Forza Motorsport 5

Ahh, Forza Motorsport 5 the game that for me made and Xbox One an essential early purchase. This along with Dead Rising were the first two huge games for the Xbox One. I really do like this game, but any game that had the unenvious task of following on from Forza Motorsport 4 had a ton to live up to, but I think that this game does hold its own and is a solid console launch title.

Shinier Than Ever Before

The first thing that people always talk about when it comes to Forza games is the presentation. This is the best-looking game of the early Xbox One launch if you ask me and it still looks fantastic now. This is just pure eye candy and if you thought that it could not get any better looking than what the fourth game in the series offered you are mistaken.

Everything in this game has a level of polish which we may take for granted today, but back when this was first released it was truly groundbreaking stuff. The Auto Vitsa mode that was introduced in the 4th game returns and it is even more spectacular now as the game's graphics are so much better. The sound is also improved, but I think this could be a personal preference thing. The game no longer has a licensed soundtrack, instead, it has an actual score like a movie would and I really like this.

Quality Over Content?

The first negative I have to say is that there are a few hundred fewer cars in Forza Motorsport 5 than there were in 4. This is of course very disappointing, but I do feel that the much higher models and tracks may be the reason for this. There is still a large selection of cars and courses, but if you spent a lot of time with 4, you will certainly notice that there is not as much content here as there was in that game. To be fair, it was well supported with DLC including a lot of free tracks which was awesome.

They still have the Top Gear license thing here. If you like Top Gear that is great, but if you find the presenters (especially Clarkson) brutal then this may be something that gets on your nerves. The gameplay is once again fantastic, I feel that by this point they have really nailed the gameplay. It is a great sim and one that requires some real skill to master, but at the same time, you can make it a bit easier if you need to be eased into things.

Race To The Top

I loved the career mode that was introduced in 3 and they improved upon in 4. The career mode here is not bad by any means. It in many ways feels like a career mode that would have been in a racing game on the PlayStation 2. It is a more straightforward kind of deal, but I just feel that it lacks the progression that the last two career modes had.

I like Forza Motorsport 5 and it was the most played game during that first Christmas with the Xbox One for me. It looks amazing, plays amazing and if it had just as much content as the fourth game, I think I would have preferred this. It is good, but I think that the extra content that the fourth game has makes me prefer that just a little bit.

Final Score 8.5/10

Pros:

• The cars look better than ever
• It still has a Top Gear license
• They supported the game with some great DLC
• It is challenging but fair
• It still has plenty of options for more novice players

Cons:

• If you hate Top Gear that aspect may get on your nerves
• It does not have as much content as its predecessor