This is like being in a newsagency, somewhere between the car mags and the travel mags or post card section. Horizon 3 is half racing game, half open world - but more aptly it's 50% dedicated to being a sizzling, autoshow-worthy display of beautiful cars and being a travel guide's luscious recreation of Australia.
I'm biased, outside of Mad Max, I've never seen Australia really represented in gaming. This game features one Aussie accent, so I basically still haven't. It's not an accurate representation of Australia but it's not trying to be. It's a gorgeous representation of Australia, though. The way it connects the various in-game biomes is chef's kiss. It's a beautifully designed game that makes me want to leave Melbourne and backpack around the outback and Yarra Valley. Beautiful variety in this game. Accurately straight roads too. Amazing skies. Maybe the best skies I've seen in game. I had to stop driving often to admire them. Just a jaw dropping array of sunsets mixed with really realistic overcast and clear skies. I played this because after Driveclub I was yearning for a semi simulation racer with some genuine bombastic scripted events that take advantage of realistic looking cars in realistic nature environments with dynamic changes. Or like if Gran Turismo and Uncharted were spliced together. Plus I saw a YouTube video about how good this was and I remembered I still have an Xbox One (which I haven't touched for months).
To add, much like Driveclub, Horizon 3 is a game that doesn't exist outside of a physical disc in the year of our lord 2024, so all hail physical media because at least it cannot be erased as easily as digital content. Unlike Driveclub, however, there's more than enough content and game here to keep one entertained for hours. Not that I think volume of content is always the most sufficient way to compare and judge games. I still think that moment-to-moment Driveclub is a more visceral experience, especially as a racing game, but there's no denying Horizon 3 has more cars, more tracks and event types, more customisation and just flat out more to see and play with, which when considering both games don't exist today and can only be played offline off of a disc, it does make a difference.
I misjudged the Forza Horizon series. It might have been what I wanted all along without realising it. I don't know. I'm going to play Horizon 4 next while it's still on Game Pass and still exists. I did find my brief time with it three years ago off putting, mostly the presentation. That's still an issue with Horizon 3 but I guess I managed to put it aside easier here. I'm not a huge fan of the corporatised, overly sponsored "happy" vibe to the whole festival atmosphere. It's a bit insincere and phony. What I liked about Driveclub is the fact that it kind of lacked atmosphere. It was like all the personality was sucked up by a vaccum, which sounds like a neg, but I'd rather have no personality than the soulless "bank-sponsored community arts project" vibe Horizon has for some reason.
Anyway. Good game. The driving in this is kind of right down the middle, where it's basically an arcade racer but I guess there's enough options to tune your car to something more. I wouldn't know, I didn't bother with any of it. I would just get a new car, slap on a suggested community design, and race around. The cars all looked fantastic. Mostly handled well and somewhat true to the look and feel of the car's design. Nice weight to most of the cars I drove. The progression system was lightweight and relatively rewarding. I think the wheel spins are rigged. But I wound up driving a nice variety of cars from a 91 BMW M3, to a Lamborghini Aventador to a Ford Shelby Raptor to a nice Rolls Royce Wraith (which fulfilled my childhood dream of racing a Rolls in a Need for Speed=illegal street racing game, something I don't remember ever finding an option for when I was 13). I only wish I knew how to drift...better or at all in this game. Solid experience.
I'm biased, outside of Mad Max, I've never seen Australia really represented in gaming. This game features one Aussie accent, so I basically still haven't. It's not an accurate representation of Australia but it's not trying to be. It's a gorgeous representation of Australia, though. The way it connects the various in-game biomes is chef's kiss. It's a beautifully designed game that makes me want to leave Melbourne and backpack around the outback and Yarra Valley. Beautiful variety in this game. Accurately straight roads too. Amazing skies. Maybe the best skies I've seen in game. I had to stop driving often to admire them. Just a jaw dropping array of sunsets mixed with really realistic overcast and clear skies. I played this because after Driveclub I was yearning for a semi simulation racer with some genuine bombastic scripted events that take advantage of realistic looking cars in realistic nature environments with dynamic changes. Or like if Gran Turismo and Uncharted were spliced together. Plus I saw a YouTube video about how good this was and I remembered I still have an Xbox One (which I haven't touched for months).
To add, much like Driveclub, Horizon 3 is a game that doesn't exist outside of a physical disc in the year of our lord 2024, so all hail physical media because at least it cannot be erased as easily as digital content. Unlike Driveclub, however, there's more than enough content and game here to keep one entertained for hours. Not that I think volume of content is always the most sufficient way to compare and judge games. I still think that moment-to-moment Driveclub is a more visceral experience, especially as a racing game, but there's no denying Horizon 3 has more cars, more tracks and event types, more customisation and just flat out more to see and play with, which when considering both games don't exist today and can only be played offline off of a disc, it does make a difference.
I misjudged the Forza Horizon series. It might have been what I wanted all along without realising it. I don't know. I'm going to play Horizon 4 next while it's still on Game Pass and still exists. I did find my brief time with it three years ago off putting, mostly the presentation. That's still an issue with Horizon 3 but I guess I managed to put it aside easier here. I'm not a huge fan of the corporatised, overly sponsored "happy" vibe to the whole festival atmosphere. It's a bit insincere and phony. What I liked about Driveclub is the fact that it kind of lacked atmosphere. It was like all the personality was sucked up by a vaccum, which sounds like a neg, but I'd rather have no personality than the soulless "bank-sponsored community arts project" vibe Horizon has for some reason.
Anyway. Good game. The driving in this is kind of right down the middle, where it's basically an arcade racer but I guess there's enough options to tune your car to something more. I wouldn't know, I didn't bother with any of it. I would just get a new car, slap on a suggested community design, and race around. The cars all looked fantastic. Mostly handled well and somewhat true to the look and feel of the car's design. Nice weight to most of the cars I drove. The progression system was lightweight and relatively rewarding. I think the wheel spins are rigged. But I wound up driving a nice variety of cars from a 91 BMW M3, to a Lamborghini Aventador to a Ford Shelby Raptor to a nice Rolls Royce Wraith (which fulfilled my childhood dream of racing a Rolls in a Need for Speed=illegal street racing game, something I don't remember ever finding an option for when I was 13). I only wish I knew how to drift...better or at all in this game. Solid experience.