With “Forza Horizon 4” (“FH4”) being such a widely-played, engaging game, there was relatively little to improve upon with the new release of “FH5.” However, Playground Games managed to deliver a fun and beautiful game.
The car list in “Forza Horizon 5” is massive, coming in at 550 models at the game’s launch, with more added every week. Making money is not as easy as in “FH4,” and wheelspins (a roulette allowing players to win items such as free cars or credits) are much harder to come by, requiring you to complete more races to purchase upgrades and new vehicles.
Having played all the Forza Horizon games released so far, I was absolutely blown away by the map in “FH5.” There is so much beauty and variation of terrain. In a Mexican setting, there are volcanos, a few types of deserts, ancient temples, grasslands, swamps, and my favorite, canyon roads. I have not run into any invisible walls yet, meaning you can drive anywhere you want and explore. The colors and different seasons are beautiful, and they are brought to life through the game being played at 60 frames per second.
Some things the game can improve on are the multiplayer system, as it’s very glitchy, but the bugs can be worked out in the future. Also, the game should allow the customization of additional features, whether it’s different engine swaps, widebody kits, rear wings, bumpers, or more rims. While the car sounds have been improved from “FH4,” they are still not aggressive enough and could use improvements. Also, there is no endgame; you are simply racing forever with no real storyline like there was in “FH1.”
On the other hand, the game does have some new features that add to the overall player experience. One example is the Car Collection, which unlocks a card for every car you get. Once you reach a particular set of cards, a reward is provided. I like the system of gifting cars in “FH5.” You can either give them to your friends or other random people in the game if you choose to do so. “FH5” nailed the tire smoke; there was hardly any in “FH2” and “FH3,” but “FH5” found an outstanding balance. Additionally, barn finds are side missions you can do where the game gives you a small area to hunt for a shed with an old car in it. This is a super cool aspect of the game because it connects me with cars I know relatively little about. I enjoy the Goliath, Colossus, and Titan races, which each take 15-20 minutes to complete and go around almost the entire map. These are a blast because you drive through tons of different environments with other people at high speeds.
Another improvement of “FH5” is the variety of outposts that were added, as in “FH4,” there was only one for the whole map. It is nice to have more than one place to upgrade, paint, and buy cars.
Overall, “FH5” is a great game, and the cars look fantastic. The game puts you in the driver’s seat of pretty much any car you can think of. The only thing needed is better engine noises to create a more immersive experience.
