Review: Forza Motorsport 3
By Ryan Maule
The racing simulation genre has been ruled since the launch of the PlayStation by one franchise: Gran Turismo. Most gamers can say that they first cut their teeth on racing simulators with it, but you know what the problem is with Gran Turismo? It's like building the Great Wall of China for each subsequent release! Gran Turismo 4 was released on February 22, 2005, and we’re still waiting for GT 5. Since then, there have been three (count them, one ... two ... three ...) great – and progressively greater – racing games released by Microsoft-backed Turn 10 Studios. That game series is Forza Motorsport.
The fact that the Turn 10 team is able to release games in a reasonable amount of time shouldn’t be the only reason for giving them kudos – these guys are actually pushing the genre to new heights. This third edition of Forza Motorsports could very well be the best racing simulator you’ve ever played.
Forza 3 continues to build on the work of Forza 2, focusing on gameplay physics – as always, they remain the top priority. But this time the team said that outstanding physics weren't enough, and so they completely re-wrote the graphics engine from scratch. The results are simply amazing … and should definitely help justify the purchase of your new $3,000 high-def home theatre system to your significant other.
Galleries - The cars of Forza Motorsport 3
After Turn 10 went about reinventing the graphical wheel, the team pondered what issues other racing sims face. The problem is that most of these games are too fine-grained; you usually have to be a car nut to appreciate them (no problem here!)
In order to open the door to a more casual audience (which is all the rage in video games right now) Turn 10 added in an upgrade feature, allowing gamers to tune their car without the elbow grease. There’s also a rewind feature that can be used as many times during a race, allowing you to re-play a scene. It’s handy should you miss a turn and end up face-first in a tire wall.
Rest assured, the rewind feature is completely voluntary, and it isn’t present in online play. What’s more is that on the game’s leader boards – a comprehensive display that allows you to compare your stats and times against other gamers – your ranking will be lower for using the crutch. However, it's a non-invasive feature that opens the game up to new and less-skilled players.
If you have an Xbox 360 and like racing games, then you really shouldn't think twice about picking up Forza Motorsport 3. With its blend of accessibility and in-depth features, it’s a definite crowd-pleaser for enthusiasts of all types.
- Click images for higher resolution.
Comments