A Frank Review From a Gamer who had no intention of getting both Forza and GT4, and some how ended up with both?
User Rating: 9.4 | Forza Motorsport XBOX
I am not your typical racing sim fan, I enjoy racing sims like I enjoy sports games, when I just want to unwind I can toss it in and just enjoy the sweet sweet simplicity of the genre and play till its time to go out, or to bed, or something good is one TV, I was a GT3 Guy not hardcore but enjoyed it So when GT4 came out to pretty good reviews I jumped on it, I was not as impressed out of the box as I was with GT3, simply because 2005 has been the year of the graphic, but it was servicable, I gave the crown to GT4 without even giving a second thought to Forza. Then with the positive reviews Forza had reviews I caved, GT4 had taken a bit of a back burner to games like GOW and Jade Empire so worst case Forza would be a game that I could stick on the shelf to say, "At Least I tried it" And I was simply stunned, It was fantastic. Overall the gameplay is by far the strongest asset Forza brings to the mix, The first thing that I really noticed over other racing games was the feel of the cars, each different car with different functions had a very very unique feel to it, and that for me really did add a cool sort of aspect, in the past in other racing sims you could get pretty well any car down cold in a few minutes tops, Forza really forced me to get out of the mind set in a hurry. This game also does an excellent job of easing the novice gamer into the drivers seat, I found myself depending on the ABS brakes for the most part, and was able to ease into a less computer assisted form of racing, I also enjoyed that most of the data you need ay any given time is pretty well there at your finger tips, there was almost no guess work involved, the design team seemed to place high importance on you having the information that you need when you need it, and that fact is not forgoten while playing, I find it to be one of the most useful features I have run into on a racing sim simply because of the detail and the ease of avialability, The Car control itself was excellent, I am yet to try it with a wheel, but with a controller the control was a snap, the response was excellent and it did not hinder gameplay in the least. There are enough flexable options such as ABS and other such driver assist functions that you can really customize your racing experience I could see this being of benefit from the person who is playing Forza as their first racing sim to the seasoned Vet. I also really did apprciate the wealth of camera angles that was there for me to use, I am not normally one to mess with the original settings but the various angles were helpful and took the gaming experience to another level. I would also like to make special mention of the games AI, very impressive more cleaver then some of my friends who I had playing with me later in the evening, Very Well Done. Graphically, It was excellent but I have to admit I did expect more. Side by side with GT4 I have to say that an arguement could be made for one or the other, I would even say that I have a small preference to the look of some of the GT4 tracks over that of Forza's, but any Graphical issues do not change the fact that this game judged on its own is a very beautifully designed game, The cars all have a very unqiue look to them, and the customization features are all done very well and unlike other games some of the add on's do not look out of place or poorly designed everything seems to flow with a nice sence of continuity The cars themselves I must say are better looking then that of any racing sim, they are very detailed, to the point where it had me checking out my car and my neighbours cars saying, "How about that" the amount of detail that went into the graphics is simply amazing, And as much as I do swish back and forth between GT4 and Forza on my graphic preference I have to honestly say that if I took one of the German courses in Forza and stacked it next to anything in GT4 it would blow it away, but that being said on average I guess I have not picked my perference, perhaps because I have spent more time playing GT4, Some of the effects in some of the courses even led me to stop for a second and say, Wow, the lighting effects which have been mentioned by almost every review out there are as good as they say, most types of light sources give off a different sort of light, for example a Halogen bulb will look different then an incandecent bulb, and its the little details like that, that make me say Yowza, talk about detail. Sound, Well what can I say. I am floored, I have my Xbox in my entertainment room which provides me with 5.1 surround which this game takes FULL Advantage of, to such an extent that I may go as far as to say this is the best sounding sports/racing SIM I have every played, with the volume high enough it feels like passing cars are going through you and I thought I would walk away with whiplash first time I had a high speed crash at "-10DB" I thought the woofer was going to blow through the floor, I really have no qwam with the sound, it delivered what I have always felt a racing sim should sound like. From a Value Stand point, As Always Value for me is rated two ways: Value: How much do I want to play this game through the first time, does it make me want to sit there till I see the credits roll. 4/5 As great as it was for me it will always be a racing sim, I have always been more of a story driven gamer and as much as I can see myself playing this game for a few weeks to death will I be drawn to playing it to unlock this or buy that late into the light after the Newness of the game has worn off? No. Will other gamers. For sure. It is deep there are alot of races functions and cars that could keep a gamer playing one player for months, but still not my cup of tea Replay Value: Do I want to play it again? If friends are over is this a game I will pop into my console and say "Lets rock" 5/5 This is the type of simple game that anyone can play right of the bat, two of my friends who have never played racing sim's went head to head and it was a blast they had a good time, and as they got better they provided a challenge and it lead to a very long long night of racing away. The Xbox live adds a new dimention to the overall coolness of this game, it keeps tabs on your best times so you know how good you are compared to the Live community at large. This game was delayed for the perfection of the online aspect, and those who have live will almost double their gaming experience because there is simply that much more to do out there. Very Well done Overall, This is one that I don't need to sit back and think on, there is no well told story I have to kick back and gauge the impact and suprise I felt while it was unfolding before me, or the cool hidden side quests that were there for me, This game is simply fun. Its the type of game that people buy video game systems for, its a great game you can toss in and enjoy alone or with friends, it has an appeal to the most casual gamer all the way up to the most harecore, and offers something for everyone with the wide range of options, race types, cars, course, and so on. I don't often say that I feel a game deserves to be a staple in anyones collection because more often then not the games effects wear off and you are left with a game you thought was cool, and is now collecting dust, But Forza is truly a game that should be a staple, Its diverse gaming experience and fantastic range make it a game that should be enjoyed by almost anyone, regardless of if you like playing alone, with friends, or online. Its the whole package and one that is worth the cost of admission. -Z
