'Forza Horizon 4' Goes Gold, Demo Now Live

Hot on the heels of showcasing an amazing Halo-themed mission for the game, Forza Horizon 4 is just about ready to race out of the starting gate!

Microsoft has confirmed via its Xbox Wire page today that Forza Horizon 4, its big Xbox One holiday racing hit, is set to go, as the game has officially gone gold, set to be produced for retail and digital release.

What's more, the company has provided the opportunity to take the game for a test drive, as a free demo is available to download on both Xbox One and Windows 10 as part of the Play Anywhere campaign. Here are the details regarding the demo:

If you can't wait until the launch of Forza Horizon 4, we've got just the thing: the official Forza Horizon 4 demo, which launches worldwide today for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Take a tour of beautiful, historic Britain in the demo, which will give fans a healthy heaping of open-world gameplay to enjoy. Seasons change everything in Forza Horizon 4 and demo players will experience each of the four unique seasons in the demo. From the ice and snow of winter time to the blazing summer heat, each season has its own charms and challenges.

What's more, the company has also confirmed a Day One pack with some special vehicles taken straight from the James Bond series. Granted, they don't have working machine guns or ejector seats, but they still look suave cruising down the road. Plus, in Forzavista mode, you can see some of the gadgets still included. Two Bond outfits and six exclusive "Quick Chat" phrases are also included.

The Bond Car Pack will automatically be included with the Ultimate Edition, and can also be purchased separately for those that get the standard version. Here's the list of cars that'll be included:

• 1964 Aston Martin DB5 inspired by Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015)

• 1969 Aston Martin DBS from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

• 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback from The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)

• 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

• 1981 Citroën 2CV6 from For Your Eyes Only (1981)

• 1986 Aston Martin V8 from The Living Daylights (1987)

• 1999 BMW Z8 from The World is Not Enough (1999)

• 2008 Aston Martin DBS from Quantum of Solace (2008)

• 2010 Jaguar C-X75 from Spectre (2015)

• 2015 Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre (2015)

Microsoft has also confirmed full Mixer integration with the game, as users can start earning "influence" with today's demo release. Here's how that works:

Influence represents a player's progression in Forza Horizon 4 and is the core of the game's "Horizon Life" campaign. No matter how you like to play the game, you'll be earning Influence as you go – exploring racing, performing stunts, taking photographs, creating (liveries, tunes and Blueprints), and streaming (or viewing) on Mixer.

Once you have earned Influence for viewing a Forza Horizon 4 Mixer stream, you can claim it in the game using the same Xbox Gamertag you used to watch or stream on Mixer. (Note that players must unlock the "Mixer" thread in the Horizon Life campaign to take advantage of Mixer-earned Influence.) Players who stream Forza Horizon 4 on Mixer will earn Influence every two minutes, with a bonus applied for larger audiences.

Forza Horizon 4 releases on September 28 with the Ultimate Edition, and October 2 for the standard edition. Have fun with the demo!