-gen gamer is over. DLC is the present and the future.

Enjoy your Xbox, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, N64, 8-bit Nintendo and Atari 2600.

# 9 pk500 @ 10/11/12 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMD


	I loved the demo. I also love Forza 4, the thing I like about the demo is the handling, I enjoy the handling style of Horizon. It's nice to be able to jump into a game and just drive and not have to tune and test the car just to keep it on the road in the turns. If i were to complain about anything if would be the horrible selection on music in the game, but I NEVER listen to music in racing games so not an issue. A day one purchase for me for sure. I wish these guys would make an updated remake of PGR 2. The feel of this game brought that game to mind.

JMD:

There is a rock station in Forza Horizon. I know you're a middle-aged rocker like me, and there are some good tunes on the rock station in the demo from The Hives and The Black Keys.

# 10 lnin0 @ 10/11/12 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk500


	Then your life as a current-gen and next-gen gamer is over. DLC is the present and the future. Enjoy your Xbox, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, N64, 8-bit Nintendo and Atari 2600.

Dude has principles which is more than I can say for most gamers. If more gamers had principles then the 'future gen' you envision would be much different.

We should all be giving this guy kudos instead of throwing snide remarks his way but that is part of the problem with gamers. Had gamers thought of the big picture instead of just their immediate miis things would be different. Publishers didn't stumble into this micro-screwing business model - WE approved it. Had we told EA and MS and Capcom and all these publishers we're not going to take it, we're not going to give you $2 for a cheat code or a avatar hat or virtual credits to buy virtual arm band or virtual trading cards or a reskinned character, then the future would be different. Everyone wants to act like they had no say in but in fact, it was your selfish, spineless choices that cast this future.

# 11 thewb27 @ 10/11/12 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lnin0


	Dude has principles which is more than I can say for most gamers. If more gamers had principles then the 'future gen' you envision would be much different. We should all be giving this guy kudos instead of throwing snide remarks his way but that is part of the problem with gamers. Had gamers thought of the big picture instead of just their immediate miis things would be different. Publishers didn't stumble into this micro-screwing business model - WE approved it. Had we told EA and MS and Capcom and all these publishers we're not going to take it, we're not going to give you $2 for a cheat code or a avatar hat or virtual credits to buy virtual arm band or virtual trading cards or a reskinned character, then the future would be different. Everyone wants to act like they had no say in but in fact, it was your selfish, spineless choices that cast this future.

You sound quite foolish. Its videogames and a business. They're not forcing you to buy anything and how often do you really drive with every single car in a game that offers 300 plus authentic vehicles. Micro transactions have been and gaming jumped in and put them as a CHOICE. He mentions not buying planned DLC...which in principle means he just feels better if they made the game...took a vacation and then planned the extras and offer then 6 months down the road when most hanges have already moved on from said game. They have data that we don't stay with games for very long so they need to get the product out before that excitement fades. These companies aren't forcing you to buy anything and they're giving us full fledged games that we easily pour 60 hours into but you complain about extras that are purely optional like SKINS. He and you aren't doing anything buy fighting a system that's been astound for ages and gaming is catching up. You feel the same about movies you see in the theater that don't extra bloopers and alternate endings that you'll eventually have to buy the dvd for just to get them? Kind of silly thinking if i may say so.

# 12 pk500 @ 10/11/12 04:08 PM

Hardly, lnin.

I'm not the gaming lemming you describe. I don't buy every new title that flows from the pipeline and almost always wait a month or two to buy new titles at a discount.

But if a game has delivered me hours of enjoyment, I have no problem with buying DLC -- if it's worth it. Extra maps, extra modes, cars, etc. And I have no problem rejecting DLC if it's a rip-off. I just say the same word I say about buying most new titles at full price on release day: NO.

Some may see a blanket rejection of DLC as a stand of principle. Fine. I see it as very narrow-minded.

Look at the purchase of a new car. Options are no different than DLC. I wonder if the original poster always purchases the base-sticker model of new cars. I wonder if he bought the 4 GB version of the Xbox 360 and doesn't use Xbox Live or Kinect because, let's face it: The hard drive, Xbox Live and Kinect are not ESSENTIAL to enjoying Xbox 360 gaming. But all of those items are DLC, in a way.

DLC becomes a big problem if publishers deliberately skimp on features and modes in the retail version of games so players can be milked through DLC. I don't think that's an issue with Forza Horizon -- there are hundreds of miles of roads, plenty of game modes and 200 cars out of the box.

# 13 mmathaifighter @ 10/12/12 12:31 AM

My issue with DLC, especially first day, first week ect always makes me wonder if these were things purposely held out of the retail version. THQ comes to mind with their WWE games. While there are some things I would absolutely pay money for with first day content would be things like classic teams, logos, players, courts, or stadiums(MLB The Show Im looking at you) because I understand the licensing fees to get players that are not part of the players association and have to be negotiated with individually and the logos and some historic stadiums have rights holders.

First day DLC for things like developer owned and created maps, weapons, different colored costumes, ect are a blatant ripoff. Street Fighter 4 was an example of his. They were selling DLC of characters already in the game with diff colored outfits. Garbage like that is what pisses gamers off and makes us feel cheated. I have 2K13 and while I haven't really played much at all(just DLed Sellaz Super76 roster for 2k12 and OMG!!) but what I've read on here ppl are pretty upset at this virtual currency that's required to make a decent player. It doesn't bother me since I don't have the time to invest in those modes but I can understand why longtime supporters of the franchise would be upset.

I should add that I'm not commenting specifically on this game as I haven't really looked in to it yet. I do agree with the people that say, DLC done right surely adds to the overall value of the game. I have titles that I kept upon completion simply because I knew DLC was coming(Red Dead and GTA4 quickly come to mind). In my opinion, if the devs are so worried about losing money to the used game market then take the opportunity to A)make a game worth completing more than once and B) make excellent DLC in the months after release which will encourage people to keep the games AND spend additional money on the content. Maps, alternate costumes, a special weapon and nonsense like that do NOT
count.

# 14 Flawless @ 10/12/12 05:04 AM

Some reviews:

Eurogamer - 9

Quote:


	Where Horizon doesn't quite match its parent is in multiplayer. Playground's made a considerable effort, even including some fun games of tag set in open arenas (warehouses, a golf course) alongside the race lobbies. But the finesse and discipline of circuit racing will always be better suited to competition than Horizon's more seat-of-the-pants driving style, not to mention its wild crash physics. What's more disappointing is the half-baked exploration of open-world multiplayer ideas. The only multiplayer option that exploits the full map is a free roam mode featuring no traffic and some amusing but poorly communicated co-op challenges; it's not quite a case of making your own fun, but you will have to work to extract it. Next to Burnout Paradise's rolling multiplayer, or Test Drive randomly phasing other players into your game, it's a timid attempt.

Quote:


	Forza Horizon is built on the best parts of the Motorsport games but delivers a strikingly different experience to them, and in many ways a better one. It has its own personality. It exchanges infinite laps and bottomless grind for an actual structure and a sense of adventure, while mastering its roads requires less practiced skill than it does courage and intuition. It's still not quite cool, but its luscious sensory rush overcomes any resistance: the sweeping scenery, the tactile handling, the throaty exhausts, the insistent thrills of the throbbing Rob da Bank soundtrack. Forza Horizon is a big, exciting game that finally brings car enthusiasts together with the realistic open roads they crave.

IGN - 9.0

Quote:


	Upgrades remain but tuning is out, which will likely disappoint some. Mechanical damage is out too.

Quote:


	If you love Forza 4, this is the perfect companion. If you love cars, this is essential. The school of thought may be that it�s hard to push racing games this late in a generation, but Playground Games hasn�t just moved the needle here. It�s buried it. Ladies and gentlemen, the open road beckons. And racing developers of the world? Playground Games has just put you on notice.

Giant Bomb - 5/5

Quote:


	Plenty of racing games have tried to split the difference between simulation and "arcade" racing in the past, but there aren't many that do it as well as Forza Horizon.

Gamespot - 8.5

Quote:


	The Good Sprawling open world is a blast to explore Stunning vistas highlighted by a full day-night cycle Flexible difficulty welcomes a wide range of drivers Plenty to do outside organized events Terrific competitive multiplayer. The Bad Awkward storytelling Disappointing online free-roaming.

Destructoid - 9

Quote:


	Playground Games took a humungous, beautiful world, packed it full of entertaining challenges and events, added in tons of personality and style, and built it all around the proven Forza tech, giving racing game fans an exceptional automotive experience that they didn't even know they wanted. For as much as I love Forza Motorsport, it's going to be hard to go back after this.

...

# 15 mrprice33 @ 10/12/12 08:31 AM

http://www.vgrevolution.com/2012/10/...eage-may-vary/

# 16 Pete1210 @ 10/13/12 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deezy24


	Played the demo and while it's cool it reminds me of games I already have and/or played...I can see myself buying the game when it goes for less that $30

That's about how I feel. I can just pop in TDU2 until this goes on sale.

# 17 fabiobr @ 10/14/12 03:46 PM

Some users complained about the 4000 ms points for the season pass. That is the price for six monthly Car packs, not just one. I also read somewhere that the season pass have 17% discont compared to purchasing the monthly DLC. By a simple calc I guess the montly DLCs will cost 800 ms points, probably for 10 cars. 80 ms points per cars is what most racing games charge, fair to me.

For the demo I liked it very much. Surely will be a game that people will enjoy and remember for much time. The localisation into brazilian portugues is something amazing. I have yet to seen a better one. Thats a sign of respect, and not the only one. Seems the atention to details is very high. October 23 is close.

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