Forza 3 – Review – Xbox 360

When the original Forza hit the scene in 2005 it brought a level of racing to the Xbox previously only seen in Gran Turismo in fact many labeled it as the Microsoft answer to GT.  It created a new market for MS as any time you wanted die hard racing simulation you usually had to turn to Sony’s console.  Since then the series has grown into what many are calling the definitive racing game of this generation.  Sony has yet to lay out GT5 for us and previous attempts at a serious simulation/racer have fallen a little short.  While Forza 2 was definitely a great game, many felt it lacked the next gen polish so many thought the series deserved.  Now we have Forza 3, does it feel I n the gaps left in our racing hearts?

The first thing you notice about Forza 3 when you get it is the 2 discs it comes with.  The second disc is basically an install disc with cars and tracks.  You will need to have around 1.9 GB of HDD space in order to install the content.  If you don’t have a HDD or the room on your HDD you’re going to be missing out on a lot of cars and tracks.  With that in mind I call out the first problem with the game.  Xbox Arcade owners are going to be left out in the dust.  Sure you can pop in the first disc but you’re only getting some of the content.  We knew eventually that MS was going to get bit in the ass for not taking on a next gen format and never could it shine more brightly on that mistake then with Forza 3.  Being limited to a fraction of the cars and tracks may hurt a lot of people’s opinions of the game.

Be that as it may if you have the HDD space to install the content you are going to go on one of the greatest rides of your videogame life.  Turn 10 has done wonders with the physics and AI in this game as they are 2 of the brightest spots you will find.  Tire deformation, aggressive AI drivers who will actually make mistakes or be ballsy enough to try and spin you out I the turn are just highlights to a great looking game.    While it may not be the best looking racer available on the 360 it is definitely beautiful as we finally get our 60FPS that were promised before.

Lets beak everything down.

Graphics: While in my opinion Dirt 2 has the better visuals Forza 3 is very much right behind it in the graphics department.  It can be hard to really enjoy them when you’re flying by all the scenery at 150+mph but trust me when I say the environments are excellent looking.  The car models are also very exquisite and accurate to a “T”.  Is there anything lacking though?  Well there are a few graphical anomalies that rear there ugly heads from time to time.  Shadows popping in and out and maybe a little texture pop up but that is hardly noticeable.

Gameplay: Let’s talk about the Season mode.  Season mode is a 6 year progressive series of dynamic races.  Each season last’s a year and you choose which events out of all the available events each week these are followed by Class championships on the weekends.  The season play is a very well rounded experience and feels very complete.  Ones you complete all 6 seasons you are able to jump back to the event list to finish events you may have skipped during your season.

One of my favorite parts of Forza 3 is taking a turn and putting a little pressure on the car in front of me.  This pressure sometimes makes the AI nervous apparently as at times they will make a mistake, maybe they won’t hit their line perfectly or maybe they will grab a little dirt thanks to my pressure but it really shows how great the AI can be.  It is a very immersive experience.    The AI also has an asshole clause apparently as they have no problem putting you in the dirt either.  Among racing games, I have yet to see a more well rounded AI to play against.

Multiplayer: For all the things Forza does right you can’t help but notice some changes that were made and not necessarily for the better.  Let’s talk about playing online.  One of the more popular features of Forza 2 was the online customizable lobbies.  While those lobbies are present in Forza 3 they can only be customized in private races whereas in Forza 2 you could host public lobbies.  Many are complaining and have complained to Turn 10 to bring them back, but the word on the street seems to be they are gone for good.  A good amount of Dedicated Forza players have made statements that this is such a glaring omission that they would rather go back and play Forza 2 so they can enjoy the online experience.

Also among the complaints right now are the Hoppers.  Hoppers are basically the Matchmaking modes that Turn 10 uses in their online experience.  Different options for each hopper, but they are at this point very limited in the classes which you can take into matchmaking.

I can go on all day about the lackluster online experience in Forza 3, but I don’t want this to sound like it is a title killer.  Playing online is a great experience if you have some like minded individuals on your friends list.  Invite them to a private room and have at it, hopefully the matchmaking will be sorted out with time but as of this writing it is limited in scope and appeal especially for die hard Forza fans looking for more of what they got in Forza 2

Overall: Forza 3 is not without its hindrances; it fails in some parts but more than makes up for it in other spots.  Hopefully Turn 10 listens to the fan base and corrects the online issues and some other minor complaints being voiced by the community. Without those fixes Forza 3 is still one of the greatest racing experiences available on the 360, with the fixes it could be the greatest racing game of this generation.  Pick it up and keep in mind racing with a wheel makes the game 10 times better

Pro’s

Great Physics

Look’s amazing

Plenty of Cars and tracks to choose from

Awesome Career Mode

Con’s

Lackluster online mode

Missing great elements that made Forza 2 a hit

Score: 8 out of 10

We recieved our copy from Edelman.

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