'Being second is to be first of the ones who loses.' - Ayrton Senna.
For a long time there has been a duel in a genre that rarely sees much competition. Since Gran Tourismo first graced the Sony PSX, the dynamics of the racing genre altered quite a bit.
Arcade racing was well and truly dead. Realism became a key factor in delivering a racing simulator of the finest quality. Different vehicles, different feel. As much detail and user customization was crammed into each incarnation. The list of playable vehicles just exploded. Gran Tourismo had set the standard and the bars were rather high.
As the console war shifted to new ground and presented a new opponent, the shape of games begin to shrivel. A host of video game genres from the previous generation became extinct. The type of games that dominated the 7th gen consoles had narrowed distinctively. But the racing genre survived, largely remaining untouched.
Arcade racing was well and truly dead. Realism became a key factor in delivering a racing simulator of the finest quality. Different vehicles, different feel. As much detail and user customization was crammed into each incarnation. The list of playable vehicles just exploded. Gran Tourismo had set the standard and the bars were rather high.
As the console war shifted to new ground and presented a new opponent, the shape of games begin to shrivel. A host of video game genres from the previous generation became extinct. The type of games that dominated the 7th gen consoles had narrowed distinctively. But the racing genre survived, largely remaining untouched.
Owners of the new rival console wanted a racing game that would rival the immortal Gran Tourismo series. No mean feat.
Enter the Forza series by a relatively unknown developer called Turn 10. This motley bunch were engaged in creating a proverbial good racing sim. In lieu of the current crop of 'casual gamers', the game would adopt versatility by including custom built difficulty settings.
Great care had been taken to include a unique scoring system to reward different styles of play. But the bulk of the work went into the game play dynamics along with an easy to use visual aesthetics customization system, and, for players like me, a concise total systems tuning that would allow me to alter engine, suspension, braking, aerodynamics, and steering set ups to improve lap times, driving precision and tire wear.
With Forza 4, Turn 10 has come up trumps.
Different cars do have a different feel about them. And there are a whole lot of cars here.
Many of the real world race tracks are faithfully represented in glorious detail. Each turn feels like the real thing. I was particularly happy to see one of my favorite race tracks possess the near identical rush of excitement as I took each corner perfectly merely from memory on my very first drive. The braking points and exit velocities remained faithfully precise.
The game itself offers a few modes of play designed to cater for single and multi player racing. The single player mode takes the player across a variety of racing locales against CPU possessed opponents who showcase some of the more realistic personalities reflected by their difficulty setting. Another welcomed feature is that each race presents three different challenges that offer another dimension of obstacles that presents a unique set of rewards in itself. The player is free to choose to improve their driver level and/or obtain more prize money. The former will gradually unlock high tier vehicles while the latter gives the player more cash.
The multi player mode presents a host of custom racing challenges over the multitude of racing tracks. One interesting feature is conducting a race that allow cars of differing classes to participate. While it may sound like a handicap mode on the surface, there is a higher level of expertise just beneath it. In the event of any unforseen driving errors, the old Rewind system makes a welcomed return providing minimally exceptional gamers with yet another form of assistance.
One more racing mode is one v one challenge that takes place on a track dotted with slower traffic to hinder the player. There are other racing modes but they become available as the game progresses.
The game itself offers a few modes of play designed to cater for single and multi player racing. The single player mode takes the player across a variety of racing locales against CPU possessed opponents who showcase some of the more realistic personalities reflected by their difficulty setting. Another welcomed feature is that each race presents three different challenges that offer another dimension of obstacles that presents a unique set of rewards in itself. The player is free to choose to improve their driver level and/or obtain more prize money. The former will gradually unlock high tier vehicles while the latter gives the player more cash.
The multi player mode presents a host of custom racing challenges over the multitude of racing tracks. One interesting feature is conducting a race that allow cars of differing classes to participate. While it may sound like a handicap mode on the surface, there is a higher level of expertise just beneath it. In the event of any unforseen driving errors, the old Rewind system makes a welcomed return providing minimally exceptional gamers with yet another form of assistance.
One more racing mode is one v one challenge that takes place on a track dotted with slower traffic to hinder the player. There are other racing modes but they become available as the game progresses.
Forza 4 includes improvements to the online mode. The depth of interaction is clearly evident as the level of content takes a sudden leap forward. Players can download user created decals and the like or buy vehicles on sale. There are car clubs to join and a long awaited online race mode that allows a maximum of 16 players at once.
The much touted Autovista mode that helped hype the game prior to its launch is available for players to fool around with. This show room style feature allows the player to showcase the variety of cars displayed with a staggering amount of polygons to provide the highest degree of refined detail. A fair amount of technical wizardry went into pushing the doddering old Xbox 360 to its very limits.
Forza 4 is a step up in a pleasant direction that offers a varied experience combining many of the greatest features from the the Forza series with a sophisticated tracking system that assesses the drivers abilities to determine rewards.
While Gran Tourismo presents itself as rigidly disciplined and high precision driving sim. Forza loosens up its collar and lets players decide how they will play it. It's possesses as much depth and a lot of variety to be able stand up and be recognized as the only other true race driving sim ever made. A genuinely sensational tour de force that's come to say goodbye to the console it owes its success to. Forza 4 is the graphical pinnacle of Xbox 360 racing games. It rightfully boasts of having the best sound effects.
Turn 10 deserves a heartfelt thank you. Make no mistake, Forza 4 should be in every Xbox 360 owners collection.
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