It's been two years since the original Forza Motorsport appeared on the Xbox. Unlike most of the arcadish racing games for that console, Forza was a full-on racing sim, with hundreds of intricately recreated real-world cars, a deep tuning setup, and a mostly good damage model (which is still missing from the grandaddy of console racing sims, Gran Turismo). Although it was a new series, it still made an immediate impression on racing fans and earned top marks and numerous awards.

Now, two years later, Forza is bursting onto the Xbox 360 with Forza Motorsport 2. As you might expect, it includes the same racing formula as Forza Motorsport, but with enhanced graphics, more cars, and some new features. Like the Forza 2 game itself, this primer is an upgraded version of our primer for Forza Motorsport, but with edits and new sections to detail some of the new features. Enjoy!