Over the past decade, Forza Horizon has unquestionably become the most acclaimed racing property on the planet. Not only has the series greatly pushed forward what was previously seen in open-world racing games, but it’s also become one of Xbox’s flagship franchises in a time when the company’s first-party offerings have left a bit to be desired. While Forza has been part of Xbox’s DNA for over 20 years, it’s the Horizon sub-series that has made this franchise a household name.
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Now, with the jump to Forza Horizon 6, Xbox and developer Playground Games have again expertly expanded on everything that has made the series so great up until this point. The final product isn’t just the best that has been so far in the Forza Horizon franchise, but it’s without question one of the best Xbox games of the generation.
Rating: 4.5/5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One of the most gorgeous games yet in the Xbox Series X/S generation | Certain unlockables are tied behind in-game purchases |
| Filled with enough content to keep you busy for dozens of hours, if not more | Story elements are incredibly forgettable |
| The open world of Japan is equal parts vast and varied | |
| Diversity of cars, races, and other in-game events will push you to keep playing for long periods of time |
Japan Is Forza Horizon’s Best Locale Yet
As with any new Forza Horizon entry, arguably the biggest highlight of FH6 is its shift to an entirely new region. This time around, Forza Horizon 6 is set within Japan, and it happens to be my favorite setting so far. Not only does Japan contain the most gorgeous landscape that Playground Games has built yet, but it also boasts a ton of diversity that makes it an easy and enticing world to get lost in. The simple act of driving around Japan and seeing what I would find in Forza Horizon 6 was one of the most fun parts of the game.
What helps set Japan apart from past locations that Forza Horizon has visited is its central hub of Tokyo City. This cityscape is undoubtedly the most detailed and dense that Playground Games has ever crafted, and really sets Forza Horizon 6 apart from past entries that much more. While previous games like FH4 and FH5 had great open worlds of their own, they were greatly lacking when it came to urban environments. Forza Horizon 6 addresses this shortcoming in stellar fashion, which leads to Tokyo City providing an excellent backdrop for some of the game’s more exciting races.
Once you get outside of the confines of Tokyo City, there is even more to see and do throughout Forza Horizon 6. Many of the off-road races that the series is known for are here in FH6 and allow you to compete against others while plowing through rice fields or navigating Japan’s snowy, mountainous region. If you ever start to grow tired of one area within Forza Horizon 6, it’s easy to just venture to another part of its map and see what it has to offer.
Forza Horizon 6 Is a Technical Marvel
Forza Horizon 6 is the first entry in the series (in this generation) to leave behind last-gen platforms, and it truly shows. Visually, FH6 takes a pretty sizable leap forward in fidelity. This is most notably seen with its ray tracing, which is among the best that I’ve seen in a video game yet. The manner in which light and other reflections bounce off vehicles is pretty astounding and is something that I couldn’t stop appreciating even after tens of hours into my experience.
This top-notch fidelity is backed by a consistent and smooth level of performance that never gave me fits in either Quality or Performance mode. Frame rate is arguably one of the most important elements of any racing game as the most minor of hiccups can completely throw you off while driving. For Forza Horizon 6 to be releasing in a state that has no issues on this front is a major boost to its overall quality, especially since many games struggle to release without performance struggles nowadays.
Outside of pushing the limit of what Xbox Series X/S and PCs are capable of, Forza Horizon 6 is just consistently a joy to look at. Its bright color palette and lush environments result in FH6 crafting a warm world that pushes you to explore it further. The only thing that I can really say that’s bad about FH6 on a visual front would be tied to its character models, but given that you rarely see these, it can somewhat be forgiven.
FH6 Has Enough Content to Keep You Busy for a LONG Time
When you’re not drooling in awe of the visuals on display in Forza Horizon 6, you’ll be left paralyzed by choice when it comes to what you should do next. The amount of content within FH6 is simply staggering, and while I’ve come nowhere close to seeing everything the game has to offer, I imagine completionists are looking at 100+ hours of content to do everything.
While having a lot to do is one thing, Forza Horizon 6 ensures that the activities it has on offer are consistently fun. One moment you’ll be delivering food around Tokyo City as a fast-paced Uber Eats driver, while the next you’ll be racing a Gundam-style mech through the hills of Japan. The diverse world of FH6 is only matched by the diversity of the tasks you can take on. Although some activities are a bit more straightforward than others, no one race or side mission ever feels too similar to something you might have already experienced. This keeps FH6 feeling fresh at all times, which is a major boost for a game with so much to do in it.
The thrilling activities in Forza Horizon 6 are joined by an incredibly deep level of customization that can be applied to your cars or various houses that you own. Whether you’re tweaking the inner workings of your vehicle, throwing together a new color scheme for your favorite car, or redesigning your garage to resemble your personality, there is an absurd number of customizable features to be found here. You’re just as likely to get lost in the game’s different customization menus as you are to repeat a certain race to break your own best time.
Across the board, Forza Horizon 6 is a resounding achievement for Playground Games. This isn’t just the most comprehensive, expansive, and gorgeous Forza Horizon title yet, but it’s arguably the best first-party game released by Xbox in this current generation. Whether you’re a massive fan of racing games or you’re simply looking to dip your toe into the genre for the first time, Forza Horizon 6 should not be missed.
Forza Horizon 6 is set to launch next week on May 19th, with early access going live in the coming day on May 15th. A review copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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