Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

[RaychelSnr]

Playground Games, made up of ex-Bizarre and Codemasters employees, take the wheel (pun intended) on Forza Horizon. You start out the demo driving the Dodge Viper GTS, eventually race in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR, and then finally go behind a Ford Mustang Boss 429. From the first race, which takes place on a dirt road, you can easily tell past DiRT developers helped on this game with the feel of the cars on dirt.

The controls feel solid when driving off-road, and the cars handle appropriately. The cars will get loose, but no so much that you feel like you don't have control of where it's going. Overall, the gameplay felt solid and nothing that casual racing fans can't the hang of pretty quickly.

Read More - Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

[iluspook]

These were pretty much my impressions as well. Arcade racers normally turned me off (except F-Zero, for some reason, if that counts) due to the unrealistic handling, but the demo proves that the same realistic handling engine from Forza 4 powers this baby. Take that and place it in an absolutely breathtaking depiction of Colorado (I kept changing my view and looking around just to keep my jaw dropped), and add in one of the best soundtracks in a game this year (Forza games were never known for good, let alone great, soundtracks...until now), and the atmosphere just permeates from this thing. ...and that's just the demo!

Definitely looking forward to cruising in my dream machines in just a couple weeks!

[venga]

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

[thewb27]

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

That's an immensely short sighted view. All developers have allot of their DLC pre planned even before the game releases. Basically you want the company to lie and pretend this isn't the case. You going to retire from gaming?

[deezy24]

Looks great!

[DickDalewood]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

So you won't be buying anymore games this gen?

[JMD]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

I loved the demo. I also love Forza 4, the thing I like about the demo is the handling, I enjoy the handling style of Horizon. It's nice to be able to jump into a game and just drive and not have to tune and test the car just to keep it on the road in the turns. If i were to complain about anything if would be the horrible selection on music in the game, but I NEVER listen to music in racing games so not an issue. A day one purchase for me for sure.

I wish these guys would make an updated remake of PGR 2. The feel of this game brought that game to mind.

[mrprice33]

You don't have to buy the DLC, there's plenty of content on the disc.

[DBMcGee3]

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

I like your policy and will be subscribing to your newsletter. $50 DLC?! C'mon man!

[pk500]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

Forza Horizon's 50$ season pass = NO game purchase for me (at all, never...)

next games to come with any DLC planned & announced = NO purchase either

that's my new policy.

Then your life as a current-gen and next-gen gamer is over. DLC is the present and the future.

Enjoy your Xbox, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, N64, 8-bit Nintendo and Atari 2600.

[pk500]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

I loved the demo. I also love Forza 4, the thing I like about the demo is the handling, I enjoy the handling style of Horizon. It's nice to be able to jump into a game and just drive and not have to tune and test the car just to keep it on the road in the turns. If i were to complain about anything if would be the horrible selection on music in the game, but I NEVER listen to music in racing games so not an issue. A day one purchase for me for sure.

I wish these guys would make an updated remake of PGR 2. The feel of this game brought that game to mind.

JMD:

There is a rock station in Forza Horizon. I know you're a middle-aged rocker like me, and there are some good tunes on the rock station in the demo from The Hives and The Black Keys.

[JayMizzle]

Demo seems legit to me, I will be buying this, prolly trade in Forza 4 for this. I enjoy the open range racing better. I'm a street-racer tuner kinda guy minus the tuning lol

[lnin0]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

Then your life as a current-gen and next-gen gamer is over. DLC is the present and the future.

Enjoy your Xbox, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, N64, 8-bit Nintendo and Atari 2600.

Dude has principles which is more than I can say for most gamers. If more gamers had principles then the 'future gen' you envision would be much different.

We should all be giving this guy kudos instead of throwing snide remarks his way but that is part of the problem with gamers. Had gamers thought of the big picture instead of just their immediate miis things would be different. Publishers didn't stumble into this micro-screwing business model - WE approved it. Had we told EA and MS and Capcom and all these publishers we're not going to take it, we're not going to give you $2 for a cheat code or a avatar hat or virtual credits to buy virtual arm band or virtual trading cards or a reskinned character, then the future would be different. Everyone wants to act like they had no say in but in fact, it was your selfish, spineless choices that cast this future.

[thewb27]

Dude has principles which is more than I can say for most gamers. If more gamers had principles then the 'future gen' you envision would be much different.

We should all be giving this guy kudos instead of throwing snide remarks his way but that is part of the problem with gamers. Had gamers thought of the big picture instead of just their immediate miis things would be different. Publishers didn't stumble into this micro-screwing business model - WE approved it. Had we told EA and MS and Capcom and all these publishers we're not going to take it, we're not going to give you $2 for a cheat code or a avatar hat or virtual credits to buy virtual arm band or virtual trading cards or a reskinned character, then the future would be different. Everyone wants to act like they had no say in but in fact, it was your selfish, spineless choices that cast this future.

You sound quite foolish. Its videogames and a business. They're not forcing you to buy anything and how often do you really drive with every single car in a game that offers 300 plus authentic vehicles. Micro transactions have been and gaming jumped in and put them as a CHOICE. He mentions not buying planned DLC...which in principle means he just feels better if they made the game...took a vacation and then planned the extras and offer then 6 months down the road when most hanges have already moved on from said game. They have data that we don't stay with games for very long so they need to get the product out before that excitement fades. These companies aren't forcing you to buy anything and they're giving us full fledged games that we easily pour 60 hours into but you complain about extras that are purely optional like SKINS. He and you aren't doing anything buy fighting a system that's been astound for ages and gaming is catching up. You feel the same about movies you see in the theater that don't extra bloopers and alternate endings that you'll eventually have to buy the dvd for just to get them? Kind of silly thinking if i may say so.

[pk500]

Re: Forza Horizon Demo Impressions

Hardly, lnin.

I'm not the gaming lemming you describe. I don't buy every new title that flows from the pipeline and almost always wait a month or two to buy new titles at a discount.

But if a game has delivered me hours of enjoyment, I have no problem with buying DLC -- if it's worth it. Extra maps, extra modes, cars, etc. And I have no problem rejecting DLC if it's a rip-off. I just say the same word I say about buying most new titles at full price on release day: NO.

Some may see a blanket rejection of DLC as a stand of principle. Fine. I see it as very narrow-minded.

Look at the purchase of a new car. Options are no different than DLC. I wonder if the original poster always purchases the base-sticker model of new cars. I wonder if he bought the 4 GB version of the Xbox 360 and doesn't use Xbox Live or Kinect because, let's face it: The hard drive, Xbox Live and Kinect are not ESSENTIAL to enjoying Xbox 360 gaming. But all of those items are DLC, in a way.

DLC becomes a big problem if publishers deliberately skimp on features and modes in the retail version of games so players can be milked through DLC. I don't think that's an issue with Forza Horizon -- there are hundreds of miles of roads, plenty of game modes and 200 cars out of the box.