Forza was once the leader in the driving simulations, but does the new one make it to the finish line??

So, this isn’t a model car review. It isn’t even a toy review. It IS, however, a car video game review that I have done on Microsoft’s newest driving simulator, which I do with a heavy heart.

First, to answer the question above, the game does NOT make it to the finish line. It doesn’t even make it halfway. I know that sounds harsh, but in all fairness, it isn’t for the 8th iteration in the series, one of 11 video games done under the Forza umbrella, and one that came after the brand’s most significant achievement in Forza 7. Where does it all go wrong?

For starters, the game has kept the extremely long-winded and over-explained beginning that not only ruins the excitement of jumping right into the racing but has you racing that doesn’t count towards anything. It isn’t as if this is needed for those returning, and would have been a real treat to skip – even if just to get into the game and get rolling. It furthers the problem by letting you choose from only THREE cars for the first set of races. Not 1 of 10 that are in the same car class, but one of THREE. So, thus far, the player needed to play races not part of the actual career, listen to 20 minutes of posturing about the quality of the racing experience, and 5 races with a car you may or may not like.

This brings me to the gameplay itself. The driving is excellent. Probably has the most feedback for speed, bumps, and cornering than any of its predecessors. The interiors are fantastic, and the HUD is as good as ever. Track days include practice laps, and the races are just like you remember them. Well, not quite.

The career includes 5 different sets of races, all locked except for the first one. Now that isn’t bad until you realize you are required to race MORE races that you may or may not want to just to get to a race to use that special ride. The races are unlocked the more cups you finish. Don’t tell me… I forgot the ability to free race. No. It is possible to do so after the 25 minutes of “have-to”s, but it also has nothing to do with the career and is a waste of time. The career is also the smallest iteration in all of Forza’s history. With 25 possible races, it isn’t even close to what Forza 7 brought to the table.

All things considered, you may be thinking the game isn’t ruined to this point, just flawed. This next part will change that thought. For some reason, the people at Forza decided to make the cars LEVEL-UP before being able to upgrade them. You read right. Want rims?… Level 7. Want an excellent fin and attractive front air dam?… Level 12. Want to increase power to be more competitive? Only in 1-2 edit increments. You are looking at almost NEVER having the car you use at the level you want until the final race (in the set of 5), OR you must race 5-10 races outside the career just to level the car (for a 5-race series).

Then there are the personal issues some may or may not have but are essential to me. This is one of the smallest track sets in a Forza game since maybe Forza 2 and a few are missing, making the small number seem even worse. Why in the world did they get rid of Road Atlanta, Prague, Yaz Marina, Bathurst, Monza, and Dubai (the one featured in Forza 7)? It is a travesty to have this small number of tracks AND have to be stranded with the likes of Virginia Raceway, Homestead, and Road America. Yup, sucks.

There are also fewer total cars than not only the last Forza but several before as well. Not that there isn’t a nice list to choose from, but there are quite a few missing, and what remains is less than half of Forza 7. Yes, I’m sure they will add DLCs, but 400 cars?

Add to that :

  • longer re-start times
  • game crashes (I’ve had 4 today, and I’m not on multiplayer at all)
  • no auction house
  • no electric cars (though I am not a fan, they are getting popular enough to need their own slot)
  • no leader boards
  • idiotic off-track penalties (blaming you, F1)
  • arcade-like section splits nobody asked for

I wish the above were just figments of my imagination rather than a SIX-year-waited-on replacement. Sadly, they weren’t.

I guess my biggest problem with this game is the crazy amount of money the game requires. With the base game at $59.99 and the VIP (which I schlepped for) at a stratospheric $99.99, you are left with a hole in your pocket and the great desire to bust out the aging Forza 7 just to return to normality. This game will work if you have nothing else to drive, but if you’ve spent good money on Forza 6 or 7, don’t bother with this one.

Category: Forza Motorsport, model cars, Video GameTags: , , , , , , , , ,

One Comment on “GAME REVIEW : Forza Motorsport (8)”

  1. God, this is so sad. A very well written review that is truly tragic to hear. I was really hoping that this game would be the staple that is much needed nowadays with the declining fun that comes from newer games. I always loved the time I spent with the older Forza games, and I was hoping that this game would be something worth spending hundreds of uninterrupted hours playing regardless of the price tag. 

    Truly disappointing 😦

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