The Scotsman Games review: Forza Horizon 2

THE first Forza Horizon was an intriguing offshoot of the hugely successful driving simulation, charting a new course towards a more social, task-based style of play.

As is to be expected, Horizon 2 boats a typically diverse and exacting array of vehicles, from chunky, overpowered SUVs to blisteringly fast supercars. Picture: Contributed

Forza Horizon 2

Platforms: Xbox One (reviewed) / Xbox 360

Score: 9.0 / 10

It was a qualified success, its near faultless mechanics hindered by a disappointingly sparse open word. With the sequel, however, British developers, Playground Games, have struck upon a compelling fusion that appeals to po-faced petrolheads as much as it does to aficionados of the kudos-system of Project Gotham Racing.

As is to be expected, Horizon 2 boats a typically diverse and exacting array of vehicles, from chunky, overpowered SUVs to blisteringly fast supercars that require the most attentive of drivers in order to prevent them veering off the apex of a sharp band. Each car is distinctive and the nuanced differences are testament to the developer’s love of all things four wheeled. But do not be lulled into thinking the game is a simulation; on the contrary, it signals the greatest departure yet from the hallowed Forza formula.

Opiate-fuelled lunch of MTV marketing executives

While the overarching concept of the Horizon Festival - a melange of motorsport and music - still feels like the kind of misjudged and vainglorious notion cooked up at an opiate-fuelled lunch of MTV marketing executives, Playground Games have packed in an overly generous variety of modes, challenges and race types to make the whole package sing. The races in particular dispense with Forza’s carefully honed approximations of licensed tracks in favour of meandering routes that traverse tarmac and scrub. With fewer fences to gate off the action, the fleet of competitors tumble through valleys and across fields at breakneck pace. It may be less refined, but it is a great deal more fun.

Set in the sunkissed climes of northern Italy and south-east France, the game world is a sprawling expanse of coastal roads and twisting routes cutting through mountain ranges, bathed in a warm, marmalade haze. The latest instalment in the Forza series boasts a typically diverse and exacting forecourt’s worth of vehicles. From chunky, overpowered SUVs to blisteringly fast supercars that demand the most attentive of driver at their wheel, the selection is nuanced and demands the player build up a variety of cars in their garage in order to cope with the various challenges of the geography.

Increased importance of the skill system

One of the most entertaining tweaks to the Horizon template is the increased importance of the skill system. Now, pulling off drifts, careering into destructible scenery and generally adopting the reckless abandon of Steve McQueen circa Bullitt reaps rewards in the form of XP and skill points. Factor in the one off challenges scattered throughout the game in addition to the main events, this adds a sense of purpose and fun to the game, ensuring the pace never drops; even when you are inbetween events, Horizon 2 always has something to grab your attention and driving from one area to another never feels like a chore.

The sequel’s online infrastructure is nothing short of a revelation and ensures the multiplayer component is the title’s tour de force, thanks largely to the Road Trip mode. Essentially a mini compilation of various race events, the action groups players together in the open world and tasks them with accruing as much XP as possible. Where other driving games have tried and failed to augment the core experience with a thriving social element, Playground Games looks to have hit upon the ideal formula.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

1) After three championships, you will have the opportunity to form or join a club. This is a good way of bolstering the XP you earn and finding a ready made roster of other drivers to race alongside in a party.

2) The emphasis on off road racing can take some getting used to for Forza veterans, but cutting across fields is a crucial way of building a lead during races.

3) The easiest difficulty setting poses no challenge at all, so for a testing experience - and the chance to win more XP - up the ante as soon as you are familiar with the racing mechanics.