The simple auto-tuning setup, designed specifically for people like me who have no interest in tinkering with their vehicles but still want their car’s performance optimized, also makes a return.
If you don’t want to constantly jump back and forth between the game’s world and expansive map screen, Anna is a great alternative, especially if you want a clear GPS path to the game’s nearest event. The game’s Siri-like voice companion Anna, controlled by saying commands via the Xbox One’s Kinect, actually works surprisingly great. On paper this sounds ridiculous but it’s actually a refreshingly interesting twist to the way racing titles usually handle side tasks. Forza Horizon 2 features new “Showcase challenges” which task players with racing against trains and airplanes. While not exactly groundbreaking, perks add yet another level of dpeth to an already very customizable game. Some perks give players more points for performing a specific task and others award extra cash for completing the game’s various missions. Players are able to decide what upgrades they want after earning XP and leveling up their profile. The game also adds a new perks system which allows players to treat Forza Horizon 2’s progression system sort of like a mini-RPG. Players are rewarded for driving dangerously, narrowly missing their opponents and other cars on the road and for driving with style, drifting around corners and just generally driving like you’re an extra in a Fast and the Furious movie. The skill system from the first Forza Horizon, borrowed from the Project Gotham series’ Kudos reward feature, makes a return in Forza Horizon 2. This allows you to be more creative with your driving route, cutting corners and hunting down simple short cuts, as long as you still drive through the game’s next check-point. Cars are no longer confined to streets by guardrails and cement walls, although there are certain sections of the map that are blocked off. In general, Forza Horizon 2’s map is significantly more open than the first Forza Horizon’s. Off-road racing is difficult, especially if you’re moving from a traditional circuit race, and I found myself frequently finishing somewhere between 6th and 4th when leaving the comfortable confines of pavement, but it’s still a lot of fun. Forza Horizon 2 features point-to-point races, various kinds of rally circuits and also has a variety of off-road vehicles, ranging from cars like the 2013 Ram Runner to the 2006 HUMMER H1 Alpha. Speaking of off-road racing, the inclusion of off-road vehicles marks a welcome shift in direction for the series. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Try driving an off-road vehicle across the countryside in the middle of a rain storm – it isn’t easy. Rain also fundamentally changes how the game controls. Water puddles on roads slick up pavement and cause your vehicle’s windshield wipers to jump into action. Horizon 2 also marks a return of dynamic weather to the Forza franchise, a notable feature missing from the otherwise superb Forza 5.
It’s far from a game-ruining issue, but Forza Horizon 2 does feel slightly slower than Forza 5, especially when your vehicle reaches top speeds. Microsoftįorza Horizon 2 is thankfully locked in at 30 frames per second and while I’m not the type of person who typically cares about resolutions and frame rates in video games, when it comes to racing titles, frame rates tend to be more important.
In fact, visually it’s so impressive the game actually looks slightly better than Forza 5, despite not running at a full 60 frames per second. Make no mistake, Forza Horizon 2 is a very good looking game. More than once I stopped whatever fancy vehicle I was driving and marveled at how far video games have come over the last few years, especially racing titles. The game’s picturesque Southern European setting, consisting of Italy and France, is at times actually breathtaking.
Despite the Horizon series not being developed by Turn 10, the developer that has been behind the Forza series since the first entry in the franchise, I actually prefer the arcade-oriented Horizon titles to the more simulation focused core Forza franchise. Forza Horizon 2, developed by Playground Games, the same team that created the first Forza Horizon, is one of the best racing titles I’ve played in years.