Metachronos overall score = 9.3 / 10
Positive
- The best racing model on the XBOX
- Perfect level of challenge, no matter your skill level
- Detailed backgrounds highlight a strong graphical package
Negative
- Soundtrack is pretty lame
- Can't forbid suggested line aid in online races
- Game could have used more courses
From a driving standpoint, Forza has a sophisticated feel to it, and one that accommodates a variety of skill levels. With all the default assists enabled, such as traction control, antilock braking, and stability management, you'll be tearing around hairpin corners in Tokyo and ripping up the Laguna Seca corkscrew nearly right out of the gate. Cars feel nicely heavy under acceleration and (perhaps more importantly) braking, meaning that setting up proper brake points and turns is essential. If you don't have the slightest clue about entry points into turns or when to step on the brakes, Forza has a handy "suggested line" feature that is one of the slickest innovations in racing games to come along in a long time.
Forza's driving controls are flexible and sensitive, and you always have a wealth of data at your fingertips, like information on car damage, engine and tire temperature, and the many camera viewpoints. There are two first-person perspectives to choose from, including one worm's-eye view that dramatically enhances the sense of speed and two third-person cameras. When driving in first-person view, a handy rearview mirror makes spotting your stalking opponents easy. You'll also be able to use the right analog stick to look directly left, right, or behind, or at 45-degree angles both behind and in front of the car. Analog gas and brakes feel nice, and although the game won't let you map buttons in the exact configuration that you'd like, there are several options to choose from that cover the majority of racing fans' preferences for gear shifting, steering, gas, and brakes.
Perhaps the best aspect of Forza's presentation is in the game menus, which do a fine job of sorting through a massive amount of information. Many of the race types, for instance, feature strict restrictions on things like car class, make, or horsepower. When navigating these race series screens, the menus let you know exactly how many cars you own that meet the current restrictions, and if you enter a race (even if you're currently in a car that doesn't meet the limitations), you'll be immediately taken to your garage, where only the eligible cars you own will be displayed. That same level of detail can be found in the car-purchasing screens. In addition to being able to choose cars by country of origin or drive type (among many other criteria), you can also sort by price and look at only the cars that you can currently afford. Tuning your car is easy, and basic explanations of what each attribute does and how it affects the car are welcome additions for those who can't tell a driveshaft from a spark plug. You can even check out a handy benchmarking page that will give you a quick summary of your car's performance in areas such as 0 to 60mph and 0 to 100mph times, braking distances, and lateral Gs.
Forza's main success is in finding a blend between pleasing the notoriously fickle minority that likes its driving games consistently challenging and demandingly detailed, while introducing a set of user-friendly assists that will ensure that even those who are new to the racing genre will enjoy themselves. Forza may well be remembered as a title that, through its mix of challenge and control, introduced an entirely new set of fans to the beauty and power of driving games.
Subject: Forza Motorsport ( XBOX ) 
Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:03 am
