Forza Motorsport 4 Review: The king of racers?

Two years since the last installment, Turn 10, the studio behind the Forza Motorsport franchise, is set to release it’s fourth chapter in their driving simulator lineage. Forza 4 ups the ante in almost every aspect. It pushes the xbox 360 to its limits and just one look at the game in action will have you agree. It looks absolutely stunning, from the vast snow swept mountain ranges to the sun glimmering off the roof of your car, it is without a doubt one of the best looking racers ever made. This all runs at a silky smooth 60FPS as well!

So how does it play? The controls definitely take a little getting used to if you’re a big arcade racer fan but once you do, it really starts to find its feet, or should I say tyres? Each cars unique characteristics have been painstakingly recreated to give the closest representation to what it would actually be like to drive the car, albeit in a digital world. There are many other aids and assisting mechanics you can turn on or off to help you around the tracks at what more than likely will be breakneck speeds. These assist vary from visual guidelines on the track to tell you when to slow down to steering assists which automatically help you steer into the corners.

To say that this is a big game would be an understatement. The fact there are two discs in the box tells you just how big the game is and just how much selection there is. There are online forums built into the games online service which lets you talk and trade information an all things automotive. There is also auction rooms that lets you swap trade your prized possessions (your cars!) The Autovista mode is an interactive automotive showroom which lets you take a closer look at some of the world’s most luxurious super cars. Each car has information ready to be learnt as you walk around and view all the little details of your favourite super car. There is also Kinect integration which does cool little tricks like head tracking for the cockpit view and can also be used in the Autovista mode to allow you to move around the car and interact with it by simply using your body. These features are just a few of the many integrated into the game and will guarantee hours and hours of gameplay.

One of the coolest additions to this iteration of Forza is the inclusion of Top Gear features. Whether listening to Jeremy Clarkson’s unique takes in Autovista, taking a spin in the Kia Cee’d on the Top Gear test track or playing car soccer with 15 of your closest friends online, this is a really cool and innovative feature which gives the game even more automotive credibility with the backing of the guys at Top Gear.

 

Forza 4 is a game for all you racing nuts, with loads and loads to do and see and simply beautiful to look at, this racer really has raised the bar in the genre and the likes of Gran Turismo would want to keep an eye on it’s rear view mirror! Turn 10 really have excelled themselves and this is one seriously good racing game!

4/5 STARS

 

Genre: Racing Simulator

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Turn 10

Launch Date: 14th October 2011