Disclaimer: The topics I use are song titles from the Initial D and MF Ghost soundtracks.
Forza Horizon 6 officially drops on May 19th, but if you pre-ordered, you gain access on Friday, May 15th. 7.7 hours of play time, and I am ready to share my thoughts. Buckle up, gamer, let’s rock and ride!
No more Sleep in Tokyo:
You are the new racer on the scene, arriving in Japan for the new Horizon Festival location. Between checking out Tokyo Tower, driving around the rural countryside, and giant mechs, apparently. Forza Horizon 6 is giving what racing fans asked for on a bigger scale. The thing that Playground Games brings to players is an experience, not just a racing game. It starts feeling like a full-blown street racing simulator as you create a character and live a fantasy life. Now, with the introduction of not only customizing your car, but also your living space as a whole.
How you tackle each event is up to you, but if you get lost, you can always ask Anna, your onboard computer, where to go next. They have a fun, user-friendly feature to recommend your next event. You are free to explore to your heart’s content, or you can fast travel once you’ve done a race already.
Burning in the 90s:
Pick a car, any car from JDM, Exotic, and my personal favorite, American Muscle. The diversity in vehicles spans from classic to modern and even video games. Yes, the Halo Warthog is still available. I am expecting other vehicles, like previous titles, to show up. Speaking of previous titles, if you played the previous games, you get rewarded for your loyalty. This is where things can get technical on your choice of vehicle, and I do say keep your mind open. You will need a vehicle in all classes and categories. From C to R tier classes, and one would ask, “Why would I need a low-tier car?”
because there are races that require you to be in a specific letter class. Trust you can make a high-performance C-class car. Also, it comes down to how you drive as well. Following the flow of a racing line, learning to corner, and knowing how to brake will grant you victory!
Almost any vehicle can perform specifically how you want it. Take this Dodge Viper, which looks like a damn rocket ship, but is an off-road vehicle with kick. Or if you are feeling bold, turning a muscle car into a drift car. It is up to your imagination on how you want to transform your favorite car into a monster! It’s a beautiful feeling checking out the tuning upgrades and cosmetic work you can add to cars. Your dream car is made to work for you, either by your own parameters or by downloading someone else’s build.
Now, not everything in-game is free; you will have to earn CR in order to build these machines. Now, this does not mean real-world money; all your currency is earned just by playing. If you are not earning money through all the events, you can always take up a delivery job. That is right, you can get a super-tuned delivery truck to make orders for customers. They will, in turn, request special requirements to make the delivery fun. It is an inventive way to keep things interesting on your routes.
Love and Money:
Being a loot goblin will be in your favor as you drive around Japan. There are signs that give you XP, little mascots to smash, each with its own theme. Then, of course, the Barn finds, and Treasure finds. Yes, these are two different things, as barn finds are just secret cars that are abandoned, which you can use your drone to search an area easier than driving around. Treasure finds are sent via an image, which is your clue to find the location. These clues are given if you are close to an area, but it is quite vague, even with the photo. However, the new drone feature is a nice touch and saves a lot of time.
Spirit of the Night:
Visually speaking, Forza Horizon 6 looks breathtaking. With the audio and music enhance your experience, which makes it all come to life. The radio station has always been my favorite, and yes, there is licensed music. However, it seems to be streamer-friendly, as I have yet to get a copyright strike. Picture this, you finely tuned your vehicle and test it out on the streets. However, you start to appreciate the cruise more than ever. The beauty of Japan captivates you, and thanks to Anna, you can put on auto-drive and then click “cinematic” mode.
When it comes to damage to your vehicles, you can either have cosmetic or simulated damage. Again, I enjoy the arcade side to my racing games. Some cosmetic damage is enough for me at the end of the day.
Night of Fire:
This doesn’t affect the score in any way, but I wish there were more lively people outside of the festival roaming around. I am only speaking as someone who is not a psychopath trying to run over everything or everybody. One would have to pretend that the Festival has everyone occupied, and frankly speaking. The only time you are outside of your vehicle is during cut-scenes. Either way, using the photomode feature is one of my favorites, which I am inspired by thanks to our writer, Cherry Moon. Going around taking good candid shots, not just of my car, but the local areas as well.
In the Fire of Victory:
Forza Horizon 6 grants gamers a continued fantasy just like the previous games. This is a gateway to explore areas in IRL, if you choose. The imagination from the developers giving us a proper arcade racing sim hits all the notes. Players can drive at their own pace and gain money rather quickly. In the first hour of gaming, I reach over a million CR, and your XP accumulates faster depending on the level of difficulty as well. With only 8.8 hours into the game, the time was flying by before I knew it. Between the weather changes, going from rain where your wipers automatically activate. Heading into the mountains and dealing with the snow, it all goes hand in hand.
I am itching to get back behind the wheel and start collecting my favorite cars. So, Forza Horizon 6 gets 5 out of 5 Beastly Paws. Keep in mind that if you have Game Pass, you will have access to Forza Horizon 6 on day one. For those who are worried about whether the game will play on your PC, the Xbox Cloud Gaming works well, just need a strong internet connection. Yes, FH 6 is part of the “Play Anywhere” model for Xbox. Please enjoy the video review located below, and I hope to see you out there on the streets of Japan. – Beast Out –