Forza 2 kicks up a cloud of next-gen racing dust.
2005's original Forza on Xbox was already a very accomplished racing sim with realistic physics and incredible car customisation, and with the sequel Microsoft Game Studios have delivered more of the same but taken the whole experience up a notch.
If you're playing the game on a high-definition display, the first thing you'll notice is the stunning quality of the visuals. Photo-realistic is a term often misused to describe videogame graphics but Forza 2 achieves it better than most. Lighting, textures and effects all look amazing and everything moves at a rock-solid 60 frames per second.
This visual realism is worth mentioning because it compliments the levels of realism Turn 10 has achieved with the handling of the cars. For example, the Ferrari 550 Maranello race car is a right handful with all the driver aids turned off - power oversteer is always just a finger-twitch away. Conversely, the four-wheel drifts possible in an F430 are sublime and utterly controllable.
As close as it’s possible to get to driving a real car in your living room.
And it's this appreciable difference in handling between all the cars that is so satisfying. Rear, front and four wheel drive feel has been replicated in such fine detail that any petrol head will be in their element pounding round the various circuits. Use the wireless, force-feedback steering wheel from Microsoft and you'll be as close as it's possible to get to driving a real car in your living room.
The sound is another area where the developers have done a fantastic job. You can tell what car an opponent is driving behind you just by the sound alone. Take a standard Honda Civic Type R, add a racing air intake and exhaust system and the resulting change in engine sound is so satisfying - you can really hear the difference all the performance upgrades make, immersing you further into your virtual racing cockpit.
Jump straight into the action
Game structure is also very much like the last Forza game. Arcade and Career are the two main areas. Arcade lets you jump straight into the most exotic cars in the game for a quick racing fix. Career is where you start with a pretty standard car and using your winnings, tune the performance with a myriad upgrades and customize the look with styling add-ons, paint and graphics.
And it's this area where Microsoft believes a lot of players will be spending most of their time. The scope for custom paint jobs is staggering and the Internet is already loaded with images of some amazing designs. This is even more impressive when you consider the (good but limited) tools you are given to decorate your vehicle.
Once you've created your automotive masterpiece you can auction the car to the highest bidder - you could even end up racing against your old car! The idea is to create a massive community of racers, modders and artists all populating different areas within the Forza 2 world and all sharing a love of cars. Looks like it's working so far.
As a simulator, the comparisons with the Gran Turismo series are inevitable and justified. GT has been the benchmark since it first came out and in reality, both titles are of the highest quality with only subtle but important differences. Forza 2 however is arguably more 'fun' and isn't that why we play games in the first place?
GAME's Verdict
- Great handling.
- Car customisation.
- Amazing visuals.
- Replays not always smooth.
- Menu navigation a bit awkward (especially with steering wheel).
- Erratic difficulty levels.
Review by: Graeme Jones
Review Published: 08.06.07