My views on the Forza Horizon Demo

I didn't really follow any news about Horizon until it actually came out yesterday. What do I think of it? I will definitely not be buying it based on the demo. Let's take a look:

Physics: The physics engine in this game is god-awful. I feel like I'm playing an early version of NFS or even Burnout Paradise. All of the cars seem to handle the same around corners. I didn't know that a Lancer could really take a harpin turn at 90 MPH if you just let off the gas a bit. Want to drift? Just take a turn hard, no matter what car. I feel like I drove all of the cars just by driving the Viper, Mustang, and the Lancer. The dirt road was fun, but that's it.

Actual Demo: I found the demo very annoying. I do not want to watch the opening video EVERY time I log on. I can't skip it! As for progress in the game, why doesn't it save? I have known plenty of demos that allowed for some progress to be saved so you don't have to do the same thing over and over again.

Graphics: Looks like Burnout Paradise. I thought I'd see just as good looking cars as FM4, but I guess not. The scenery looks great in the cut-scenes, but nothing special in gameplay.

Controls: Why not keep the same control layout as FM4? They don't have the same button layouts as FM4, especially the shifting options. I found that I often downshift when I want to hit A for the e-brake.

Scale of 1/10: 3. Just barely. I had fun the first go-around of the game, but that fun quickly disappeared. I will be keeping FM4, and if I want a cartoony or arcade version of a racing game, I'll pop in TDU2 or Burnout Paradise (both of which are much more fun).

Thanks for the heads up! I can now save more money.

I wish we could get a Burnout Paradise 2 instead....

Thanks for sharing! might not bother downloadin the demo!

Just one person's point of view. However you are nailed on some points.

You have to remember that they used a lot of data to make it work with the XBOX console, it's not like a Playstation where they have Blu-Ray and can store more data on the game that particular console can actually handle. Unlike XBOX, you can't really use a whole lot of data otherwise it's too much for the console to handle with bigger maps, plus high graphics, plus the physics engine, plus night racing, plus lights and effects, plus music, plus sound effects, plus engine/tire/brakes sound, the list goes on and on. It does contain a lot of data when all is together.

The graphics in my opinion are better than TDU2 and Burnout Paradise by a long shot, but they aren't going to be as perfect like FM4. The cars look great, they kinda remind me of how GRID was designed for cars. I wouldn't say they are "cartoony". The map in the demo that you're allowed to drive on isn't the entire map. There's plenty of space to drive in., but it's not as huge as TDU2 is.

Physics Engine.. I tend to have to agree on some of your points, John. It does seem a bit unrealistic that you would be able to turn so quickly at 90MPH in dirt roads. Gran Turismo 5 beats this particular aspect of the game (Dirt roads) hands down, as it's a competitor of Forza Franchise apparently. In some cases, it doesn't feel like you're really going all that fast. From this demo they released, it doesn't feel like you're in the car and being blasted to the back of your seat when you're going fast like FM4 does. I think that Horizon needs to do a major update to the physics engine and recheck their modeling for dirt roads. It doesn't feel like you're on a dirt road, possibly skating on ice, but having the sudden ability to turn so quickly at 90MPH...

Controls... They give you multiple different combinations of controls in their Settings menu. It's the same kind of layouts in Forza 4, you need to just explore a bit more of the demo. I've always used B as up-shift and X as down-shift and A as hand-brake, so it really didn't bother me at all.

I think the whole purpose of this game was because people want to use Forza's stuff, but in an open world just to cruise in. Look at the Forza Cruise Club on FM.net, there's gotta be multiple different clubs that are just 'bout cruisin' around. But people didn't want to have to be on the track to cruise around, they wanted an open world. Here it is - the Horizon.

I also think people were expecting a bit too much, as it is the Playground Games' first ever game produced in their company. This is only a beginning of the new game... I think they put a lot of thought into it, but I do think that they need to check with some particular areas of the game (such as the dirt roads and the physics engine modelling) for their next update.

Think of how FLR functions. We started out as a basic forum, as time went on with new updates, it gets better.

Give it some time. I'm sure it'll get better eventually.

WARNING: THIS GAME IS NOT A SIM. THIS IS NOT FORZA MOTORSPORT ON OPEN ROADS. IT IS LIKE PGR. IT IS ARCADEY, BUT NOT OVERLY SO. DO NOT JUDGE BEFORE YOU PLAY THE DEMO.

The physics are fine. It's basically like Motorsport but more grippy and a bit more arcadey. TDU2's physics compared to this don't even exist, and the closest I would say is PGR (which is damn awesome).

The game looks about as good as Forzasports 4, and it's hard to notice the 30FPS framerate.

Basically what we have here is PGR and Forza got it on, and had an open world baby. And it's surprisingly pretty good, but it does have some stupid stuff about it.

I dislike the whole bro-rific Horizon festival and the crappy music. It's just stupid imo. I can overlook that however.

Also, the off roading is just..well, it's not bad, it's just..uninspired. TDU2 wins here.

It almost seems like the map will be kinda small, but other than that I have very few problems with it.

Overall, I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic and would tentatively rate it a 7/10 so far. As long as you don't go in expecting Forza 5, and instead expect a slightly arcadey open world Forza, then you will more than likely like it. Basically, imagine this as PGR 5.

Remember its a demo and not the finished product. Suprisingly i found it alot if fun and am considering getting it when it comes out.

Its not forza 5 so anyone expecting it to replace fm4 will be disappointed, but thats not what thus is

I thought the night day cycle was really cool and im sure theyll use that in fm5 later down the road once theyve ironed out the kinks

Also comparing a demo to a fully released game seems an unfair comparison. I remember people raging over tdu2 with all its release day glitches and issues.

I did not expect it to be as good as froza 4 and I do like it. There is something good about just been able to cruise around for a while. I thing the actual full game will be better and I will be buying it. It could also be that I am not a very good driver in FM4 but is fun enough for me.

Retpetty wrote:

Also comparing a demo to a fully released game seems an unfair comparison. I remember people raging over tdu2 with all its release day glitches and issues.

Only true to a certain extent. When it comes to graphics, physics, and gameplay, what you see is what you'll get.

I haven't really had any interest in this game, but I downloaded the demo just to give it a chance. After playing for about an hour or so, I still have no interest in it. I will not be buying this game. I've never really been thrilled with these types of games. I enjoy Forza because it's a more true to life racing experience. You can argue back and forth about whether it's a true sim or not, I could care less about that. It's much closer to what I enjoy. Honestly, I found the graphics and physics to be no better than the latest from NFS. Hell, if I want an open world driving experience, GTA beats this game hands down. The graphics are pretty close and the driving mechanics are better IMO.

Its not featured in the demo but im really looking forward to the photo mode. Even in tbe demo map there some very picturesque location to show off paintjobs

Roadster reventon very cool

Of course llama likes it. Lol

Also played the demo was meh then got to the dirt road part and went DONE turned it off. Terrible game play ground had the making of a good game then took a poo on it. If i want to just drive around ill play open world games

I was very disappointed in the demo. I was hoping there was a good game coming out on console so i could hop back online and play woth ya guys again... but alas there is not. Pc has ruined me i cant play console games and enjoy them like i used to. Im not a graphics whore im a frame rate whore. And consoles cant get over 60fps i run all my games maxed out and the lowest i get is 60 fps most of the time im cruising at 100 (bf3 iracing etc) so maybe im biased that iracing and pc having ruined me :/ which is unfortunet cause i used to love xbox :/ team speak is so much better than xbox party as well..

And not to mention if i want to move channels i tab move and back in the game in a srcond where as xbox takes an hour to open the menu then get to the party and leave then make a new one then back to game takes precious minutes of my gameplay lol.

So am i biased towards thiss? Yes the game was poop. But honestly id probably think it was poop even if i stayed with the xbox. And the world map is small as cornbeef.

So how long could you have fun with this game honestly driving the same roads over and over and over and over and over and over again..

Yes granted racing on tracks is the same maybe even worse but on tracks you learn how to get faster if you keep playing it. I talked to a turn 10 dev at stance werks in bellevue washington (yes i want to stance werks to see HELLA CAMBER MAAAAN) aka a bunch of douche kids. But half the opening video of horizon with the cars was shot at bellevue stance werks the other half was a concert.. but i degress.. the turn 10 dev hinted that the studio wasnt too happy with this game and wish their studios name and forzas name werent on it. He said it was a fun game but was pathetic to even have to same name of forza.

So to sum it up this is definitely a skip for me. I have a jerb and my pops can get ot for 25 bucks and i still wont waste my money on it

I feel they took NFS Underground 2 open world and just basic story, threw in the radio from GTA, and threw Forza's name on it. It's just an arcade racer and I might pick it up as a game for me to play with my wife and daughter.

Jeff, the human eye literally cannot tell the difference between 100fps and 60fps. Just saying.

Anyways, I'm getting more and more (cautiously) excited for this game. After seeing some more gameplay videos and reviews it does seem, aside from the terrible story, like a good fun game. Hopefully it will deliver.

The human eye sees at 30 fps, so that is correct.

Marxist Llama wrote:

Jeff, the human eye literally cannot tell the difference between 100fps and 60fps. Just saying.

Anyways, I'm getting more and more (cautiously) excited for this game. After seeing some more gameplay videos and reviews it does seem, aside from the terrible story, like a good fun game. Hopefully it will deliver.

Agreed... but my xbox is now not reading discs, so I'm going to have to wait until Dec. to buy a new one as a x-mas gift for myself lol

SoulTerror wrote:

I feel they took NFS Underground 2 open world and just basic story, threw in the radio from GTA, and threw Forza's name on it. It's just an arcade racer and I might pick it up as a game for me to play with my wife and daughter.

If someone wants to back me up here, i think they copied and pasted the radio not from GTA but from the open world SSX 3 snowboarding game

(playing techno then stops) "HEY RIDERS (instead of drivers) WHY DONT YOU GO TO _____ MOUTAIN AND CHECK THAT EVENT OUT! RIDE ON"

sounds almost identical remove riders and mountain with driver and race and boom

But everyobe agrees the day night cycle is cool huh hehe. Funny how much reaction a demo has caused. Some love it, some hate it, many still undecided.

My advice, download xcom demo and try that

What's XCOM?

IDK

Its a redo of a 90s classic tactical shooter

Why is this topic going off topic now? lol

it was an alternative for those that didnt like horizon

I have FH and although it is not a racing simulation game it is an interesting diversion. I do like playing it but hope the in the future they made some changes.

1- Put simulated damage in the game, it is easy to loss interest when you hit a car head on and can still race as if nothing had happened. Oh the reason that I hit a car head on is that I follow the racing line and at night the cars that are coming at you appear very fast.

2- They should put tuning cars in this game.

3- I do not like driving around looking for signs to run into in order to reduce the cost of upgrades.