While Forza Horizon 4 was leaked early, many details were wrong. No, it does not take place in Asia. In fact, it takes place in the beautiful landscape of Great Britain. I was able to experience the game hands-on at Microsoft’s showcase at the Microsoft Theater, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. The demo was somewhat short, but you got to experience all four seasons that will be present in the game. Each season affects the way you have to drive, especially in the snow, and is a wonderful twist on a formula that could have easily gone stale. Not to mention, the diversity of the scenery is downright gorgeous, especially Autumn.
There are four seasons we partook in. We started in autumn and worked our way to summer, in that order, experiencing all four seasons. You have to adjust the way you drive depending on which season you’re traversing. Snow, like in real life, is the most difficult. Considering most people don’t know how to drive in the snow, this makes complete logical sense.
Compared to Forza Horizon 3, Horizon 4 is a fantastic change of pace for the series. If the historic landscape of the UK isn’t enough, the seasonal aspect of the game is incredibly innovative and a fantastic way to move the series forward without stagnating. Each season has their own unique challenges which makes for a very rewarding experience. As Forza Horizon is an open-world game, it is unclear how seasons will work in-game. The demo only gave us the opportunity to race through the various seasons; it didn’t allow us to explore the vast beauty of Great Britain. It may be time-based, or certain races may only take place during certain seasons.
One other thing to point out is that depending on the season, it’s a necessity to select the right car. This is especially true during winter. A sports car is not going to cut it in the snow. A truck, on the other hand, will, although handling a car in the snow is no easy feat, regardless of the vehicle. While autumn and summer are fairly straightforward and seemingly standard, winter is filled with snow which makes it difficult to maintain control of your vehicle, and spring is muddy, slippery, and rainy. The landscape is not only gorgeous, but the change in seasons gives the game diversity like no other racing game before it. During each season change, our cars changed throughout the demo to match the seasonal weather.
As many are aware Microsoft is in dire need of first-party exclusives. Playground Games has knocked it out of the park with Forza Horizon 4. This is exactly what the Xbox One needs, and playing it on the Xbox One X at the Microsoft Showcase, I was blown away at how amazing it looks. This only enhances the beauty of both the scenery and Great Britain. While I wish Gears was coming out this year, Microsoft is playing the long game, especially with the acquisition of several new studios.
Forza Horizon 4 is being released on the Xbox One family of consoles on October 2, 2017 and given the excellent experience we had with the title at E3, we cannot wait to get our hands on the full game.