Forza Motorsport 6 preview: Shaping up as Xbox's biggest and best racer yet

Forza 6

This latest incarnation isn't simply the biggest, best looking, most ambitious Forza game so far, information technology could well exist the finest racing game always to grace the Xbox. We've had a good await at what's pretty much the finished article at Gamescom 2022. Here's our preview.

Beauty is more than skin-deep.

Forza 6

Forza 6 isn't just good looking for a racing game. It's good looking, period. If yous're looking for graphical prowess, you'll find it in spades here. You want 1080p? Bank check. 60fps? You got it. Where other game developers accept mayhap toned down the resolution or locked the frame rate at xxx, Turn x has delivered once once again.

And let'due south not forget that's 1080p, 60fps with 24 cars on the excursion. Up from the 16 bachelor in Forza 5. And from what we've seen on the pre-release software it's steady as a stone and smooth as silk. For comparing's sakes, Project Cars runs at 900p to maintain 60fps on the Xbox One and doesn't support equally many cars in online multiplayer, either.

This is fabricated possible past the engine running the game. It's been built from the ground up specifically for the Xbox Ane and with the intention of running at 1080p 60fps. And now, having worked on it with the team behind Forza Horizon ii, information technology's better than e'er. And it's not the stop, either.

More cars, famous circuits

Forza 6

Forza half dozen boasts 450 cars. Just permit that sink in for a moment. That's an insane number. And as always there'due south a superb mix of regular cars, super cars and specialist race cars. The Forza Garage announcements have been coming weekly and adding more and more as nosotros get closer to launch. Recent additions include British Touring Machine Racers from Audi and Toyota, all-encompassing rides from Ford and the Lime Rock circuit. At Gamescom, Turn x appear the addition of some more European circuits for Forza vi in Hockenheim and Monza alongside Sonomo, Excursion of the Americas as well as a couple of BMW race cars.

The circuit selection was my major criticism of Forza 5. For a side by side-gen title, I but didn't feel there were enough of them. That doesn't expect like existence an issue with Forza 6. Too the circuits mentioned to a higher place we'll have real life circuits like Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Sebring and the infamous Nurburgring, as well as the street excursion in Rio. Looking at that specifically, Rio has made a render to Forza to gloat the ten year anniversary. While it's not an actual circuit, Turn ten went out and picked a route and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation scanned the roads in the aforementioned way as the regular race circuits to produce something pretty special.

I've driven a couple of the circuits on offer and using Brands Hatch as an example (considering I know what it looks like in real life) Plough x looks to accept done the business when it comes to accuracy. And that includes the weather.

Make it rain

The weather is ane of the biggest new challenges to whatever Forza 6 race. No longer volition conditions be perfect for racing. As with the accuracy of the circuits, the way the bad weather affects your race has been carefully considered. The h2o will move effectually the car on the excursion, puddles volition form where actual puddles would grade in real life (top tip: the first corner at Brands Hatch is pretty terrifying in the pelting.) Shut attending has been paid to how the moisture weather condition affects the treatment and performance of the automobile. It'due south non just a linear, less grip practical all round approach.

When it rains, often the regular racing line is no longer the fastest. And this is something you'll have to figure out in Forza 6. Different lines work better in the moisture to the dry out, and you're going to need to work out where to put your machine to maximise your times. Practice you avoid the puddles and take chances sliding or do you just go caput on into them? You'll have to find your own mode. The friction levels have been mapped on different parts of the circuit for maximum realism.

And it'due south worth playing in the pelting just to meet the drops falling on the cars. Scenic.

Into the night

Forza 6

Another new condition for Forza half dozen is nighttime racing. Going racing in the dark is more than just losing visibility, and you lot'll feel that in Forza 6. Some circuits infamous for nighttime racing are included, such every bit Sebring, Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans, and Turn 10 has tried to create an authentic feel.

For case, when the sun goes downwardly, the track temperature follows. As the tarmac cools, it affects the behaviour of the cars, and that'southward something that Forza half dozen aims to recreate. And losing visibility isn't just about making it harder to see where you're going. It'southward nigh how the car headlights carry on the surface, on the world around the excursion and the other cars. It's an feel.

Night racing doesn't take to be in the dark, either. Accept Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, for instance. Here, the rails temperature volition drop causing behavioural changes in the automobile, simply the floodlights create a much different racing feel to hurtling down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans at over 200mph. As with the weather effects, the experience will differ depending on the circuit, the motorcar, and ultimately, your abilities.

Leagues, career and free play

Forza 6

As with previous Forza games, nosotros've got the regular, progression based career way. Offset at the bottom, win races, championships, move up the ladder, get better cars and so on. It's a stories of motorsport approach with several "volumes" of the story inside cleaved down past car type. The celebrity voiceovers render, with Richard Hammond, James May and Tanner Foust all mentioned. What's also nice in career fashion is that before each race you lot can tweak the tuning of the machine.

In that location are a couple of interesting points to note in other gameplay modes, though. Free play is there for folks who just want to get backside the cycle and race and from the very beginning we're told every single motorcar volition exist unlocked to use in this style.

Online multiplayer has been spruced up for Forza 6 with the Leagues feature targeting every unmarried Forza role player regardless of power. Each race will be a total 24 players, and you'll be invited to leagues based on ability, when and where people are online. If you're a Forza noob, you won't observe yourself on the grid aslope a Formula 1 driver who's going digital, for case.

Wrapping up

Forza 6

Forza is 1 of Microsoft's console selling franchises. Simply as Sony has (or had, depending on your outlook) Gran Turismo, Turn 10's epic is one of Microsoft'due south crown jewels. With Forza 6, that's withal the case, and we're looking at a genuine head turner. We've got Project Cars already available and Assetto Corsa due in 2022, only for the mainstream, Forza is still where information technology'southward at.

There's so much attention to detail that fans of cars, racing and only smashing games akin volition honey. The mode the tires can bounce off the kerbs, the showcase where yous tin can become inside the cars or look at them from every angle, and the daunting challenge that is the full thirteen-miles of Nurburgring in the wet. Forza 5 was skilful, Forza half dozen is going to be even improve. The Male monarch is back this September.