It would not be entirely fair to say that Forza Horizon 5 is just Forza Horizon 4 inside a new setting.
Developer Playground Games has nipped and tucked around the edges in meaningful ways. The primary progression route is a lot more flexible and open-ended this time around, enabling you to accomplish your overarching objective-winning an area in the Horizon Hall of Fame-in the order you want by playing whichever sort of events you want best. The brand new Expeditions, which unlock the different disciplines as well as their corresponding headquarters, inject sufficient “main mission” flavor to stand apart from the rest of the game, with big setpieces and small story beats and side objectives. Deeper and less-constrained part customization is a welcome addition, especially if you've ever wanted to make a Koenigsegg engineer weep by turning an Agera into an offroader. It's also the first title in the series to be native to Xbox Series X/S, with the graphical enhancements that entails.
Multiplayer gets quite a few touches, too, with a few new and reimagined modes, less friction when engaging in and switching between different events, a brand new Forza Link quick menu to make it easier to experience with strangers you encounter, and also the inclusion of the Eliminator battle royale mode (a Horizon 4 post-launch addition) away from the gate. Plus, the brand new EventLab toolset, which lets players build their very own custom events, despite specific rule sets, also needs to then add longevity-though just like any user-generated content it will not be until a couple weeks after launch that we really see everything it has to offer.
Still, in spite of those summary sentences, I must assume that for a way many people will play it, Forza Horizon 5 will virtually feel like Forza Horizon 4 in a new setting.
There's nothing wrong with this! Horizon 4 was an excellent open-world racer, despite my qualms with its this-game-is-a-service-now-so-you-really-should-keep-playing-it-forever design philosophy (one that's still virtually intact within the sequel). The core strengths that made the final game great get this to one just as much fun to dip into, with hundreds of cars to collect and a wealth of varied races to tackle at any given moment. By now, Playground Games has just about stretched the number of gameplay objectives you can give someone in a vehicle to the absolute limit, so almost always there is a big change of pace on offer when you get bored.
And you know, racing games aren't sports games, where incremental improvements make sequels seem like cash grabs. A brand new setting, complete with all of the new routes it brings, can do a lot to keep your experience fresh.
Even beyond that, Forza Horizon 5's Mexico is a noticeable upgrade during the last game's Britain. Though you are always not likely to do much virtual sightseeing-there are really merely a number of real-world locations here-the greater biome diversity does a lot for differentiating regions of the map and making it feel like you're heading somewhere new when you set out on the long drive. Expansive deserts, a towering volcano, a jungle hiding Mesoamerican ruins, and a tropical beach are just a tiny bit more striking than the subtle differences between English and Scottish geography.
One area where Mexico might not be in a position to compete as well is incorporated in the game's rotating seasons. I was only in a position to check out summer (also labelled in game because the wet season) during the review period, but it is probably a safe bet there won't be as much improvement in road conditions because there was in Forza Horizon 4. The large, flashy weather events like dust storms and tropical storms are neat enough (a minimum of when I got a opportunity to experience them within missions-they never cropped in the open world).
The only real gripe I have using the setting is that it largely seems like a missed chance to do more. Being an outsider, I find the culture of Mexico to become sprawling, entertaining, and sometimes surprising. Forza Horizon 5's approach to it's pretty bland. Simply to be clear: Unless unnecessary Spanglish is a pet peeve of yours, there is nothing remotely offensive about the portrayal. Playground Games caused local artists on some neat murals. The studio made sure there are a few prominent Mexican characters helping to organize the game's titular racing and music festival, and plenty more cropping up in most of the Horizon Story missions. Among the DJs is a Mexican American from La getting in contact with her heritage.
So no one's running around in a sombrero screaming andalé or anything, but you're not getting any deep insights, either. Mostly it feels like you're playing a very long, very expensive commercial from the Mexican tourism board. Look, at some point a personality actually says, “Oh, wow, Mexico has so much to provide.” That's the vibe. You're going to visit a lot of items that looks like Mexico. Just pricier to understand a great deal concerning the actual country.
Given the similarities between Forza Horizon 5 and its predecessor, it should be not really a surprise that many of the same frustrations I had with Forza Horizon 4 also have returned. The not compulsory three-star times for the Horizon Story side missions still feel unevenly balanced, with a few being hugely generous while some are ludicrously demanding. I additionally hate when I finish one of the PR stunts scattered around the map, the game won't allow you to reactivate the start gate to test again before the seconds-long animation telling you the way you ranked disappears. And Forza Horizon 5 feels about as buggy-in small, insignificant, but noticeable ways-as the final game did at launch. I'm certain most of that'll be polished out in no time. Ultimately, though, nothing I encountered on that front threw up any long-term roadblocks to my fun, just minor detours.
So often when I review a game title, I feel like I have to expend a ton of effort and words making sure I've adequately conveyed my experience, so that you can not just understand my estimation but grasp how it might overlap with your own gaming tastes. Not today. This really is easy, so let's not waste your time. If you wish to drive a bunch of ridiculous cars you'll not be able to afford in the real world faster than the law is ever going to allow you around picturesque roads for a few dozen hours, you're going to be satisfied.
To put it another way: If you would like Forza Horizon 4 inside a new setting, boy, is it necessary a game for you personally.
