Forza Horizon 4

[h2]Overall: 8.5/10[/h2] [h3]Story:[/h3] As someone who grew up as a PlayStation kid and has never owned an Xbox, this was actually my very first experience with [b]any[/b] Forza game, since it was the first entry in the series to come to PC. Because of that, I went into this game not really knowing what to expect from the franchise in terms of storytelling, but one thing that immediately stood out to me was how little of a traditional narrative there actually is. FH4 opens with a really impressive introduction that has you driving through all four seasons before finally arriving at the Horizon Festival, and it does a great job of setting the tone and showing off the atmosphere of the game. After that, though, the “story” mostly just revolves around your level progression. Even then, it feels more like an overarching theme than an actual narrative because progression mainly just unlocks more races and events rather than trying to develop characters or tell a deeper story. There are still things labeled as story content (specifically the five businesses and six storylines,) each made up of several chapters, but these mostly just function as different challenge sets where the overall goal is to earn three stars in every chapter of each "story". They're fun diversions that put you in unique situations and different cars, but they're all self-contained and never really connect into any kind of overarching plot. Even with the Fortune Island and Lego Speed Champions DLCs bringing the total up to thirteen "storylines," they still feel more like collections of themed trials and gameplay experiments than a traditional campaign. I personally didn't mind the structure because it fits the open-ended nature of the game, but if you're looking for a strong narrative-driven racing experience, This isn't it. FH4 is more of a “sandbox” than a traditional rags-to-riches experience. [h3]Gameplay:[/h3] Forza Horizon as a series is renowned for being, at its core, simcade racing games leaning more into the arcade driving aspect, and FH4 is no exception. While the core gameplay here is obviously not as arcade as Need for Speed titles or more casual indie racing games, it's still very approachable whether you're just a little rusty or even if it's your first time playing. I'd say most people can probably jump in with a controller and immediately have fun, even if you’re not obsessed with perfect racing lines or custom tuning setups. There are four core race types which are split into different styles and each prioritizes different vehicles/terrains, but there's also a battle royale style game mode called The Eliminator, team racing playlists, PvP racing, etc. The cherry on top, though, is that the seasonal aspect makes the same roads/tracks behave and handle differently depending on the weather, and end up technically keeping most races fresh even if you feel like you've mastered them in other seasons. Other than the typical racing you'd expect from a, you know, racing game, there's actually a lot of gameplay variety here. The general open world is full of drift zones, speed traps, stunt jumps, custom challenges, barn finds, and the list goes on. As someone who never really looked into Forza as a series due to the previously mentioned lack of owning an Xbox and not being able to play it, I was genuinely shocked to realize how much variety was in the gameplay. Of course, that's all without mentioning the fact that this game also had over 700 cars in game by the time the final DLC released, so if you're even slightly into cars, there's literally endless fun to be had with the range of vehicles available. [h3]World:[/h3] The world/map is an aspect of this game that I still kinda have mixed feelings about even today. On one hand, while I do wish [b]a lot[/b] of of the map was a little more technical, I still really enjoy the overall flow and fluidity of the majority of the race designs, especially throughout the countryside sections of the map. However, that’s honestly the main upside for me. The biggest issue I have with the map is that the UK setting just feels way too visually “samey” after a while. It works as a serviceable backdrop to drive around in, and I do genuinely enjoy certain locations like Mortimer’s Gardens or the forests surrounding the Derwent Reservoir, but so much of the map just blends together into endless green fields and rolling hills without enough dramatic biome variety to keep things visually exciting over long play sessions. The seasonal system definitely helps mitigate that problem a little bit, but outside of winter, the map honestly doesn’t transform as radically as one might expect it to. Another area I’ve never fully enjoyed is Edinburgh. I can absolutely respect what the developers accomplished there because it’s a technically impressive urban environment, and as someone who loves history, I do appreciate being able to admire the gothic architecture while cruising around or taking in-game photos. It’s also a fun place for slower drifting or casual driving. But from a racing perspective, I find the city frustrating more often than not. The roads constantly interrupt the flow of the race because they’re packed with sharp bends, random curbs, walls, street furniture, and extremely narrow lanes that force you to keep braking and correcting your positioning for all the wrong reasons. Unlike the countryside roads, where the layout encourages smooth high-speed driving, Edinburgh feels restrictive and slightly messy in comparison. That problem becomes amplified when using S1 class cars or higher, because most of them are simply too fast for the scale of the streets. Instead of feeling fluid and fun, races through the biggest urban environment often turn into a constant cycle of slowing down, readjusting, and trying not to smash into another wall. [h3]Visuals:[/h3] The visuals in FH4 hold up exceptionally well today. The way the world is rendered, from the dynamic seasonal changes to the lighting across different times of day, makes the environments still feel alive and very modern even for a game of its age. Now, of course the graphics are going to feel slightly worse or maybe even dated when compared to its direct sequel in FH5, but on its own as a racing game, its still easily in the top ten graphically. The attention to detail in the cars, reflections, and environmental textures is impressive, and it regularly creates a great sense of immersion even while consistently driving at high speeds. Additionally, I rarely ever have frame drops, stuttering, or graphical errors of any kind, and I frequently play long sessions on max settings, which makes the whole experience feel smooth and reliable even during intense races or long, fast drives. [h3]Music/Sound Design:[/h3] I know everyone has their own taste in music, and I’m not sure if there’s supposed to be a consistent musical “theme” across the Forza Horizon series, but honestly, I felt like the music selection and overall sound design were some of this game’s weakest aspects. I really just don’t like the soundtrack in this game; there’s way too much synthpop, house, and general EDM music, and most of it not only feels completely out of place during high-speed races, but also just isn’t very enjoyable music on its own. Despite having over 200 hours in FH4, I had already turned the music volume down to 1 when I was still in the single-digit hours of playtime. Beyond the soundtrack, the actual sound design is pretty disappointing too, even from the perspective of someone who’s only a casual fan of car culture like myself. The environmental audio/general immersion are decent enough, but the engine sounds themselves are one of the biggest letdowns in the entire experience. The general car audio lacks realism and depth, with many engines sounding overly compressed, too high-pitched, and completely missing the bass and resonance that make real performance cars feel aggressive and exciting.

without a doubt, the best Forza Horizon ever available on steam - or at least it was, unfortunately. hopefully that changes again soon with the new entry FH5 may have better graphics, physics and deeper customization, but in almost every other aspect, FH4 still stands out. The soundtrack is better (even though I personally spent most of my time listening to Horizon XS), and the British setting delivers an atmosphere that feels truly unique Even with a smaller map than FH5, drivng across Great Britain felt far more immersive and memorable. the expansions were also handled much better, while H4 had more fun dlc, its successor often gives the impression of rushed and recycled content. This becomes even more noticeable in the missions, since many of FH5’s activities eventually feel repetitive and less engaging another highlight was the “business” missions, which offered a great balance between challenge and fun. On top of that, earning all 3 stars in the five businesses rewarded players with a passive income that could exceed 2 million in-game credits per month I understand that Forza Horizon is designed as an arcade racing game rather than a simulator, and everyone has their own way of enjoying it - Still, here’s my recommendation: try disabling all driving assists - including stability control (STM), traction control (TCS), use manual transmission with clutch, enable simulation steering, and maybe even turn off the racing line and ABS while increasing drivatar difficulty. It may feel painful at first, but the experience becomes far more rewarding and immersive. taking a nighttime drive across the map with those settings while listening to relaxing music is simply magnificent It’s a beautiful game, and for anyone passionate about cars, just like I am, Horizon 4 is essential. Enjoy your time in Japan, and have a great trip everyone.