Forza Horizon 3 Review (Xbox One)

Welcome to Australia where the largest car festival in the world takes place, and it is your role as director of the Horizon Festival to make this event the biggest and the best yet. Forza Horizon 3 is Playground Games’ third installment in their successful Forza Horizon series, and it’s their greatest achievement yet. What’s so impressive about what Playground Games has managed to accomplish is the sheer scope of Horizon 3. I’ve never played a Forza Horizon game before, I admit, but from car customization to the many different types of activities you can partake in to the customization of your festival and much, much, more, we found in our Forza Horizon 3 review that the game has something for everyone.

Forza Horizon 3 Review — Graphics/Presentation/Controls

The presentation in Forza Horizon 3 is superb. The menus are intuitive, the maps are easy to read, and the navigation system is a really nice touch. The game even has a feature where it can call you by your name (if it’s on the list), which really personalizes the whole experience. There are a wide array of cars to choose from, many from your favorite manufacturer, and even more that are unlockable later. You can create your own paint jobs or use existing designs, further personalizing the experience. You can also use credits that you gain by completing events to continuously upgrade the components in your car and make it fit your racing style.

The controls are tight, but every car controls differently because of their strengths and weaknesses with regards to handling, speed, acceleration, braking, etc. It can take some time to find the right combination for you, so the controls may be difficult at first. Once you find the right mixture though, the game really comes together.

It also must be noted that Forza Horizon 3 is one of the most beautiful games on the market right now. The diversity in the landscape of the game only exacerbates this, as you can be found racing on the beach, downtown, throughout the rainforest, and in the Australian Outback. This diversity makes the game stand out and as an open-world racing game allows for so much exploration.

Forza Horizon 3 Review — The Festival

The Horizon Festival is the largest car festival in the world and it is your job, as director, to bring as many fans to the event as possible to make this the biggest Horizon yet. You can do this by completing challenges, recruiting reputable racers to the festival by racing them head-to-head, showing off your skills in PR stunts, and much, much more. There is so much to do in Forza Horizon 3 that it’s a bit overwhelming.

The game is completely open-world so you drive around finding and completing events, even coming across a few secrets on the way. It’s a really cool approach to a racing game which I haven’t seen before, albeit I don’t play the genre that much. The events are diverse too; you aren’t pigeonholed into just racing and there’s a certain level of freedom of choice. The PR stunts are a lot of fun, although some are a bit crazy, and the challenges can be difficult, but they’re also a lot of fun.

As you bring more fans to the Horizon Festival, you are able to expand into different areas outside of Byron Bay, your starting point. This takes you to the city, the Australian outback, and beyond. Each festival area has its own set of events (and secrets!) and the real fun is exploring and finding what’s out there. Setting up each location for your festival, signing record labels, and customizing events (you can do this!) allows you to truly make the festival your own. Hell, even the game calls you by your actual name!

You unlock new cars as you expand the festival and one of the great things about Forza Horizon 3 is that you can have just as much fun playing by yourself as with a friend, or a group of friends. It’s so cool to be able to just chill around and explore the game world with friends. This can either be a fun and laid back experience or incredibly competitive; how you play is up to you.

Forza Horizon 3 Review — The Ultimate Racing Game

One thing we found time and time again throughout our Forza Horizon 3 review is that it’s a total party. It’s the celebration to celebrate all racing games, and this just so happens to create the ultimate racing game. Forza Horizon 3 is not only the best racing game in the Forza franchise, but it’s the best racing game of all-time. It controls great, the experience is personalized, it’s addictive, and it’s a full-on party. The game has something for everyone. I’m not a huge car person but I still cannot manage to put Horizon down, and that’s a part of the game’s charm.

It’s a blast from beginning to finish and is a game that every Xbox One owner needs to play.

Thank You to Microsoft for Providing Video Game Culture HQ with a Copy of Forza Horizon 3 for Review Purposes.